The basic equipment used in sports is familiar to athletes and sports fans. A football player's helmet, a baseball player's glove or a hockey player's stick are essential tools of the trade. However, athletes use alternative equipment to help provide protection or to help them perform their job more easily.
Football Equipment
The flak jacket is an alternative piece of protective equipment that is regularly worn by quarterbacks and is also worn by running backs, wide receivers and players who are recovering from broken ribs. The flak jacket wraps around the rib cage and provides additional protection of that area of the body. Additionally, hip, thigh and leg pads are often worn to provide protection from hard tackles. Neck rolls are worn on the back of the neck --- above the shoulder pads --- to help protect the vulnerable neck area. Receivers may wear protective gloves that help them catch hard passes in tough weather conditions. Linemen wear padded gloves that protect their fingers from getting stepped on and damaged.
Baseball Equipment
Catchers have been wearing a mask, a chest protector and shin guards for decades so they can be protected as they crouch down about 12 inches behind home plate. However, the throat protector that hangs down from the bottom rung of the mask has been used since the late 1970s to protect the catcher's Adam's apple and throat. Many batters wear a hard plastic shell over their lead elbow and forearm when batting. This allows hitters to move closer to the plate and reduces the fear of getting hurt by an inside pitch. Base runners often wear gloves to protect fingers from getting jammed while sliding. Hitters also wear gloves to get a better grip on the bat.
Hockey Equipment
Hockey players have been required to wear helmets since the 1979 season. Since the 1990s, many players have added plastic shields to the front of the helmet. The clear, plastic shield protects the player from errant sticks to the face and provides additional protection to the eyes. Some players will wear a wire cage instead of a plastic shield to provide additional protection.
Other Sports
Basketball players wear protective eye gear, knee pads and elbow pads to avoid injuries. Tennis players may wear sweat bands on their forehead and wrist to absorb excess perspiration. Golfers wear golf shoes that help provide traction and security and gloves to improve their grip and avoid callouses. Volleyball players often wear knee pads that protect their knees when diving after a shot. Bowlers may wear a wrist brace that provides extra support.
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