Soccer

Soccer Shin Guards

Every player participating in an organized soccer game is required to wear shinguards. Referees will not allow you to play without them. They offer excellent protection from serious leg injuries. There are many different styles from which to choose based on your position, age, and style of play.

Choosing the Right Shinguard

Materials

• Shinguards are made to either deflect or absorb the impact of a kick
• At the same time they should be comfortable and not interfere with your game
• Shinguards are made from a variety of materials: Fiberglass, foam rubber, polyurethane, plastic, and EVA foam.
  • Fiberglass is lightweight and stiff and offers excellent protection
  • Foam rubber is light and moldable but offers less protection
  • Polyurethane is slightly heavier and less moldable but offers extreme protection
  • Plastic is generally a less-expensive shinguard
  • EVA foam or lycra backing is commonly found on the backside of all guards for comfort

Player/Position

• Young soccer players should choose a fiberglass shinguard which offers superior protection and is lighter weight than other materials
• Defensemen should choose a heavier, more protective shinguard
• Midfielders need a combination of protection and lighter weight
• Forwards need a lighter weight shinguard and should also look for one with superior ankle protection
• Some shinguards can be molded and custom designed to fit your leg

Components

• Ankle protectors
  • Many shinguards include padded ankle protectors which attach to the bottom of the guard
  • These protect the ankles and Achilles tendon against direct kicks, but are soft and flexible enough to not interfere with movement
  • Ankle protectors are strongly recommended for players ages 12 and under
• Closures
  • Most shinguards come with hook-and-loop, Velcro-type straps that wrap around the back of the leg for adjustable closure
  • Others have no closures and are designed to simply be worn inside the sock

Determining the Right Size Shinguard

• It is important that your shinguards fit you properly, ensuring sufficient protection and comfort
• Shinguards should cover most of the area from your ankle to your knee
  • Measure your shin from just below where the knee bends to about 1 inch above your shoe top
  • This is the proper length of your shinguard
• Some manufacturers label their shinguard sizes according to age
  • Senior (or large) shinguards are generally designed for players taller than 5'4"
  • Junior (or medium) guards are designed for players shorter than 5'4"

Soccer Goalkeeper Gloves

It is important for goalkeepers at all but the youngest levels to wear gloves. Gloves not only give you a better grip on the ball, but they offer protection and cushioning for the fingers and palms.

Glove construction

Palms

• The palm is the most important part of any goalkeeper glove because it is where most of the protection and tackiness is needed
• The grip in the palm area depends on the materials used to make the glove
• Most gloves are comprised of a smooth latex, which provides the best grip
• Dimpled and textured latex gloves are also available. They offer more durability but their grip is not as great as pure latex gloves.
• Some manufacturers also utilize different treatments to increase the tackiness of the glove
• Typically the better the latex, the better the gloves will perform
• Ironically, the better the glove, the quicker it will wear out, so many keepers use two pairs of gloves--one for games and one for practice
• The best latex gloves will begin to flake relatively quickly, but they are still usable until almost of the material has worn out
• The textured or dimpled palms provide more durability, are less expensive and better suited for practice

Closures

• There are many different types of closures on keeper gloves
  • Hook-and-loop(Velcro-type)
  • V-notch
  • Bandage
• The style you purchase depends mostly on personal taste

Determining your glove size

• Most goalkeepers prefer to wear gloves that are a little larger than they actually need, giving them a larger surface area to stop the ball without sacrificing control
• Glove sizes correspond roughly to you shoe size, and come in whole sizes only
• If you are between sizes, always buy the larger size

Measuring your hand

• Palm size
  • Use a tape measure to measure all the way around the widest part of your palm, excluding your thumb
  • If you don't have a tape measure, use a string and measure that against a ruler
  • Measure both hands and add 1 inch to the largest measurement
  • For example, if your longest measurement is 6 inches, your glove size is 7
• Finger size
  • Some manufacturers also measure by finger length
  • For this, measure from the base of your hand right above the wrist to the tip of your longest finger
  • This is your glove size