Football Equipment
Football Equipment
By Christopher Fister
In the early days, players wore little if any protective equipment. Today, safety is of the utmost important and players wear a number of different pads and other protective gear.
The helmet is obviously the most important part of the player’s equipment. The number of injuries in the game was drastically reduced when helmets evolved from soft leathers to hard plastics.
The face mask protects the player from accidental or intentional contact to the face. There are different styles of face mask for different positions. Quarterbacks have less protective face masks to allow for better vision downfield, while linemen need more protection because of increased contact at their positions.
Players also wear a mouthpiece to protect the mouth and teeth, jaw pads which provide cushion between the jaw and helmet, and the helmet is held on with a chin strap.
Shoulder pads are also a vital part of the uniform, providing shock resistance to the shoulders. Most tackles in the game involve use of the shoulder area. Some shoulder pads are designed with a neck roll to protect the. Shock pads provide additional cushion and are worn under the shoulder pads. Players also have pads to protect the rib area.
Protective pads are also warn on the forearms and elbows. Many linemen wear special gloves to protect their hands and knuckles during contact. Receivers may also use special gloves to improve their chances of catching the ball.
The uniform pants are intentionally designed to be tight, so as to keep the player’s pads in place. Hip pads and tailbone pads are held in a girdle so that they may be kept in the proper position to absorb hits to those areas.
There are two primary types of football cleats worn on the feet. Cleats with screw-on tips are used for better traction according the field conditions. Tips that do not screw on, or “turf” shoes, are usually used on artificial surfaces.
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Christopher Fister is a former sports editor at the New York Post.
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