Shin guards protect soccer players' legs from bruises and injury. The International Football Association (FIFA), the sport's governing body and the organizer of the World Cup, provides specific directions regarding shin guards in its rulebook. Learn these rules to better understand the referees' equipment rulings, and to avoid committing an equipment violation yourself.
Shin Guard Requirements
The FIFA rulebook lists shin guards as one of the required pieces of equipment for all players. Players must wear socks that cover their shin guards entirely. The shin guards may be made out of rubber or plastic ,and must provide reasonable protection for the players' legs. In the United States, the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) enforces stricter shin-guard requirements, mandating that the protection start no more than two inches above the ankle. All high school players must wear shin guards approved by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).
Equipment Inspections
The assistant referees inspect all the players and their equipment before each game. The primary and assistant referees continue to monitor players' equipment throughout the game, and they can call violations at any point.
Penalties
If the referee notices a player violating the shin-guard rules, he can ask the player to leave the field and fix the problem. The referee does not stop play to call equipment violations. If the player can fix the problem on the field, perhaps by pulling up his socks, he does not have to leave the field. Otherwise, the player should wait until the ball next goes out of play to leave the field. He must then wait for the referee to check his equipment and allow him back onto the field when the ball is out of play.
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