BASIC SOCCER EQUIPMENTS

Unlike other contact sports, soccer requires only a few types of equipment.  The dress code for soccer games is basic – soccer jersey, soccer shorts, socks, soccer shin guards, soccer mouth guards, protective cup, and soccer shoes or cleats. Below is a list of the most important soccer equipments one should have before stepping into the field.

1) Soccer shin guards
Soccer shin pads or shin guards are the only mandatory protective guarding that a soccer player needs to wear during a soccer game. Soccer shinguards are used to reduce bumps, bruises, breaks and other injuries of the legs. However, recent FIFA rules have made wearing of soccer shin pads mandatory to prevent the spread of STDs. Two kinds of soccer shin pads are available in the market – deluxe and cheaters.

• Deluxe soccer shin guards provide great frontal shin protection and ankle support. It is suitable for beginners and professional levels due to its simplicity and purpose. Samples of Deluxe shin guards include Adidas Predator Replique Guard or Reebok Powerpax Plus Shinguard.
• On the other hand, soccer cheaters are shin protection that is made of thin plastic materials with foam backing. It is used by soccer players who are used to leg bruises. Samples of Soccer cheaters are Diadora Fuoriciasse Shin Guard or Markwort’s MaxFit Soccer Shin Guards.

2) Soccer mouth guards
Mouth guards are usually expensive. However, it can prevent serious head injuries, particularly to the goalkeeper. Soccer mouth guards are usually fitted for an individual’s mouth by either a dentist or sports shops.

Mouth guards in the market include Shock Doctor Mouth Guard, Under Armour Mouth Guard and Cramer Mouth Guard.

3) Soccer Protective Cup
For all kinds of contact sports, such as soccer, men are required to wear protective cups for their genital areas. You can purchase adult or youth cups, such as All Star Adult Contoured Cup or Bike Performance Elite Boxer with Proflex Max Cup, in any sports apparel shops.

4) Soccer shoes or Cleats

Soccer cleats look like regular shoes. However, soccer shoes provide a narrower feel since they are designed for better movement. The kind of soccer shoes you need to buy depends largely on the type of game you play – indoors or outdoors and beginners or professional. Other factors include organization rules regarding soccer shoes and personal preference – leather cleats or synthetic soccer shoes.

There are four kinds of soccer shoes – molded cleats, removable cleats, turf soccer shoes and indoor soccer shoes.

• Molded Cleats – Usually used by beginners and intermediate players, these soccer shoes have studs on the bottom to enable the players with better grip when chasing the ball. Since the molded cleats are integrated into the sole, it is not removable.
• Removable Cleats – Used by professional soccer players, these soccer shoes have studs that are screwed on the bottom of the shoe. Since it comes in various lengths, it can be used in a number of ground conditions.
• Turf Soccer Shoes – Although these soccer shoes have no studs, it is designed with heavily patterned soles for grip assistance. It is suitable for artificial surfaces.