Football is an excellent team sport to keep teens physically active, but since it is a contact sport, injuries can occur. Such injuries can result in severe brain issues later in life. Recent changes in rules and training techniques can help with lowering the risk of brain injury. With these guidelines, you can enjoy the game while practicing safety.

Safe Football Equipment

The football equipment that can help with lowering the risk of injury includes:

Pants Equipped With Leg Pads

Players must wear protective pads on their hips, knees, knees, and tailbone. Some football pants are designed with pads that snap into position or that fit into pockets within the pants. Other pants have a shell that is pulled over the pads.

Shoulder Pads

Shoulder pads for football have hard plastic shells equipped with thick padding.

Helmet

Football helmets are made with hard plastic outer shells and thick layers of padding. These helmets must meet the standards of NOCSAE. Helmets are also equipped with rigid facemask, which is made from carbon steel. The facemask is attached to the helmet, and various facemasks are suitable for different purposes and positions. Helmets must have a chin strap equipped with a protective chin cup, which must be fastened snuggly during play. For a review of the best football helmets, click here.

Football Shoes

There are different rules apply to the various leagues stating the type of cleats (detachable or non-detachable) or shoes that can be used by players.

Mouthguards

The football leagues necessitate players to wear a mouthguard for protection.

Athletic Supporter With A Cup

The cup is helping male players to avoid testicular injuries.

Additional Protective Equipment

• Other gear that you may want to consider are:
• Forearm pads.
• Padded neck rolls.
• Flak jackets for protecting the abdomen and ribcage.
• Non-padded or padded gloves.

Safe Football Training

A good coach should always focus on safety and fair play during practices and games. He should be:

Limiting the amount of contact during the practices.

Insisting that players are following the present safety rules on tackling.

Not allowing helmet-to-body or helmet-to-helmet contact.

Insisting on all players using the appropriate protective gear, especially helmets that are fitting well and are in excellent condition. 

To Help Prevent Injuries During Games Or Practice, Players Must:

• Undergo a sports physical prior to starting a new sport.
• Always stretch and warm-up before a match.
• Learning and incorporating the appropriate techniques, particularly those on how to tackle and absorb the tackle and falling safety to the ground.
• Stop playing if a player is hurt or experience pain. Hurt players must be checked by a coach, athletic trainer, doctor, or nurse before resuming play.
• Stay hydrated, especially on humid and sunny days, by drinking plenty of drinks before, during, and after practices and matches.
• Be aware of the team plan in case of an emergency.
• Play various sports throughout the year to avoid overuse injuries.

Safe football play

During matches, players must:

Follow the safety rules learned during practice.

Know the rules pertaining to the game and stick to them.

Be respectful of referees and steer clear from arguing about their calls.

Always remain clam if an opposing player appears to be attempting to injure them on purpose. Instead, notify the coach and referee and allow them to handle the situation.