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American Football: a sport that is probably not as popular in Europe as where it comes from.
Despite this, many developments have taken place in recent years and the sport is also becoming increasingly popular in Europe.
Even in our country, the sport is starting to get more visibility and more teams are slowly being created. Even for women!
In this article I take you into the world of AF, and I explain exactly which gear you need to play this sport. From head to toe!
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
In short: what is American Football?
The sport is played with two teams consisting of: at least 22 players (with substitutions a lot more): 11 players who play on the offense, and 11 on the defense.
There are only 11 of each team on the field, so you always play 11 against 11.
If one team's attack is on the field, the other team's defense is opposite and vice versa.
The main objective is to make as many touchdowns as possible. What a goal is in football, a touchdown is in American football.
To achieve a touchdown, the attacking team first gets four chances to advance 10 yards (about 9 meters). If successful, they get four more chances.
If this does not work and the team has therefore missed an opportunity to score, the ball goes to the attack of the other party.
To avoid a touchdown, the defense will try to bring the attack down to the ground by means of a tackle or by taking the ball from the attackers.
What gear do you need to play American Football?
American football is often confused with rugby, where there is also 'tacking', but where the rules are different and people hardly wear any protection on the body.
In American football, the players wear various protections. From top to bottom, the basic equipment consists of the following elements:
- a helmet
- a bit
- 'shoulder pads'
- a jersey
- gloves
- trousers with protection for the thighs and knees
- socks
- beautiful
Additional protection includes neck protection, rib protectors ("padded shirts"), elbow protection and hip/tailbone protectors.
The gear is made of synthetic materials: foam rubbers, elastic and durable, shock-resistant, molded plastic.
American football gear explained
So that's quite a list!
Are you going to practice this sport for the first time and do you want to know exactly what all those protections are like? Then read on!
Helmet
An American football helmet consists of several parts:
- the scale
- jaw pads
- the inner part of the helmet that fits on your head (what it is made of depends on the type of helmet: foam pads or inflatable (air) pads)
- the facemask ('facemask')
- the chinstrap ('chinstrap')
The shell, or outside of the helmet, is made of hard plastic with a thick filling on the inside.
The facemask consists of metal bars and the chinstrap is intended to secure the helmet around your chin.
The helmets are often provided with the logo and colors of the team. They often feel light and comfortable on the head.
The helmet is meant to stay in place and there will be no shifting while running and playing.
You can choose from different helmets, facemasks, and chinstraps, where your position or role on the field should play a role and protection and vision should be balanced.
Please note that with a helmet on still head injury can suffer, including a concussion.
Visor
A recent addition to the helmet is a visor ('visor' or 'eyeshield') which protects the eyes from injury or glare.
Most leagues, including the NFL and high school in American, only allow clear visors, not dark ones.
This rule was adopted so that coaches and staff could clearly see a player's face and eyes, and in the event of serious injury to verify that the player is conscious.
The only players allowed to wear a dark tinted visor are those with eye problems.
mouthguard
Whatever position you play on the field, you must protect your mouth and teeth at all times to avoid a visit to the dentist.
is not everywhere a mouthguard, also called a 'mouthguard', obliged.
However, even if the rules of your league have a mouth guard don't oblige, you should be wise enough to take your safety into your own hands by simply using a mouthguard.
There are many types of mouthguards that, in addition to providing safety, can even match or complete your outfit.
A mouthguard acts as a shock absorber for the mouth and teeth.
Do you get an arm in your face during a training or competition or are you tackled? Then the mouthguard will send shock waves through your teeth, jaw and skull.
It minimizes or blocks the intensity of the blow. Injuries to the mouth or teeth can happen to anyone, so protect yourself with a well-fitting mouthguard.
shoulder pads
Shoulder pads have a hard plastic outer shell with shock absorbing foam padding underneath. The pads fit over the shoulders, chest and reef area, and fasten with buckles or snaps.
Under the shoulder pads, players wear either a padded shirt, i.e. a shirt with extra protection, or a cotton (t-)shirt. Over the pads is a training or competition jersey.
Shoulder pads come in different shapes and sizes. Depending on your build and position on the field, one is more suitable than the other.
That is why it is important to determine the perfect size shoulder pads for yourself, especially if you order the pads online.
Shoulders pads will absorb some of the impact through deformation.
In addition, they distribute the shock through a larger pad designed to regulate the player's body temperature and protect against injury.
Jersey
This is used to identify the player (team name, number and colors). It is the player shirt that is worn over the shoulder pads.
The front and back of the jersey are often made of nylon, with sides made of spande to pull it tightly over the shoulder pads.
It should be difficult for an opponent to grab hold of the jersey. That is why jerseys also have an extension at the bottom that you can put in the pants.
Jerseys are often provided with a strip of Velcro at the back that fits on the Velcro in the waistband of the pants.
Padded shirt
For players who want extra protection on the shoulders or in places where the shoulder pads do not reach (such as the ribcage and back), padded shirts are a great solution.
You have them with or without sleeves, with extra pads on the ribs, on the shoulders and one on the back.
The best padded shirts have a perfect fit and feel like a second skin. All protection, including the shoulder pads, will stay in place for the best possible protection.
Rib protector
A rib protector is an extra piece of equipment that you wear around your lower abdomen and is made of a foam padding to absorb the impact.
Rib protectors are lightweight and sit comfortably on the body, while protecting the player's ribs and lower back.
This equipment is especially ideal for quarterbacks (the players who throw the ball), because when throwing the ball they expose their ribs and thus are prone to tackle that area.
Other players can also use this type of protection, including defensive backs, wide receivers, running backs and tight ends.
An alternative to a rib protector is the padded shirt, which I mentioned above. Both options provide additional protection while playing.
Choosing a rib protector or a padded shirt is a personal preference. There are also players who use neither.
backplate
A back plate, also called a back plate, features a foam padding encased in plastic, intended to protect the lower back.
They are most commonly used by quarter backs, running backs, defensive backs, tight ends, wide receivers, and linebackers because these positions run the risk of being tackled from behind or throwing powerful tackles themselves.
Back plates can be attached to your shoulder pads and are generally lightweight. They will have no impact on the player's mobility.
Elbow protection
The elbow joint absorbs your weight when you fall.
To prevent nasty injuries to your arm, loose elbow pads or cool sleeves with elbow pads no unnecessary luxury.
A few wounds and bruises after a football game can be badges of honor for many athletes.
However, if you play on artificial grass, the rough surface can cause abrasions that can be quite painful.
With elbow pads, that problem is also solved. They are often made of breathable, soft and flexible material, so that you hardly feel them.
Gloves
Gloves for football will improve your performance on the pitch by protecting and gripping the hands to catch the ball, then keep it from slipping out of your hands.
Many players wear gloves with sticky rubber palms.
The best gloves to use depend on the position you are playing (for example, the gloves of 'wide receivers' are different from those of 'linemen').
In one position, grip is especially important, while in the other protection is more important. Furthermore, factors such as the flexibility of the glove, the fit and the weight also play a role in the choice.
Determine the correct size before ordering.
Pants with protection / girdles
The American Football pants are made from a combination of nylon and mesh (when the weather is warm) and nylon and spandex for a tight fit.
Along with the jersey, the outfit will include the team colors for matches.
The pants have a belt. The pants should be the right size and fit so that they protect the right places on the body.
There are:
- trousers with integrated protection
- trousers where the protection can be inserted through pockets or clipped on
De standard girdle Consists of five pockets (2 at the hips, 2 at the thighs, 1 at the tailbone) into which players can insert loose pads.
With integrated girdles, the pads cannot be removed.
Then there are also semi-integrated girdles, where the hip and tailbone pads are often integrated and you can add the thigh pads yourself.
All-in-one girdles come with 5-piece protection that you can remove and replace. There are also girdles with 7-piece protection.
The jockstrap (gender protection) is made of wide elastic straps with a cotton/elastic support pocket. Sometimes the pouch is fitted with a protective cup to protect the genitals from injury.
Since they are hardly worn these days, I will not go into this type of protection.
Socks
Nothing is more important than choosing the right products for your feet to protect them during injuries and ensure you can run fast across the field without any problems.
Not all socks are created equal, and today they are much more than a piece of cloth that you wear over your feet. They now have numerous features that can improve your performance in various ways and keep your feet safe.
How do you wear your favorite football socks? They are ideally a few inches below the knee. They may be just above the knee, as long as they allow you to move and run as freely as possible.
Football socks are usually made of nylon and elastic. There are brands that also use spandex or polypropylene.
Last but not least: Shoes
Like football boots, football boots have soles that consist of studs, “cleat” mentioned, which are intended for grass.
Some shoes have removable studs. The sizes of the studs depend on the conditions of the pitch (longer studs give more grip on a wet field, shorter studs give more speed on a dry field).
Flat-soled shoes, called “turf shoes”, are worn on artificial turf (especially AstroTurf).
for some entertainment, read these fun comics about football and American Football
