American football is a full contact sport that can become dangerous, even with the right protective equipment. Players are covered in different types of pads, basically from head to toe, in order to provide maximum protection while allowing for movement and agility as well. However, there are many other pieces of equipment required for a game of football.
The Ball
The ball used during American football is different than the ball used for any other sport, mostly because of its oblong shape. If you are playing a non-competitive game of football, the ball is probably the only piece of equipment you need, as the need for pads is minimized without tackling. The ball used in the NFL is approximately 11 inches long and 22 inches around, with college, high school and youth teams using progressively smaller balls.
Helmet
The helmet is a crucial part of American football equipment, as it protects your head and face. Concussions are devastating injuries that are fairly common during football games, so helmet manufacturers spend a great deal of money in research and development, trying to make helmets as safe as possible. Today's helmets protect not only the head, but the jaw and cheeks as well, with a face mask covering the front, aimed to keep hands and other body parts away from the face while still allowing for a clear line of sight. Almost all helmets have a chin strap to keep the helmet secured to the head.
Pads
Every football player wears shoulder pads, thigh pads, knee pads, hip pads and tailbone pads during games, protecting parts of the body that often come into direct contact with the ground or other players. Some players choose to wear additional pads, such as a neck roll, jock strap, protective cup and rib pads, depending on what position you play. Many players also choose to wear a mouth guard not only to protect the teeth but also to limit the effects of concussions.
Other Equipment
Players also wear cleats for better traction on the turf, to go along with pants and jerseys issued by the teams. The equipment needed on the field is a scoreboard, to let the players and coaches know the time and score, as well as pylons on the field to mark the corners of the end zone. Wide receivers, running backs, tight ends and defensive backs often wear gloves to help catch the ball, while linemen wear gloves to help support and protect their fingers.
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