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Wiktionary
face mask

n. (alternative spelling of facemask English)

WordNet
face mask

n. mask that provides a protective covering for the face in such sports as baseball or football or hockey

Wikipedia
Face mask

Strictly, the expression face mask is tautological and means " mask", because masks by definition go on the face; but it is sometimes used to mean:

  • Surgical mask
  • Respirator
  • Among divers, diving mask
  • Face mask (gridiron football), the metal grid face protecter on his helmet, and the penalizable foul of grasping it during play
Face mask (gridiron football)

In gridiron football, the face mask is the part of the helmet that directly covers the face. It is a major protection for the players, made of metal covered either with rubber or plastic.

Details of the face mask may vary according to each player and their needs. For example, the quarterback's face mask in previous years could be just a single horizontal bar, since he has a need to see the entire field. (Single-bar face masks are no longer allowed in most levels, except for players who began using the single bar before the rules were implemented.) Positions such as linemen, however, may have several bars on their face mask, both horizontal and vertical.

In the leather helmet era, an early attempt at face protection was the "executioner" helmet which covered the nose and much of the face. This helmet literally was a face mask bearing a strong likeness to traditional execution face masks. Another early attempt in the leather helmet era at face protection was the nose guard. These simply covered the player's nose. In modern times, the term "nose guard" describes a player on the interior defensive line, usually aligned opposite the offensive center.

Face masks first came into vogue in football during the second half of the 1950s, after the hard-shell plastic helmet became commonplace, and were adopted voluntarily and universally by the NFL within one decade. Garo Yepremian was the last NFL player to not wear a face mask, only adopting one partway through the 1966 season. Single bars were initially the only available design, and this evolved over the course of the next several decades into the current designs, which became the norm at all levels by the early 1980s. Single-bar face masks were officially banned in professional football in 2004, with the remaining players still using them allowed to continue wearing them under a grandfather clause; Scott Player was the last player in professional football to wear the single-bar, finishing his career in 2009.

The term "face mask" in the game is also used to refer to the foul of illegally touching the equipment. In most leagues, tackling or otherwise restraining a player by grabbing the face mask is illegal due to the risk of injury, and the penalty is severe, drawing 15 yards, and also a first down if committed by the defense. In high school, the penalty is only 5 yards if the act was considered to be "incidental."

Face mask (We people)

An adorned wood face mask from the We (Wee) people of West Africa, dated to the 20th century is in the permanent African collection at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (as acquisition number 1989.373) and on display in the Eiteljorg Suite of African and Oceanic Art.

Usage examples of "face mask".

If you use it as a dust, be sure to wear protective clothing, goggles and a face mask, because it can be quite irritating to mucous membranes.

Blast if he was going to ride back to the minesite in a face mask.

Terl threw his personal face mask and tank onto the gunner's seat beside him and rubbed a thankful paw over his craggy face.