What Do the Stickers on Football Helmets Mean?

Updated October 25, 2026 · Helmet Market

Stickers on football helmets mean different things: reward stickers honor big plays and wins, memorial decals honor people, a green dot marks the player with a radio in his helmet, and small labels on the back show safety warnings, the size and the recertification date.

Reward stickers

Many high school and college teams award players a small sticker for big plays, tackles, touchdowns or wins. Players add them to their helmets during the season, so a helmet covered in stickers shows a productive year. Ohio State's buckeye-leaf stickers are one of the best-known examples.

Memorial and tribute decals

Teams sometimes add a decal or initials to honor a former player, coach or community member, or to support a cause, such as a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness.

American flag decals

Many teams place an American flag decal on the back of the helmet.

The green dot

In the NFL, a green dot on the back of a helmet marks the player whose helmet has a radio receiver, so coaches can send in play calls. College football adopted a similar coach-to-player communication system in 2024.

Labels on the back of the helmet

• Warning label: the manufacturer's safety warning.
• Size and certification labels: the shell size and the NOCSAE certification mark.
• Recertification sticker: the year the helmet was last reconditioned and recertified, and its initial season. Read how to read recertification stickers.

Many of our used football helmets still have their team decals and stickers, and every listing shows them in the photos.