Riddell Sports Group
Riddell Sports Group, commonly known as Riddell, is an American manufacturer specializing in helmets and protective equipment for gridiron football.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Riddell Sports Group is an American sports-equipment company focused primarily on gridiron football, with particular prominence in football helmets, facemasks, protective padding, and related safety technologies. The company was founded in 1929 by John Tate Riddell, whose early work centered on improving football footwear. Riddell is associated with the invention of the removable cleat, a design that helped establish the company in the football-equipment market. The company expanded from footwear into head protection in the late 1930s. In 1939, John Tate Riddell developed a plastic-shell football helmet, and the company subsequently worked on plastic suspension helmets during the early 1940s. That suspension technology was also used by the United States military during the Second World War. Over the following decades, Riddell continued to develop football helmet components and construction methods, including facemasks in the 1950s, air-filled padding in the 1960s, and helmets with multiple inflation points in the 1990s. Riddell's modern identity is closely tied to helmet engineering and the debate over how football equipment should address head-impact risks. In 2002, the company introduced the Revolution helmet, commonly called the Revo. Its launch followed research concerning football concussions, and the model gained visibility through use in professional and collegiate football. Riddell later expanded its technology portfolio with systems such as the Revolution IQ HITS, which used sensors inside a helmet to record impact data for later review by medical or coaching personnel, and Concussion Reduction Technology, a package of padding and liner features intended to absorb and redistribute impact forces. The Revolution Speed and SpeedFlex became additional notable helmet families. SpeedFlex was designed with a flexible shell and facemask intended to improve force management and impact absorption. Riddell also offers youth-oriented versions of its helmet designs for younger players, including athletes under 14. Its product range and brand reputation therefore extend from individual athletes and youth programs to school, collegiate, professional, and other organized football environments, although the supplied reference material does not specify a complete geographic market list. Ownership has changed during the company's modern history. Fenway Partners acquired Riddell in 2003 from Lincolnshire Management. The business was formerly headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, and moved to a new facility in Des Plaines in 2017. Dan Arment became president in 2008 after previously serving as executive vice-president and general manager of the mass-market business. Riddell has also been involved in significant intellectual-property and product-liability litigation. It sued competitor Schutt Sports in 2008 over alleged patent infringement; Schutt later brought its own patent case against Riddell in 2010. Riddell prevailed in that dispute, after which Schutt filed for bankruptcy. Separately, Riddell was named in concussion-related lawsuits involving football players and former National Football League players. These cases alleged that the company failed to warn adequately about the long-term risks associated with repeated head impacts and that its helmets did not provide sufficient protection. A 2013 jury decision in a case brought by a plaintiff identified in the reference material as Mr. Ridolfi found Riddell negligent for failing to warn about concussion dangers. The litigation has been an important counterpoint to the company's marketing and engineering emphasis on impact reduction: helmet technologies may reduce some forces or injuries, but they cannot eliminate the risks inherent in contact football.
History
Riddell Sports Group was established in 1929 by John Tate Riddell as a football-equipment company. Its first major area of specialization was footwear. Riddell is credited with developing the removable cleat, an innovation intended to make football footwear more practical and adaptable than permanently attached studs. The company later moved beyond cleats and became especially associated with football helmets and head-protection systems. In 1939, John Tate Riddell developed a plastic-shell helmet. This marked an important transition in the company's product history because plastic construction offered a different approach to durability and protection than earlier helmet materials. During the early 1940s, Riddell developed plastic suspension helmets. A version of this technology was used by the United States military during the Second World War, extending the relevance of the company's engineering beyond civilian football. Riddell continued to introduce helmet-related technologies throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The company added facemasks during the 1950s, air-filled padding during the 1960s, and helmets using multiple inflation points during the 1990s. These developments reflected a broader shift in football equipment from basic protective shells toward systems designed to improve fit, comfort, energy absorption, and impact management. The company's modern profile was strengthened by its focus on concussion-related helmet research and product development. Riddell launched the Revolution helmet in 2002. Commonly known as the Revo, it was introduced in the context of research into football concussions and became prominent in professional and collegiate football. Riddell subsequently developed the Revolution IQ HITS, a helmet-based telemetry system that used sensors to record impacts. The recorded information could be transferred to a computer for review by medical staff or coaching personnel. Riddell also promoted Concussion Reduction Technology, which used strategically arranged padding and liners intended to absorb and disperse impact forces. Other important helmet families included Revolution Speed and SpeedFlex. SpeedFlex incorporated a flexible shell and facemask, with the design intended to improve force distribution and impact absorption. The company also produced youth versions of its adult helmet lines for younger athletes, including players below age 14. Through these products, Riddell served organized football programs across several levels of play, although the supplied sources do not provide a complete account of its international operations. Riddell's ownership and corporate location changed during the twenty-first century. Fenway Partners acquired the company in 2003 from Lincolnshire Management. Riddell was headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, before relocating to a new facility in Des Plaines in 2017. Dan Arment became president in 2008; he had previously held the positions of executive vice-president and general manager of the mass-market business. The company has faced both commercial litigation and product-liability claims. In 2008, Riddell sued competitor Schutt Sports in a patent dispute. Schutt responded with its own patent-infringement lawsuit against Riddell in 2010. Riddell won that case, and Schutt subsequently filed for bankruptcy. The disputes illustrate the importance of proprietary helmet designs and related technologies within the football-equipment industry. Riddell has also been a defendant in concussion litigation. Former players and other plaintiffs alleged that Riddell failed to give adequate warnings about the long-term consequences of repeated head impacts and that its helmets did not sufficiently protect users from brain injuries. Riddell was named in multidistrict litigation involving thousands of retired NFL players, alongside claims directed at the National Football League. In a 2013 case, a jury found Riddell negligent in failing to warn about concussion dangers. These cases placed the company's protective-technology claims in tension with the legal and medical reality that football helmets can reduce certain injury risks but cannot eliminate the possibility of concussion or long-term neurological harm.
- 2017
Move to Des Plaines
[1]The company relocated from Rosemont to a new facility in Des Plaines, Illinois.
- 2008
Dan Arment becomes president
[1]Dan Arment was appointed president after holding senior mass-market management roles at the company.
- 2003
Acquired by Fenway Partners
[1]Fenway Partners acquired Riddell from Lincolnshire Management.
- 2002
Revolution helmet introduced
[1]Riddell introduced the Revolution helmet, a design associated with the company's response to concussion research and later adopted by professional and collegiate players.
- 1940
Plastic suspension helmet technology
[1]During the early 1940s, Riddell developed plastic suspension helmet technology that was also used by the United States military during the Second World War.
- 1939
Plastic-shell helmet developed
[1]John Tate Riddell developed a plastic-shell football helmet, expanding the company's focus from footwear into head protection.
- 1929
Company founded
[1]John Tate Riddell founded the company, initially building its business around football equipment and cleats, and developed a removable-cleat system for football shoes.
Expansion into football protective equipment
[2]Riddell expanded from football footwear innovations into helmets, shoulder pads, facemasks, and broader protective equipment.
Revolution helmet family becomes a major platform
[2]The Revolution family became one of Riddell’s best-known football helmet platforms.
Association with Easton-Bell Sports and BRG Sports
[3]Riddell operated within broader sports-equipment corporate structures associated with Easton-Bell Sports and later BRG Sports.
Products and positioning
A specialist football-equipment brand positioned around helmet engineering, impact management, player protection, fit, customization, team service, and equipment used across youth, school, collegiate, and professional gridiron football.
Football helmet · 2002
Revolution
Introduced in 2002, the Revolution helmet became one of Riddell's best-known designs. It was developed in an era of increased attention to football concussions and gained visibility through use in professional and collegiate football. The model is often referred to as the Revo. A historically important Riddell helmet family that helped define the company’s modern football-equipment identity. Revolution products are associated with the brand’s development of more structured helmet fit and impact-management designs.
Helmet impact-monitoring system
Revolution IQ HITS
The Revolution IQ HITS system incorporated sensors inside a helmet to record impact data. The information could be transferred to a laptop for review by coaching staff or physicians, giving teams a way to analyze impact exposure alongside their broader medical and player-management processes.
Football helmet
Revolution Speed
Revolution Speed is a later member of Riddell's Revolution family. It represents the company's continued development of football helmets around fit, shell construction, padding, and impact-management objectives. The supplied reference material identifies the model as a notable Riddell helmet line but does not provide a specific launch date.
Football helmet
SpeedFlex
SpeedFlex is a Riddell helmet design featuring a flexible shell and facemask. The construction is intended to improve impact absorption and distribute forces more efficiently, with the stated objective of reducing risks associated with head and neck impacts. The reference material does not specify its launch year. A prominent Riddell helmet platform with a distinctive shell and facemask configuration. SpeedFlex is marketed for organized football and has been offered across multiple fit and configuration options for different levels of play. SpeedFlex is a Riddell helmet design featuring a flexible shell and facemask. The construction is intended to improve impact absorption and distribute forces more efficiently, with the stated objective of reducing risks associated with head and neck impacts. It is marketed for organized football and has been offered across multiple fit and configuration options for different levels of play. The reference material does not specify its launch year.
Helmet padding and liner system
Concussion Reduction Technology
Concussion Reduction Technology, or CRT, refers to Riddell's use of strategically placed padding and liner components designed to absorb and disperse impact forces. It is a technology platform associated with the company's broader emphasis on mitigating, rather than eliminating, football-impact risks.
Youth football protective equipment
Youth helmet line
Riddell produces youth-oriented versions of its football helmets for younger athletes, including players under 14. These products adapt the company's adult helmet concepts for youth football use, although the reference material does not identify individual model names or detailed specifications.
Football helmet
Axiom
A newer Riddell football helmet system designed around individualized fitting, protective performance, and integration with the company's wider helmet and facemask ecosystem. It represents the brand's ongoing move toward more customized equipment selection rather than one-size-fits-all helmet purchasing.
Football helmet
Speed
A Riddell football helmet family positioned around a streamlined shell, fit options, and the brand's protective-equipment engineering. The line has served as a widely recognized option for football programs and individual players.
Football protective equipment
Shoulder pads and protective apparel
Riddell produces shoulder pads, integrated padding, protective shirts, girdles, and related equipment for players at different positions and levels of football. The range supports team outfitting and allows programs to coordinate protection with uniforms and other equipment.
Sports-equipment service
Helmet reconditioning and equipment services
Riddell provides services connected with helmet fitting, customization, inspection, reconditioning, maintenance, and replacement components. These services are particularly relevant to schools, leagues, and team equipment managers operating larger inventories.
Controversies
2013
Failure-to-warn negligence verdict
A jury found Riddell negligent in failing to warn about concussion dangers in a case brought by a plaintiff identified in the supplied reference material as Mr. Ridolfi. The verdict occurred while related concussion suits were also being pursued in other jurisdictions.
2011
Concussion litigation involving former NFL players
Riddell was named in multidistrict litigation involving thousands of former NFL players. Claims alleged that helmet manufacturers and the league failed to disclose the long-term risks of repeated concussions and other head impacts, and that the helmets did not provide adequate protection.
Brand decisions
2017
Headquarters relocation to Des PlainesStrategyBackground
Riddell had previously been headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.
Action taken
The company moved to a new facility in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Aftermath
Des Plaines became the company's reported headquarters location.
2010
Riddell prevails in Schutt patent caseOtherBackground
The decision followed Schutt's patent-infringement lawsuit against Riddell.
Action taken
Riddell defended the patent dispute and won the case.
Aftermath
Schutt subsequently filed for bankruptcy, according to the supplied reference material.
2008
Patent litigation against Schutt SportsOtherBackground
Competition between Riddell and Schutt included disputes over proprietary football-equipment technologies.
Action taken
Riddell sued Schutt Sports for alleged patent infringement.
Aftermath
The dispute was followed by a reciprocal patent case filed by Schutt against Riddell in 2010.
- Schutt Sports — Schutt later filed its own patent-infringement lawsuit against Riddell.
2003
Fenway Partners acquisitionM&ABackground
Riddell was owned by Lincolnshire Management before the transaction.
Action taken
Fenway Partners acquired Riddell from Lincolnshire Management.
Aftermath
Riddell continued as a privately owned football-equipment company.
2002
Launch of the Revolution helmetProduct launchBackground
The product was introduced amid increasing attention to football concussion research and the relationship between helmet design and head-impact risk.
Action taken
Riddell launched the Revolution helmet and positioned it as a new generation of football head protection.
Aftermath
The helmet became widely recognized and was used by players in professional and collegiate football.
Recent events
Sources4 sources
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