American football protective equipment American football protective equipment ( " football gear " ) consists of equipment worn by football players for the protection of the body during the course of football games . Basic equipments worn by almost all football players include a helmet , shoulder pads , a jockstrap ( aka athletic supporter ) , gloves , shoes , and thigh and knee pads . Neck rolls , elbow pads , mouth guards , hip pads , tailbone pads , rib pads , and other equipments may be worn in addition to the aforementioned basics . Football protective equipment is made of synthetic materials : foam rubbers , elastics , and durable , shock - resistant , molded plastic . Football protective equipment has remained consistent in use for decades with some slight modifications made over the years in design and materials . The assignment and maintenance of football gear belongs to the team equipment manager . Helmet . The professional football helmet consists of several distinct parts : the shell , jaw pads and air bladders , face mask , chin strap , and mouth guard . The shell is constructed of hard plastic with thick padding on the inside , a face mask made of one or more metal bars , and a chinstrap used to secure the helmet . Helmets are a requirement at all levels of organized football , except for non - tackle variations such as flag football . Although they are protective , players can and do still suffer head injuries such as concussion . Each position has a different type of face mask to balance protection and visibility . There are at least 15 different facemask styles . New design for the helmet includes an integrated faceguard featuring shock absorbing " Energy Wedges " that reduce the force of impacts to the faceguard . The NFL allowed dummy communication in regular - season games in 1994 . Rather than coaches calling a time - out in order to give a play to a quarterback , many of today ' s teams are opting for radios inside their quarterback ' s helmet . The helmets are set up with a small speaker in each ear hole . Quarterback coaches or offensive coordinators on the sidelines talk to the quarterback with a radio , giving him specific plays and options . Players from the " old school " might argue that this creates an unfair advantage , but proponents say that the radio helmets make for clear coach - to people communication , even in large , noisy games like the Super Bowl . NFL rules state that all helmets with a headset in them must have a visible green dot on the back . Since only the quarterback can have a wired helmet , it stops other players using the quarterback ' s helmet . A few times in 2006 the holder on the field goal attempt was told to pull up and throw or run at the last second because of a change the coaches saw on the field . This gave teams an " unfair advantage " in the eyes of the NFL . The new rules let each team know who is wearing a headset and who is hearing the plays being called . According to a press interview held with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , the quality of the sound is good , but crowd noise factors in . “ It ’ s about like what you ’ d hear over a loudspeaker , ” said Bucs QB Shaun King . “ It can be hard to hear when there ’ s a lot of noise on the outside , but it ’ s pretty cool . A more recent addition to the football helmet is a visor or eyeshield , traditionally used to protect players from eye injuries or glare . Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon was the first to wear a visor / shield . The visors started out as clear or smoked , but now come in colors ranging from blue , gold , black , rainbow , silver , or amber . The visor / shield is used at the player ' s discretion . The helmet fitting process starts by measuring the player ' s head with calipers . Based on measurements taken , a helmet shell of the appropriate size and style is chosen Then , padding is added to ensure that the helmet fits the player ' s head . Padding consists of both foam rubber pads and inflatable ( air ) pads . Both the top and side padding include inflatable bladders that customize the fit . Once the helmet is in place on the player ' s head , the inflator bulb is applied to two points on the outside of the helmet . The jaw pads are fitted to ensure that the lower part of the helmet is snug against the player ' s face . The helmets that most NFL teams use are remarkably light , and once the pads are in place , there is no movement or shifting on the player ' s head . Football helmets are painted in team colors and bear team insignia decals . There are several styles of face masks and chin straps available . The selection is left to the player , with quarterbacks generally selecting more open masks with maximum visibility . Off the gridiron , football helmets figure in the masculine decorative schemes seen in home dens , bars , and rec rooms , for example . Antique and vintage leather football helmets are collectibles and often realize substantial sums . they also us visors Shoulder pads . The shoulder pads consist of a hard plastic outer shell with shock - absorbing foam padding underneath . The pads fit over the shoulders and the chest and rib area , and are secured with various snaps and buckles . Shoulder pads give football players their typical " broad - shouldered " look , and are fitted to an adult player by measuring across the player ' s back from shoulder blade to shoulder blade with a soft cloth measuring tape and then adding 1 / 2 inch . For comfort , shoulder pads are sometimes worn in conjunction with a shoulder pads cushion of foam rubber over a cotton half - tee . Shoulder pads accomplish two things for a football player : ( 1 ) they absorb some of the shock of impact through deformation . The pads at the shoulders are strung on tight webbing and deform on impact , and ( 2 ) they distribute the shock through a larger area so there is less pressure at the point of impact . Various styles exist for different positions played . Pads for a quarterback are lightweight and offer freedom of movement . Pads for linemen are designed with few flaps and epaulets , thus reducing the opportunity for being grabbed by the opposition . Some football teams stock as many as 12 different styles ( essentially one style for every position ) , with four different sizes per style . A number of custom fitting and padding options are also available , depending on each player ' s body type and injuries . At the discretion of the player , team physician , or equipment manager , Velcro is sometimes used to attach additional pads to build up protection or to take pressure off an injury by bridging over it . Attachments include spine protectors and rib protectors . A player may have a preference for vinyl straps and metal buckles or elastic straps as closures . Adult shoulder pads typically start at $ 90 . 00 and may reach $ 350 . 00 or more . Researchers at the University of Florida ' s College of Medicine have developed a way to air condition shoulder pads that is designed to regulate players ' body temperatures during games and practices . Jockstrap , or athletic supporter . A typical jockstrap used in football is constructed of a wide elastic waistband with a support pouch of cotton / elastic to contain the genitalia . Two wide elastic straps affixed to the base of the pouch and to the left and right sides of the waistband at the hip complete the garment . The pouch , in some varieties , may be fitted with a pocket to hold an impact resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury . Pop warner ( youth football ) players may be required to wear a protective cup . However , they are not worn as often , at the high school , college , and professional level , although it is still highly recommended . The jockstrap is the one piece of equipment used in football that predates the sport itself . In 1874 , Charles Bennett of the Chicago sporting goods company , Sharp & Smith , created the " bicycle jockey strap " for bicycle riders ( or , bicycle jockeys as they were then known ) . Other athletes adopted the jockey strap in their sports . A mass marketing in 1902 claimed the garment , now termed an " athletic supporter " was " medically indicated " for all males that engaged in sports or strenuous activity . Jerseys and pants . The main purpose of these two garments is to identify the player by name and number , and by his team colors . Jerseys . The front and back of the jersey are usually nylon , with spandex side panels to keep it taut . The goal is to make it difficult for an opposing player to grab hold of the jersey and use it for leverage . To help this process : Jerseys have an extension at the bottom that wraps around from front to back to keep the jersey tucked in . Jerseys have a wide strip of Velcro at the rear that mates with Velcro inside the waistband of the pants . Many players apply two - sided carpet tape to their shoulder pads so that the jersey sticks to the pads . The players individually choose which of these features ( if any ) they will use . Each professional football player is usually equipped with a set of practice jerseys as well as four game jerseys . Players will change jerseys at half time if it is raining . Jerseys will usually have a variety of patches affixed to the shoulders or other parts of the garment . Patches may depict the American flag , the team logo , or other significant information . Pants . Pants are manufactured in nylon and mesh ( for hot weather practices ) , and nylon and spandex for a tight fit ( with team colors ) for games . Most pants are manufactured with the traditional lace - up fly as a zippered fly is impractical and subject to damage due to stress in the rough and tumble of the game . The interior sides of the pants legs contain four individual pockets to hold two thigh pads ( one for each leg ) and two knee pads . The pads are placed in the pockets before the pants are put on in the locker room . The pants are secured with a belt , sometimes with a traditional metal buckle or with several rings . Game - used jerseys and pants are sports collectibles , with those of celebrity athletes realizing high sums . Shoes . Spiked shoes called cleats are worn . They provide grip so the player does not slide on the ground . these are commonly manufactured by Nike , Adidas , and UnderArmour , among other companies . Other . Hip , tail , thigh , and knee pads . Quilted hip pads date to the 1890s and are one of the earliest pieces of protective football gear known . Today , hip and tailbone pads are made of plastic and protect the hips , pelvis , and coccyx or tailbone . The pads are inserted into the pockets of a girdle worn under the football pants . Thigh and knee pads are made of plastics and inserted into pockets constructed inside the football pants . Mouth guard . Sports mouthguards ( also termed athletic mouthpieces , football protectors , or spelled " mouth guards " ) are plastic dental appliances which when worn can help to protect the hard and soft tissues of the mouth from damage caused by traumatic blows and collisions . They are also designed to absorb the shock of impact to the head reducing the incidence of concussions ( although the typical boil - and - bite mouthguards may not be very effective at this ) . Mouth guards are simple half - moons of plastic with a strap on the end which hooks around the face mask so it isn ' t lost during play . Fitting a mouth guard is simple : it is placed in warm water , allowing the plastic to soften . Then the player puts the mouth guard in his mouth , leaving an imprint of his teeth and gums . As the plastic cools , the mold hardens . The result is a mouth guard specific to one player ' s mouth . They also can start to smell like saliva after a while if not washed with water . Usually on hot days mouthpieces start to get stinky . Gloves . Many receivers wear gloves that either have a sticky rubber palm , called tact gloves , or are covered with a sticky substance like rosin or a sticky spray . Linemen also wear gloves , using their hands to fight off opposing linemen . The gloves worn by linemen usually are lined with very thick padding to better protect fingers and hands , which sometimes are caught in an opponent ' s face mask or are stepped on . Players are not permitted to put gels or " stick ' ems " on their gloves . Equipment management . The role of an equipment manager has become an important one for football teams . The equipment manager has two main areas of responsibility : first , fitting each player on the team with a customized array of equipment that will provide maximum protection against injury , and , secondly , being responsible for the logistics of handling many pieces of equipment on a daily basis — keeping it repaired and in stock , and moving the equipment for road games . References . General