Shin-guards Explained

Field Hockey Shin guards are the most important piece of field hockey equipment you will choose after you have chosen your field hockey stick. Due to the nature of the game of field hockey, your shin's are the one area of your body that needs to be protected the most. This is why your shin guards need to be chosen well.

As a Hockey Coach, I am often asked by parents and players can I use soccer/football shin guards the short answer to that is yes you can but it is recommended that you don't for the following reasons-

1. Field Hockey Shin guards are thicker with more padding due to the smaller size of the ball.

2. Soccer/football shin guards are lighter and made from lighter plastic.

3. Field Hockey Shinguards mold better to your legs.

So what are you looking for when choosing a Field Hockey Shinguard, well it is pretty simple really, you are looking for-

1. Shin guards that have hard plastic so you can mold to you shin's

2. You want them to be comfortable against your shins with soft foam on the inside.

3. You want them to protect from just below you knee all the way to you ankle (See picture below)

Fig 1: Shinguard Fitting Guide

Sizing your Shin guards

So you're about to buy your Field Hockey Shinguards and you want to know what size you need, this sizing chart should help you to work it out-

Fig 2- Field Hockey Shin Guard Size Chart

Wearing your Shin guards

With your field hockey shin guards you need to wear them so they give you maximum protection, and Field Hockey Sticks USA recommend that you follow the step below when putting on your Field Hockey Shinguards-

1. Put on a thin pair of socks or shin guard inner socks first to protect your legs and absorb any moisture.

2. Place your shin guards over the top of the thin pair of socks or shin guard inner socks.

3. Put your socks over the top of the shin guards and adjust as needed.

4. Place your field hockey shoes on and make any final adjustments as needed.