How to Tape Hockey Socks

Taping the socks may help add confidence in your gear

Hockey socks, also known by the less masculine term of hockey “hose”, help keep the player’s shin guards in place and adds protection to the player’s shins and calves. They also help prevent chafing from the rough insides of hockey pants. Many players choose to tape their socks to provide more comfort and to prevent their shin guards from shifting during game play. While it matters little what color of tape is used, nearly all players use cloth-based hockey tape.

Things You'll Need

• Roll of hockey tape

Instructions

1. Don all your lower body equipment prior to taping your socks: skates, pants, cup/jock, shin guards and socks, attached to a hockey garter. If you put on your socks prior to strapping on your shin guards, pull your socks up and strap on the guards, then pull the socks down over the guards and into the top lips of your skates.

2. Start at the bottom of your socks, just an inch or so from the tops of the skates, and wrap one or two coils around the bottom of the shin guard. Without tearing the tape, wrap the next coil so that it covers the front of the guard; as a matter of preference, you can wrap the next coil around the guard, below the knee, and back down to create an “X” pattern for additional guard stability.

3. Wrap the final coil around the top of the sock, just below the garter’s clips. Tear away the tape, then stand and check the firmness of your tape; you want the socks to be snug but not enough so that hampers mobility. Make and corrections to your tape job before finishing with the remaining leg.

References

• “Pick Up Hockey”; Brian Patterson; 2009