Football Equipment Guide

Posts Tagged ‘football equipment’

Learn about cleats with expert football tips and advice from a former football player in this free American football video clip.
Expert: Vincent Jamal
Bio: Vincent Jamal is a professional football player with seven years of experience in the field. He has spent the last three years playing for the Phoenix Raiders.
Filmmaker: Dustin Daniels

When choosing football cleats, an important thing to consider is what type of turf the football games will be played on. Choose football cleats with tips from a football coach in this free video on football basics.

Expert: Otis St. Clair
Contact: www.ShowtimeSportsAcademy.com
Bio: Otis St. Clair is a former collegiate wide receiver at Ohio University. He is currently a football coach and Operations Manager at Showtime Sports Academy near Nashville, Tennessee.
Filmmaker: Tim Brown

Thanks Otis!

It’s game day and your packing your gear up. Football helmet, Football shoulder pads, football pants, football pads, football neck roll, you see where I’m going with this.
What about your cleats?
Before you even just grab your cleats, you had better check the weather first. What kind of ground will you be playing on? Don’t think it matters?

What I am leading up to is that all players, regardless of the position they play, should have three types of cleats at their disposal.

• Soft ground cleats – These cleats are made for wet weather when it is expected that the ground will be soft and muddy. These cleats are almost always made out of metal and very easy to replace, and believe me, you will need to replace these.
• Firm ground cleats – Made for firm, natural, and drier grounds.
• Hard ground cleats – Made for hard natural surfaces.

Now, you probably won’t need three pairs of shoes, as most cleats are detachable and can be swapped out. Although, having three pairs of shoes suited for each scenario isn’t a bad idea. You sacrifice a bit of quality when you have detachable cleats instead of one solid piece of machined or molded sole.

So back to my list of 5 ways to use your head when you buy football cleats.

1. Know the rules! Seriously, check with your league to get an idea of what type of cleats are allowed. Some leagues vehemently prohibit the use of metal cleats and only allow for molded or detachable rubber cleats. Even further, there are cleat length rules like some leagues that prohibit cleats longer than a 1/2″ in length. Make sure you’re well aware of league limitations before you invest in yoru cleats.
2. Once you know your leagues rules, you need to know what position you will be playing. In youth leagues, especially if your particular skills have not yet been discovered or you have no preference yet, you might wanna just go for a mid sized top as they offer good support and good mobility. However, if you know what position you will be playing, what and how you buy are going to be more focused. For example:
   • High Top cleats – these extend above your ankle to provide extra support. Many linemen wear high-tops because the extra ankle support helps them with their lateral movement and keeps their feet steady when they are taking on the weight of a block. Lineman, go for high tops.
   • Mid Top cleats – these offer more support than low-cut models, but allow more ability to maneuver than high-top cleats. Mid-cuts are the most common cleats, and are especially popular with “skill positions,” like quarterbacks and running backs. It is the right choice for a youth player looking for a good all-around shoe.
   • Low-cuts – lightweight cleats that sacrifice support for a lighter feel. They are favored by wide receivers and defensive backs, positions that benefit from being able to run fast without the feet being weighted down.

   Once you know the position you’ll be playing, you have a basis for the style of cleat you’re going to be looking for.

3. Realize how cleats differ – Cleats made for different sports emphasize support in different areas based on the playing style of the sport. “Football cleats give you more support in the midsole than soccer or baseball cleats,” says Joseph Skiba, equipment manager for the New York Giants. “This helps with lateral movement and with things like taking hits or making tackles.” With a sturdier feel than a soccer cleat, football cleats keep your feet and ankles from turning. This allows for quick movements and helps keep your feet under you when tackling, blocking or taking hits.
4. What kind of studs / spikes should you get? There are two main types of studs or spikes that can go on the sole of your cleat. Most are designed for a specific purpose, like playing on grass or turf, or a combination of both. The type of field you will usually be playing on may influence what type of cleat you choose.
   Molded cleats are permanently attached to the shoe’s bottom. They are usually made of rubber and are generally less expensive than detachable (removable) cleats. Many youth football leagues require players to wear molded cleats, an all-around cleat suitable for most grass fields.
   Detachable cleats use studs that can be removed and replaced, allowing you to change the studs based on the field conditions. Detachable cleats often require a wrench for removing and adding the studs, which can be made out of rubber, hard plastic or metal. On a hard, dry field you might add shorter cleats. On a wet field, you might add longer cleats. Detachable cleats require more maintenance, and it takes experience to know which type of studs you should wear on different playing surfaces. For that reason, they are usually recommended for older, more experienced players.
5. The level of care and maintenance – Cleats, like other shoes, need to be broken in. “Cleats feel better the more they are worn,” says Joseph Skiba, the New York Giants’ equipment manager. “We get a lot of [pro players] complaining about their shoes, and often the problem is that they just keep on wearing new pairs. The more you break it in, the better it will feel.”
   It is also recommended you keep an eye on the condition of your spikes. “With both molded and detachable cleats, make sure to check them frequently to see how much they are wearing down and if they are wearing in an even way. If any spike is wobbly, or very worn down, you need a replacement.” Do not practice or play on wobbly or worn-down spikes.
   With proper care, your cleats can last a long time. Avoid walking on concrete or asphalt to keep your cleats from grinding down or eating away at the plastic coating on some screw-in cleats. Remember to buy an extra set of laces when you buy your cleats and have them with you at games and practices. If your cleats are made of leather, use mink oil or another waterproofing product to help protect the cleats from rain and snow. Use a specialized cleat cleaner or a brush to remove mud and dirt from your cleats.

I hope this gives you a good idea of how and where to start when purchasing football cleats.
Check back later for my personal recommendations and don’t forget to subscribe to my feed!

These pieces of padding offer the ultimate in burner and stinger protection.
They have the esteemed bragging rights of being developed by Division I-A football equipment managers.
As usual, these attach securely and comfortably to the shoulder pads.
You can use butterfly restrictors as stand alone pieces of equipment or use them with a paid of side rolls for an ultimate level of stability.
Safetys and running backs can wear these and rest assured that there neck will be a heck of a lot less likely to snap backwards, resulting in a serious neck injury.

Back to How to Prevent Burners in Football

Kinda funny video by the museum of the obvious. Experiment #5 The obvious invention of the football helmet.

Kind of funny I guess.
But seriously, as I outlined in a previous posting about the origins of the football helmet, the first “football helmet” was designed by a shoemaker for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves. Turns out the Admiral was knock, knock, knocking on heavens door if he sustained one more serious head injury.

In his battle to dodge death and some tacklers, Reeves commissioned said shoemaker to fashion him up a total piece of crap made out of moleskin.
However, the real breakthrough in helmet history wasn’t until 1917 when a man named Bob Zuppke, a coach from Illinois, came up with the idea of ’suspension’. He put together a helmet that cradled the skull away from its leather shell, and in effect, away from the detriment of football’s battery. Here, he used straps of fabric to form a pattern inside the helmet while absorbing and distributing impact. Even better, ventilation was created, allowing the head to breathe while amplifying its protection. It was at this point that Rawlings and Spalding, football entrepreneurs of the millennium entered the picture.
After much thought and design, Vern McMillan introduced a face mask, the final stage of the leather helmet’s production. Fastened in the 1930s, it was a simple rubber-covered wire mask attached to the face of the leather helmet. Meant to put an end to the horrendous amount of broken noses and teeth resulting from the game, it produced another problem. Men soon grabbed at each others masks, forcing penalties because of their intimidation attempts.

The neck roll restrictor or “neck roll” is an added layer of protection which attaches to the shoulder pad neck roll as well as the shoulder pads.
Optimal stability is found with this extra piece added onto the neck roll.
It is highly recommended these two pieces are used together at all times during any type of play (practice and regular games).
The neck roll restrictor comes in handy especially during side collisions on the field.
This piece of football equipment will help to keep the neck and head stabilized during sudden impacts.

Neck injuries on the football field are common place and the most serious of which can injure the spine.
Prevention of such crippling injuries can be found with neck roll restrictors when used properly and fastened securely.
Just as the shoulder pad neck roll attaches, the neck roll restrictor attaches much the same way.
Typical set-ups include strings to tie onto the shoulder pad neck roll and shoulder pads, but newer models come with snap fasteners.
These pieces of equipment can range in price from $25 at some places to $150 for more advanced padding’s which help restrict lateral movement.
Defensive ends are known to where these, including Baltimore Ravens defensive end; Terrell Suggs.

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The shoulder pad neck roll is a piece of football equipment that attaches securely to the shoulder pads and helps to stabilize the helmet, which in turn stabilizes the head.
Styles vary on these from manufacturer to manufacturer. There is never one single way to attach them. As a rule of thumb, always consult the instructions for your specific brand on how to make sure your neck roll is attached properly.
The most typical set up is done by attaching the string on the back of the neck to the back of the shoulder pads. Your neck roll should also have side strings which you use to attach to the (inside) sides of the shoulder pads and finally, there are usually 2 more strings on the front which you use to lace onto the front of the shoulder pads.
Make sure your strings are tight and secure.

More advanced versions come with snaps which lock onto the shoulder pads. These are going to be brand specific and will only be able to snap onto the shoulder pads manufactured by the same company that made the neck.
These pieces of football equipment usually run in sizes small all the way up to XXXXX-Large.
With that being said, you can see how wide range the support is for this piece of equipment. It, as well as a few others I mention in this blog, have become almost as integral as the helmet.
Parents: If you plan on sending your child out for school football, check with the athletics department for these supplementary neck and head equipment.
If they do not offer them as part of their teams equipment, you would serve yourself well going out and investing in this and other pieces of equipment.
The prices are usually minimal compared to the price of having to get a neck injury treated.
$50.00 to $75.00 is the usual price these pieces of equipment are going for.
Check back later for some personal reviews of different shoulder pad neck rolls.

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