Are you a beginner at playing football? If yes, then you might have a lot of questions regarding the sport itself, and some of its rules. One of these rules is wearing shin guards. The most used parts of the body when playing football are the legs and feet so it’s best if you protect them by wearing shin guards.
When playing football, you’ll encounter a lot of accidents that might lead to serious injuries. So instead of just collecting classic football shirts, you should also consider having at least a set of shin guards or pads.
But if you’re still wondering if there are benefits of wearing shin guards, then you should check the list below!
1. Ankle protection
The premise of the game is that two teams (with 11 players each) find their way to move the ball into the opponent’s goal without using their hands. Since it’s a contact sport, it’s possible that even when you don’t have the ball, you can still have contact with the other players while running.
Wearing shin guards can keep you from having serious injuries when someone comes at you. However, it doesn’t just prevent serious injuries but also mild symptoms like swelling or bruising. So whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you should practise wearing shin guards for your protection.
2. Avoid being disqualified
In 1990, FIFA, or the Federation Internationale de Football Association, required all football players entering the field to wear shin guards. If a player refuses to wear a pair of shin guards, then they won’t be allowed to play. However, they can still return once they agree to wear an adequate pair of shin guards.
Since then, a lot of other local and national football tournaments included wearing shin guards as part of their rules. Classic football shirts, shorts, cleats, socks, and shin guards are the minimum requirement for all players. Additionally, gloves are required for the goalkeeper.
3. Help beginners adjust
As a beginner, you should practise wearing shin guards from time to time. It’ll help you adjust and be comfortable playing while wearing these pads for your protection. Moreover, it’ll be hard for you to adjust if you’ll just going to wear them on actual games.
Sure, you can skip wearing shin guards during the first few rehearsals. But once you get to know your way around the field, you should also practise while wearing shin guards.
If you choose the right shin guards, you’ll not just be going to protected from injuries, but it’ll also promote normal blood flow.
Types of shin guards
Now that you know that shin guards can protect you while playing football, you’ll need to know how it happens. You might have seen a pair of shin guards before, but you should also know that some different kinds and materials make up a pair.
However, even though there are many kinds of shin guards, you must wear the same kind for each leg.
Usually, the materials used for shin guards are plastic, fibreglass, rubber, and polyurethane. But aside from these, there are also some materials being developed to improve the claims of receiving less impact.
In addition, you might have also seen metal shin guards. However, it’s not advisable to use since it may harm other players on the field. So if you’re going to buy your first pair, you should just stick to the usual materials used.
But aside from the materials, here are the 3 most common types of shin guards to choose from:
1. Shin socks
As a beginner, you might get interested in wearing shin socks. They’re socks that have built-in shin guards. Unfortunately, as it may look convenient, regular players shouldn’t use it. But it can be used by beginners and kids.
However, if your opponents are wearing cleats, then you should avoid wearing these as you’re just like wearing regular socks. You can also be injured easily since most shin socks are just pads inserted in the socks.
If you’re planning to buy your first shin guard, then this might be a good option, unless you just want to collect all kinds.
2. Slip-in shin guards
If you’re not comfortable having straps at the back of your legs, then you should try wearing slip-in shin guards. This type of shin guard is worn inside the socks so you don’t need to be worried if it’ll be detached from the socks.
A lot of players prefer this type of shin guard since when you’re wearing it, it’s like just wearing shin socks but with more protection. It’s also comfortable since it doesn’t have straps that can cause cramps.
Unfortunately, slip-in shin guards don’t offer the protection others do, and they might also be expensive compared to others.
3. Ankle shin guards
Are you planning to continue playing football for a long time? Then you should buy ankle shin guards. They provide the most protection, and they can last long.
But even if you’re protected from other injuries, the cushion that surrounds the pads makes it comfortable.
However, the downside of wearing ankle shin guards is that you can’t move freely compared to other types.
Now that you know the importance and types of shin guards, then you can now choose what’s best for you. Don’t forget to share with us your go-to shin guards by leaving a comment below!
