If you've ever been kicked in the shin, you understand the need for shin guards. These padded, plastic or fiberglass panels protect your legs from injury, and are widely used in sports. They're most common in soccer, but the humble shinguard has a far-reaching history. In fact, as long as warriors have had shins, they're needed for protection.
Ancient History
The oldest written reference to shin guards comes from the Book of Samuel, written between 960 and 700 B.C. 1 Samuel 17:6 describes the mighty warrior Goliath, who wore brass greaves on his legs. Greaves were leg guards, designed to protect the front of the leg from knee to ankle. Archaeologists have unearthed a pair of bronze greaves that were probably worn by a Greek warrior in about 550 B.C.
19th Century
Greaves continued to be worn in war and violent sports. Cricketers wore padded shin guards to protect their calves. These were normally strapped around the leg, outside of the socks. In 1874, a soccer player named Samuel Widdowson cut down a pair of cricket pads to wear in a soccer game. In those days, soccer players were allowed to kick each other's shins and trip each other. Although Widdowson's teammates ridiculed him at first, the pads caught on.
20th Century
In the 1950s and 1960s, soccer was a less violent sport and players prided themselves on gentlemanly conduct. According to soccer historian Richard Witzig, many players wore their socks around their ankles, with no shin guards or pads. Pele and other soccer greats risked injury this way throughout the 1980s. However, in 1990, FIFA, the International Football Federation, made it obligatory to wear shinguards. Since then, no professional player goes without them.
21st Century
In 2009, British footballer Joe Anyon suffered a broken tibia during a game. His doctors were amazed that he hadn't also broken his fibula, the secondary bone in the lower leg. He claimed that his shin guard had absorbed the impact of the collision, saving his fibula and his career as a goalkeeper.
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