Well equipped: innovation that every football program needs.

Football may be a game of inches, but it is also a game of helmets, pads, blocking sleds, taping tables, balls, and a whole laundry list of things you need before you can even consider gaining that first down or, better yet, the winning score.

College and high school programs alike are forever seeking that edge that can make a difference on the playing field. Equipment companies are providing such an advantage.

Following is a select list of cutting-edge football-related products that no school should be without:

BALLS:

Spalding has gone retro, reintroducing its legendary J5V and TF-100 footballs.

Each ball, which retails at $64.95, is designed for the institutional market. The National Federation of High School's approves the J5V. The TF-100 is more of a professional size ball.

Constructed of Horween leather, the balls feature two different lace heights: a performance grip lace (raised laces), and a standard lace. The J5V and TF-100 lines are also available in composite leather and rubber for all-weather conditions, as well as models for junior and peewee players.

Dan Touhey, VP/Marketing, Spalding Sports Worldwide, said the company dabbled in several innovations, such as a different-type all-leather ball and a ball that doesn't retain a lot of water to create more playability. What it all came down to was giving the masses what it wanted.

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"The feedback from coaches and players was that they wanted a high-grade, competitive play football," Touhey says. "So we said, 'Why should we try and reinvent the wheel? We have a classic line of balls that date back to the 50s and 60s.' So we relaunched the high-grade performance footballs with the idea to make the best ball we could."

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The J5V ball was in play during the 2003 California Interscholastic Federation state football playoffs in Southern California. The J5V has also been adopted by high school federations of Massachusetts, Texas, and Florida to be used exclusively in each states' respective playoffs.

"We have retained or gained some of the top states in the country," says Touhey. "That will go a long way to gaining credibility in the football business."

BLOCKING SLEDS:

Before you can block an opponent, you have to block a sled. That's where Hadar Athletic comes in.

Manufacturers of affordable, well-built football products for more than 40 years, the Iowa-based company is touting its Hadar HX Football Blocking Sled.

Functionality is the buzzword here. The HX sled comes apart with handles. There are no tools needed. Each sled is constructed of steel, stainless steel hardware, and is powder coated to prevent rust. The HXFB pad comes standard. Cone and cylinder pads are available. Since the sled is modular, teams can store it in a shed as opposed to leaving it outdoors.

The beauty of the HX sled is that a school can purchase one and buy additional sleds up to a seven-man sled at a substantial savings. An individual sled sells for $600, amounting to $4,200 for a seven-man sled if bought separately. But, if a school opts to buy a seven-man sled at the outset, the cost is only $3,700.

"We are in the development phase on accessories for our sleds," says Joe Hadar, part owner. "We want to give added value to the customers who invested in our sleds. In the next year or so we will introduce a whole line of products that can be used in connection with our sleds."

Hadar has a patent pending on a bent tube connector that will allow players to perform agility type drills as opposed to running straight at the sled. The sleds can also be set up in a V-shape to simulate a passing pocket.

According to Joe Hadar, his company is the only manufacturer of a molded plastic bottom dummy--the patented 54-inch pop-up dummy. Hadar has plans for a 6-foot model.

"Everyone else has vinyl dummies," Joe Hadar says. "When the sand falls out, it's junk. We have had zero return on our hard plastic bottoms."

HELMETS:

Borrowing technology used by the United States military, Schutt Sports has introduced its DNA helmet. (DNA is not an acronym; it simply means, "rewriting the code" of previous helmet design.)

Designed to provide the ultimate in shock absorption while minimizing mild traumatic brain injuries, the shock-absorbing SKYDEX technology was originally developed for Army paratrooper helmets as well as Marine, Coast Guard, and Navy SEALS boats.

According to Schutt, SKYDEX is a material that attenuates shock and dissipates energy far better than foams and gels. It is also thinner and lighter than foam padding currently on the market. Moreover, the company states that the shell's spherical shape is designed to create glancing blows, especially on helmet-to-helmet contact.

"Innovation always has been an important part of our mission, and this is the first true departure from traditional padding material that the sport has seen in 30 years," says Schutt Sports President Julie Nimmons. "As research evolves, SKYDEX can be tuned in manufacturing to absorb different levels of impact throughout a helmet."

The Schutt DNA helmet was constructed in conjunction with an on NFL-sponsored study that is shedding new light on concussions. In fact, Schutt's own R & D has helped provide the NFL gain insight during the pendulum testing to measure helmet impact--Schutt owns one of only three pendulum testing machines in the world.

Similar to Schutt's complete line of helmets, the DNA features a swing-away faceguard that allows trainers to easily remove the facemask in an emergency. A contoured side provides increased peripheral vision and strategically placed ventilation holes facilitate airflow and prevent heat buildup. A functional ear hole design allows players to hear teammates while allowing for easy-on, easy-off access.

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PERFORMANCE APPAREL:

Under Armour has entered the team uniform market, bolstered by its agreement with the University of Maryland to be the exclusive uniform provider for the Terrapins football program.

The Baltimore-based company will outfit the Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse in its 'tight-fit' apparel for at least the next five years, beginning with the 2004 season. The moisture-wicking, microfiber uniforms will be unveiled April 24 during the Terps' annual spring game.

Aside from jerseys and pants, the deal includes everything but shoes: accessories, gloves, socks, fan apparel, coaching apparel, and team jackets.

"We realized a need for uniforms with improved technological components," says Bill Kraus, Under Armour's vice president of sports marketing. "We knew we could meet this challenge and look forward to utilizing our unique product to deliver a lighter, more flexible uniform offering exceptional performance benefits."

Under Armour's uniform product, constructed from a more technical fabric than Terrapins players' have worn in the past, is significantly lightweight and features technologically advanced stretch properties that add flexibility and maneuverability, according to the company.

Under Armour's signature compression factor will complete the new state-of-the-art ensemble. The snug togs are designed to make it difficult for the opposition to grasp.

Although Maryland will be the only one of the 117 Division I programs to don the Under Armour uniforms, other ACC schools could follow. It will not be available to high school programs in the immediate future.

"We're building a model here," said Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, a former Maryland special teams standout, in an interview with the Terrapin Times. "We're extending our product a little bit by including uniforms. When we create a model it means the first thing we're going to do is worry about No. 1 and make sure we can handle that. And then as we bring on resources and figure out exactly how to make this thing happen the right way, I think it will open up the platform to bring on additional schools."

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SHOULDER PADS:

These aren't your father's shoulder pads.

While conventional pads are designed to protect shoulders during impact, the Douglas Temperature Management System (TMS) pads perform a second function: combating heat stroke and heat related illnesses in players.

Here's how it works: Using a compressor, 99.9% water-free and oil-free air is transformed into 60-degrees of dryer, cooler air that is then pumped into the pads, circulating at 200 times a minute. It takes a minimum 30 seconds to revive a player.

The system is only available in the Douglas Custom Pro and Riddell Power shoulder pads

TMS originated almost two years when Dr. Nik Gravenstein, who was doing studies on heat stroke and football players at U. of Florida, came up with the concept of pads that would help players defeat heat-related illness.

After a year of initial design, the invention was brought to Fred Williams, president of Williams Sports Group, LLC of Jacksonville, Florida. Williams, who has represented Douglas Football Equipment for a decade, and has dealt with the Southeastern Conference, field-tested the pads with some local athletes.

Williams then brought the pads, which had been patented, to Jacksonville U., the U. of Florida, and U. of Georgia football programs, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL for play testing.

The U. of Florida continued in-depth medical tests with its players, providing them with heat pills, then after time, shooting them with a pee gun to read their body corps temperature. Testing was done with and without pads. The results displayed a significant decrease in heat-related problems.

The U. of Jacksonville took it a step further last September. Five defensive players donned the pads for a regular season game vs Wingate. During the contest, every player reported problems with heat stroke or cramps, except the five players who wore the TMS shoulder pads. What's more, the Dolphins trailed 32-10 before storming back to win 42-38.

"All five kids said they were more focused and aware in the last quarter," says Fred Williams. "Every change of possession, they had cool air pumped into pads, over their chests and down their backs. That tells you that not one of those kids was dehydrated."

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UCLA has already ordered 125 pair, the Citadel 50, and Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee have also placed orders. Depending on the model, the pads cost between $325-$400.

The air compressor system, which can supply five, 10, and 20 men at a time, varies, with a complete 10-man unit, including hoses and trees, costs $17,000 and comes with a five-year guarantee.

"TMS is an investment in your players' health and safety," Williams says.

TAPING/TREATMENT TABLES:

Oakworks, manufacturer of innovative therapeutic equipment, is leading the way in functional and portable taping and treatment tables.

Its portable table, the only fully portable table on the market, according to the company, is lightweight at 35 pounds while boasting a weight capacity of 500 pounds, capable of accommodating the biggest linemen. The Boss treatment table, designed exclusively for the demands of the sidelines, handles a dynamic load of 600 pounds while tipping the scales between 29 and 36 pounds.

"The functionality and practicality of our tables really adheres to our motto that it is like a home field advantage to go," says Rodger Hyle, Oakworks' business development manager for rehab and medical. "Some trainers are taping off helmets and benches during games and places that are not ergonomically correct for a treatment area. Today's game demands a better place to treat bigger, stronger, and more aggressive athletes. Now it's a different story."

The portable taping table Game Package includes field feet, carry case, and shoulder strap. Oakworks recently dropped $100 off the price to a budget-friendly $399.

The Boss Outdoor Package contains a 6-foot semi-round bolster, 8-foot round bolster, a QuickLock face rest, field feet, and a carry case.

The New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers both used the tables during Super Bowl week. They are also staples for the U. of Texas football program.