Football is a hard-hitting and violent game. In order to protect players from injuries, they are required to wear protective equipment. However, injuries are always an issue in football at all levels because players throw their bodies around in order to make plays.
Helmet
The helmet is the most obvious piece of protective equipment that a football player wears. The helmet protects the head and the face from violent hits. Helmets have a hard plastic shell on the outside, but soft pads on the inside that is designed to reduce the incidence of concussions and other brain injuries. However, the helmet can also become a weapon when tacklers lead with their heads. All players are warned not to do this because it can lead to devastating spinal-cord injuries, but it happens on a regular basis. When a player leads with his helmet, he can severely injure himself and his opponent.
Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads are worn under the uniform shirt, and they sit tightly on the shoulders. Shoulder pads help players absorb a heavy hit when they are tackled by an opponent or when they deliver a block or a tackle. Shoulder pads come in various sizes depending on the position played. A quarterback, for example, will wear small shoulder pads so he can move his arm easily when throwing. A receiver may also wear somewhat smaller shoulder pads so he can extend his arms freely and swing his arms unencumbered while running. A hard-hitting linebacker or safety may wear shoulder pads that are bigger than normal to protect his shoulders and upper body when making a tackle.
Mouthguards
One of the biggest changes since the early 1990s in football has been the required use of mouthguards. This is particularly true of football at the youth and high school levels. Mouthguards have always been available to players, but now they must be used. At the youth level, a player who does not have his mouthguard in his mouth while a play is being run will be penalized and sent to the sideline. Mouthguards not only protect the players' teeth, but they also help players avoid concussions when worn correctly.
Leg Pads
All football players' uniforms have slots in the thighs and knees for protective padding. Leg and knee pads help keep a player's lower body healthy. Players who carry the ball absorb heavy punishment in the lower body, and the pads can help prevent serious injuries to the quadriceps area. However, those leg pads are generally quite light, and that may not help when a player gets hit with a serious tackle or block or his leg gets twisted. At the highest levels of football, some players forgo use of leg pads, feeling that the pads slow them down.
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