In order to get ahead in this great game of American Football, a player must approach this game with dedication and safety. In order to excel, one must expect to work diligently.

Training, equipping yourself with the necessary equipment, and following the advice of your coach, is very essential to the success and safety of the player. Preparation is one of the major keys to succeed in making oneself better, thus making the team better. There are many different pieces of football equipment to pick from. In this post, I will explain what football equipment is needed. This post will help guide future buyers, may it be parents of the player or players, or the player himself. This is a great place to start.

By using the equipment in a safe manner, a player will be able to perform with higher self-confidence and force. There are many items to choose from, but we will cover the basics.

Shoes: Here is where value and quality matter. This does not depend on if it’s for screw-in cleats or molded cleats, quality does matter. There are different variations in shoe heights. It is determined by where the top of the shoe is in relation to the ankle. The length of the actual cleat on the bottom of the shoe may also depend on the position of the player. Wide receivers and defensive backs should have shorter cleats, molded or screw-in, to allow them to make swift movements. Kickers mostly wear cleats made for soccer. Lineman may tend to wear longer cleats and a high shoe to allow them to “dig” into the grass/turf and provide leverage against the opposing player. Another factor on cleat size is the condition of the grass/turf. If it has been raining for a long period of time, players must adjust and lengthen their cleats to gain grip in the grass/turf.

Helmets: Not much preference here other than lineman should wear helmets with a little more caging so that the opposing player does not poke their fist or fingers into the face mask. Most other players use open face masks that allows for better vision across the field of play.

Shoulder Pads: Along with helmets, this piece of football equipment is probably the most recognizable about any player in the game of football. Sizes can vary by the position. Lineman and linebackers tend to have bigger shoulder pads that include neck rolls to prevent whiplash while plugging the hole that a running back is running through. DBs, or defensive backs, and wide receivers should wear smaller shoulder pads to allow them to make swift movements with quickness. QBs shoulder pads must protect the quarterback from every angle. One of the biggest injuries can occur when the quarterback is hit from his blindside.

Thigh and Hip Pads: The younger players must wear hip and thigh pads to protect the hip and quadriceps area. All players must wear these items, especially in the Pop Warner and High School football. Dependent on the position, NFL football players choose whether or not to use the hip pads or thigh pads. QBs and running backs usually wear the thigh pads. On the other hand, wide receivers and defensive backs rarely use thigh and hip pads.

Gloves: Gloves allow the wide receiver or the defensive back to grip the ball better. Linemen should put on padded gloves to prevent their hands and fingers from being injured while blocking are getting to the quarterback or running back.