From NOCSAE Press Release

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (November 24, 2014) – The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment has voided the manufacturers’ NOCSAE® certification for the Warrior Regulator and the Cascade Model R lacrosse helmets. A product manufacturer certifies compliance with NOCSAE® standards when it puts the NOCSAE® name and logo on a helmet. The certification tells the player, parent, coach and the governing bodies that the helmet has been subjected to all of the required testing, quality control and quality assurance obligations specified by the NOCSAE standard. The manufacturer must confirm that its helmet meets the standard in all aspects. The Warrior Regulator and the Cascade Model R had been certified by the manufacturers as compliant with the NOCSAE® standard. NOCSAE® conducted an independent investigation and evaluation of the Warrior Regulator and the Cascade Model R, which included a review of each manufacturer’s internal certification testing and quality control data. NOCSAE® also purchased these models independently through various retail sources and sent them to its contracted laboratory for testing. As a result of its investigation, NOCSAE® has concluded that these models, for all manufacturing dates, do not comply with the NOCSAE® standard ND041 and that the manufacturers’ certifications of compliance on those helmets is invalid. NOCSAE® has contacted each manufacturer and advised them of its conclusions. The rules of play for lacrosse as provided by US Lacrosse, National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Federation of State High School Associations and other organizations mandate that lacrosse helmets meet the NOCSAE® standard. NOCSAE has advised them of its conclusions and anticipates that each organization will notify its members of this decision. NOCSAE® has been advised that Warrior and Cascade are working to address this issue, and it is anticipated that each will develop a procedure to assist players and teams who use these models.

Cascade has responded and is urging “Players not in immediate need of a certified helmet are encouraged to retain their helmet. Cascade is confident that we will be able to re-certify the helmet and that recertification could be a simple fix. We expect to communicate all available remedies as soon as possible, once approved by NOCSAE.” It’s hard to imagine how a helmet can lose certification and then get it back.  It either fails the test or not.  However, NOCSAE issues standards and the manufactures make helmets to those standards.  They are not actually tested by NOCSAE.  They just certify themselves that they have met the standards.  Apparently, in this case, there were some independent studies done which revealed that the Cascade Model R and the Warrior Regulator did not actually meet the standards. The full response from Cascade is found here.