An athletic guard (102a, 102b, 202) comprising: a central protective plate portion (212, 512) comprising a rigid material; a terminal edge portion at least partially encircling the central protective plate portion (212, 512), the terminal edge portion comprising a pliable material of lower rigidity than the rigid material: a coupling region comprising a graded interface and interposed between the terminal edge portion and the central protective plate portion (212, 512), the coupling region transitioning from the pliable material of the terminal edge portion to the rigid material of the central protective plate portion (212, 512), wherein the coupling region extends from a first edge to a second edge, the first edge having a higher concentration of the pliable material than the rigid material and the second edge having a higher concentration of the rigid material than the pliable material, a first surface of the coupling region having a higher concentration of the pliable material than the rigid material and a second surface of the coupling region having a higher concentration of the rigid material than the pliable material, characterized in that the graded interface forms an angle with the second surface of the coupling region at the first edge, and the angle remains less than 90 degrees between the first edge and the second edge. a central protective plate portion (212, 512) comprising a rigid material; a terminal edge portion at least partially encircling the central protective plate portion (212, 512), the terminal edge portion comprising a pliable material of lower rigidity than the rigid material: a coupling region comprising a graded interface and interposed between the terminal edge portion and the central protective plate portion (212, 512), the coupling region transitioning from the pliable material of the terminal edge portion to the rigid material of the central protective plate portion (212, 512), wherein the coupling region extends from a first edge to a second edge, the first edge having a higher concentration of the pliable material than the rigid material and the second edge having a higher concentration of the rigid material than the pliable material, a first surface of the coupling region having a higher concentration of the pliable material than the rigid material and a second surface of the coupling region having a higher concentration of the rigid material than the pliable material, characterized in that the graded interface forms an angle with the second surface of the coupling region at the first edge, and the angle remains less than 90 degrees between the first edge and the second edge. a coupling region comprising a graded interface and interposed between the terminal edge portion and the central protective plate portion (212, 512), the coupling region transitioning from the pliable material of the terminal edge portion to the rigid material of the central protective plate portion (212, 512), wherein the coupling region extends from a first edge to a second edge, the first edge having a higher concentration of the pliable material than the rigid material and the second edge having a higher concentration of the rigid material than the pliable material, a first surface of the coupling region having a higher concentration of the pliable material than the rigid material and a second surface of the coupling region having a higher concentration of the rigid material than the pliable material, characterized in that the graded interface forms an angle with the second surface of the coupling region at the first edge, and the angle remains less than 90 degrees between the first edge and the second edge.