COLLAR PADS & NECK ROLLS
Collar Pads and Neck Rolls attach to the back of the shoulder pads to provide additional
protection to the collarbone. Collar pads and neck rolls generally come in 1.5in to 2.5in
thickness in a round or flat contour. In addition to these pads you can purchase separately a
back plate for additional protection to the back area and a sternum plate for extra protection
to the sternum. All of these pads are typically one size fits all vinyl covered pads available
in both youth and adult sizes. Generally manufacturer's make these pads specifically to fit
their shoulder pads.
RIB PROTECTORS
There are essentially three different styles of rib protectors. First, there is the Flac
Jacket style which encircles the rib area, generally will have an adjustable Velcro closure in
the front and adjustable shoulder straps. The second, is a vest style rib protector which looks
just like a vest, is usually made of Spandex or some similar material and has pads placed in
the appropriate places. The vest style comes in youth and adult sizes and is generally sized.
The third style is a compression body shirt which may have full length sleeves, short sleeves or
be sleeveless. The compression body shirt has pads located in the appropriate place and are
generally sized.
FOREARM /HAND PADS / ELBOW PADS
Forearm pads come in adult, junior and youth sizes and are made of a variety of materials and
types of padding. Often you will find combinations of forearm pads and hand pads as a single
unit. Sometimes you can find forearm pads, hand pads and elbow pads as a single unit. As the
buyer you need to determine what it is you need, there are a host of choices once you decide
what you want or need. You can buy forearm pads only and you can buy elbow pads only. Typically
hand pads are sold as part of a forearm pad unit.
FOREARM PADS / HAND PADS
These pads can provide crucial protection from your fingertips to just
past your elbows. Forearm pads and hand pads are available in a variety of makes and models and may be purchased
as a one piece unit or separately.
Most of these pads use a thick neoprene padding or closed cell foam padding. Forearm pads / hand pads generally come in adult or youth
one size fits all sizes. Occasionally, you can find a measured / sized forearm pad. You can also find a forearm pad
made specifically for running backs and receivers which has a dual purpose, help grip the ball while providing some
level of protection. Generally all of these are washable style pads.
ELBOW PADS
Typically Elbow Pads are contoured, have a behind the elbow cutout, and may have an outer knit material (provides less
protection) or neoprene (for greater protection). Generally most, if not all elbow pads will have some type of foam
padding and may or may not have a moisture control lining.
GIRDLES
The football girdle fits under the outer jersey and goes around the players waist, it might be a "short" 3 pocket
(reaching just above mid-thigh) or it might be "long" 5-6 pocket (just above the knee). Generally the girdle will have
a waist made of some type of elastic and be anywhere from 1 inch to 3 inches wide, some models will have a drawstring
in addition to the elastic a few models will have a drawstring only at the waist, occasionally you will find a girdle
with a 1 to 3 inch "rise" in the back designed to help keep the girdle stationary.
There are three basic models of football girdles, a six pocket, five pocket and a three pocket. The six pocket is
designed to hold 2 hip pads, 2 thigh pads, 1 spine pad and a pocket for a cup. The five pocket girdle is essentially
the same as the six pocket but excludes a cup pocket. The three pocket is designed to hold 2 hip pads and a tail pad.
Some girdles come with pads already either sewn in or ready for the consumer to place in their appropriate pocket
excepting the six pocket which generally comes without a cup. Some girdles come with hip and tail pads only and some
girdles come without any pads, just the pockets to put the pads in. The
common materials include: polyester/spandex combination, nylon/spandex combination, 100% polyester, 100% nylon and
spandex/nylon combination in a variety of percentages of each material in the combinations. Generally these materials
will have moisture wicking properties and some degree of compression.
HIP, KNEE, THIGH & TAILBONE PADS
Most of these pads are made of foam, generally closed cell foam which is better than open cell because it is able to
absorb energy, read hit or tackled, that open cell foam cannot and if the closed cell foam has had the cross-linking
process applied so much the better as cross-linking provides a degree of toughness, flexibility and resiliency not
available otherwise. Typically most of these pads are .25 inch to .50 inch thick although most manufacturer's do not note
the thickness in their advertising.
The
pads may be slotted to fit football pants designed to accomodate them, or snap-in to fit football pants designed for
them or they maybe without slots or snaps for use with the girdle. The term "high rise" used with hip pads refers to
the fact that a portion of the hip pad extends above the pant line and provides some additional protection. As we
mentioned earlier the girdle is designed to accomodate Hip Pads, Thigh Pads and a Tailbone Pad. Football Pants are
designed to accomodate Knee Pads and may have pockets for Thigh Pads and snaps or belts for slotted or snap in pads.
FOOTBALL GLOVES
Lineman should look for gloves that are heavily padded on the
top (back) of the hand and provide wrist support. Receivers, running backs, linebackers and defensive backs should
purchase flexible soft gloves that have some tackiness (stickiness) to them. Many lineman's gloves are designed to prevent a player from
hyper-extending his fingers, usually will have extra heavy palm and backhand padding for hitting protection and may
have an oversized wrist wrap for added wrist strength and protection.
It is very important that they are both NFHS and NCAA approved gloves and
if intended for actual NCAA play they meet the NCAA gray glove requirements which specifies only certain shades of
gray can be used on the field.
