The process of selecting the most appropriate children’s shin guards for football can sometimes be overlooked and seen as unimportant, however choosing wisely is often key to avoiding serious injury and depending on the player’s individual preferences can prevent discomfort or distraction during a game. It is extremely important that children are able to enjoy football without fear of injury and a good pair of shin guards will give parents peace of mind that their child will not be hurt during a game.

Shin guards are so integral to the modern game that FIFA (the international governing body of football) include specific laws about them in their official rule book. Here’s what they say;

• The provisions of Law 4 of the Laws of the Game apply to the use of shin guards, i.e.
• are covered entirely by the stockings
• are made of rubber, plastic or a similar suitable material
• provide a reasonable degree of protection
• The players of the same team may wear shin guards of different manufacturers and different visual appearance at their own discretion.

There are several factors to consider when selecting shin guards for children;

1. Size – Choosing the right size will depend on the height of the child and consequently the length of the child’s leg. There generally isn’t a huge variation in size across different shin guard brands, however it is worth checking the dimensions/measurements before buying to be certain the shin guard will provide maximum protection.
2. Ankle Protection – A shin guard will either come as a lone one-piece guard or attached to an ankle protector. This obviously increases the protected area greatly and in the case of a child can be very important.
3. Strap – Shin guards with an ankle protector will generally always have a strap that fastens behind the calf to keep the guard in place, while slip-in shin guards can come with or without a strap. A strap will simplify the process of a child putting on the shin guards.
4. Sleeve – An increasingly popular way to secure slip-in shin guards is using a sleeve. These usually come with particular models of slip-in shin guard but can also be purchased separately.
5. Cost – In comparison to other items of football equipment, such as boots, shin guards are a fairly low cost investment. Price will vary depending on the type of shin guard and material it is made from, with more expensive materials generally providing greater durability and more protection – for example, carbon fibre.
6. Endorsement – Something that might be overlooked when buying shin guards for a child is whether they have seen a particular brand worn by their favourite player! This can be irrelevant to the performance of the shin guards in certain circumstances, but can lead to a happier child!

Based on the above there are three different types of kid’s shin guards – those that slip-in, those held in a sleeve and those with ankle protection.

We are very proud of our carbon fibre shin guards at Patronus Sports, which are of the slip-in variety and we have the ability to personalise them with any design you like, but we understand that’s not for everybody! If you have any questions in relation to purchasing shin guards, please don’t hesitate to contact us.