Eye Protection--sport not listed?

We get this question a lot. On our sports goggles, there are only certain sports listed on the tag that they are rated for. So we often get ask, "are you sure we can use them for this sport if it is not listed?" The answer is yes. Only specific sports where eyewear is required like racquetball and women's lacrosse will be listed. However, the ASTM F803 Standard covers all ball/stick/bat sports. So as long as the eyewear meets the ASTM F803 standard, it will work for the sport you are using it for if it is not an eyewear required sport. For instance, for soccer, eyewear is not required, so it is not one of the sports listed on the tag of the eyewear. But all the ASTM F803 rated frames will be ok for use while playing soccer. The sports listed on the tag have to be independently rated for that specific sport in order to meet the safety standard for the sport. These are typically sports that eyewear is required for participation. Thus the governing agencies need to make sure that the eyewear is protecting properly by looking to the paperwork provided by the manufacturer. A good example is women's lacrosse. Unfortunately, there are not a large selection of eyewear that has been independently certified for women's lacrossse. For instance, the Rec-Specs sports goggles are all ASTM F803 rated, but they have not be independently tested for women's lacrosse. So in this instance, they would not be able to be used according to most governing agencies for the sport. However, the Hilco sports goggles have been independently tested for women's lacrosse, so this is listed on their tag. Basically, if your sport requires eyewear, then you will need to make sure that your sport is listed on the tag. However, if eyewear is not required and you are only needing to wear it for protection or because you need prescription,then as long as the glasses meet the ASTM F803 standard, they will protect your eyes properly for the sport.