Standards Score a Touchdown for Super Bowl Sunday

This Sunday the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints will face off in Super Bowl XLIV. The pinnacle of the football season in the U.S., the Super Bowl brings together tens of thousands of fans in person and millions more through television broadcasts. Thanks to standards, the famed game and its accompanying parties will be a hit, from the first kickoff to the final field goal.

Amidst the screaming fans, the high profile commercials, and the abundant snacks, the highlight of the Super Bowl is the football game itself. Athletes are protected thanks to helmets that follow safety guidelines. ASTM F717-89(2006), Standard Specification for Football Helmets, covers new and reconditioned football helmets intended for use in competitive play and practice with particular reference to shock attenuation requirements. It was developed by ASTM International, a member and audited designator of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

The venue for this year's game is the Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Fans in the stadium will have a clear view of the action because of proper lighting. IESNA RP-6-01, Sports and Recreational Area Lighting, provides design criteria for new lighting systems and for the evaluation of existing installations. This document was developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer.

Of course, those watching at home need to have a clear view of the game as well. Fans with cable television will rely on an American National Standard from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, to bring the game into their homes. ANSI/SCTE 07 2006, Digital Transmission Standard For Cable Television, describes the framing structure, channel coding, and channel modulation for a digital multi-service television distribution system that is specific to a cable channel.

For some, the food at a Super Bowl party is half of the fun. Thanks to a number of standards developed by ANSI members, popular snacks and beverages are readily available to keep viewers satisfied:

• Chicken wings: NSF/ANSI 3-A 14159-2-2003, Hygiene Requirements for the Design of Hand Held Tools Used in Meat and Poultry Processing, developed by NSF International

• Pizza: ASTM F1966-03(2008), Standard Specification for Dough Divider and Rounding Machines, developed by ASTM International

• Potato chips: ASAE EP475.1 JUN96, Design and Management of Storages for Bulk, Fall-Crop, Irish Potatoes, developed by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)

• Soda and beer: ASTM F1115-95(2008)e1, Standard Test Method for Determining the Carbon Dioxide Loss of Beverage Containers, developed by ASTM International

Whether you're enjoying the food or the football, standards come together each year to make the Super Bowl a championship game for all.