Face mask (gridiron football)

(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.

In modern times, the term "nose guard" describes a player on the interior defensive line, usually aligned opposite the offensive center.

Garo Yepremian was the last NFL player to not wear a face mask, only adopting one partway through the 1966 season.

They then became brown through the use of a rubber coating, which covered the metal bars; the brown later became a neutral gray, and would remain as such until 1974, when the then-San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs introduced the first colored facemasks to football; the two teams rolled out yellow and white facemasks, respectively.

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.