Soccer Equipment
Soccer equipment ranges from jerseys to cleats to balls
and goals. All these items have their own specific pages on this site.
For that reason, this section will focus primarily on shinguards and
goalkeeper gloves.
Shinguards are a required element of soccer equipment according to
IFAB’s Laws of the Game. They must be covered entirely by a player’s
stockings. Different players and positions will have different protection
and stability needs. For that reason, these items come in a variety
of materials, including fiberglass, plastic, foam rubber, and polyurethane.
Goalies play the most specialized position in association football.
As a result, they also require specialized soccer equipment. Goalkeeper
gloves are designed to protect and cushion the hand as well as to offer
a better grip. Most are created from smooth latex, which gives the best
grip. The better the latex, the better the gloves perform.
Unfortunately, better gloves also tend to wear more quickly. For that
reason, it may be wise to have a pair of goalkeeper gloves specifically
for games and another just for practice.