How to Avoid Glare From Stadium Lights

The black under this football player's eyes is not just for decoration.

Stadium lights help provide lighting for nighttime sporting events, including football games; the lighting has become such a ubiquitous feature of high school sports that a television show was even named "Friday Night Lights" in honor of the imagery. While the stadium lights illuminate the field so the players can see down field, the lights also create a glare that can nearly blind the player, having adverse repercussions on performance, especially during passing plays.

Things You'll Need

• Eye black
• Cloth
• Soap
• Water

Instructions

1. Purchase eye black from your local sporting goods store. Eye black is a commercialized version of the original blend of burnt corks and shoe polish; the over-the-counter variant is composed of beeswax, paraffin and charcoal powder. The consistency of eye black is similar to shoe polish with a paste-like texture. Adhesive anti-glare decals are also available; they resemble eye black, but with a one-step application process.

2. Apply the eye black under your eyes; use your thumb to smear it horizontally across the peak of your cheek, spanning the width of your eye socket. Start with enough eye black to cover the surface of your thumb, applying it outward from your nose. The exact location for the eye black varies by face structure and personal preference. Make sure that you avoid ever placing eye black in your eye socket area; use the cheek bone as a base point and work upward, as needed. Run through practice drills in the stadium lights and adjust the placement, as necessary.

3. Wipe off any excess eye black so that it does not become clumpy on your face. Use a cloth to do this since a the consistency of the eye black can cause a tissue to flake, leaving particle of the tissue in the eye black. Do not fret about excess smudging since any extra eye black will not hinder your vision; it will only create a less aesthetically appealing look. Wash your hands with soap and water once you are done with the application process; you want to make sure not to have any foreign elements on your hands, ensuring optimal performance on the field.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your coach if you can attach a visor to your helmet. Visors can also reduce glare, but some coaches forbid them for the lack of uniformity that they can convey; some leagues also have rules banning all visors or certain styles.

• Researchers at Yale concluded that eye black reduces glare and increases contrast sensitivity, while the same academic study could not establish any benefit in glare-reduction or contrast sensitivity from the anti-glare decals.

References

• Archives of Ophthalmology; The Ability of Periorbitally Applied Antiglare Products to Improve Contrast Sensitivity in Conditions of Sunlight Exposure; Brian M. DeBroff, MD, et al.; July 2003
• "The New York Times"; Eye Black Used to Cut Glare, or Turn Up Spotlight; Jere Longman; December 2006
• Yale University; Science & Engineering - Eye Black Grease More Effective at Reducing Glare and Improving Visual Contrast than Anti-Glare Stickers, Yale Researchers Find; July 2003