How to Gear Up for Football

Using the right equipment the right way can help protect you from injury and improve your performance.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Choosing Your Equipment

1. Select a helmet that's big enough to fit comfortably but tight enough to stay put. Many have inflatable interior pads to accommodate various head sizes.
2. Choose a face mask that suits your position. Line players should wear face masks with several bars for maximum protection. Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and kickers should use fewer bars to increase visibility.
3. Choose a chin strap and jaw pads that fit your helmet size.
4. Purchase a malleable rubber mouth protector.
5. Ask your coach or sporting goods retailer which types of shoulder pads are right for you, then choose the ones that fit your position.
6. Select the right-size hip pads, tailbone pads, thigh pads and knee pads for your body frame.
7. Buy a girdle to hold hip and tailbone pads, and football pants to hold thigh and knee pads. These items should be tight enough to hold the pads in place but loose enough to allow free movement.
8. Purchase an appropriate-size cup and athletic supporter.
9. Select cleats based on the type of field you'll be playing on. If you'll be playing mainly on turf, molded cleats will work fine. If you'll be playing in various weather conditions, buy screw-on cleats. This will allow you to change spikes in different conditions.
10. Consider a neck roll to protect against whiplash.
11. Consider a set of shock pads to augment your shoulder pads.
12. If you're a lineman, consider buying arm and elbow pads.
13. If you're a quarterback, running back or wide receiver, consider rib pads.

Suiting Up

14. Pull on your athletic supporter and cup, and an undershirt if desired.
15. Slip your hip pads and tailbone pads into your girdle and slip these on over your athletic supporter.
16. Slip your knee and thigh pads into your pants and slip these on over your girdle.
17. Put on athletic socks and cleats.
18. Put on rib pads and then shock pads, if you have these items.
19. Put your shoulder pads on over your undershirt. Tie or otherwise secure them tightly across your chest.
20. Attach your neck roll if you have one.
21. Pull your jersey on over your shoulder pads.
22. Put on any protective arm gear you may have.
23. Affix your chin strap, mouth protector and jaw pads to your helmet. Put these on.

Tips & Warnings

• Familiarize yourself with the equipment regulations of the league you're playing for before you decide what to buy.
• To mold a rubber mouth protector to your mouth, begin by boiling it and running it under cool tap water. Place it into your mouth and suck the air out of it. It will form to the shape of your teeth as it hardens.