Soccer equipment list: Essentials a footballer needs to have

Soccer equipment list: Essentials a footballer needs to have

Kevin Omuya
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:28 PM

To play football safely, players must wear specific equipment. Therefore, soccer players need to use this minimum safety gear. Most of the items in the soccer equipment list are used by football players during games. See if you have all the soccer equipment on heed to play a game of association football.

Soccer supplies list
A general view of the kit and shin pads worn by Ederson of Manchester City of England. Photo: Matt McNulty
Source: Getty Images

There are minimum gear requirements for competing in official league games. A numbered jersey, shorts, and shoes are mandatory uniforms on the soccer supplies list. Most football players wear long socks (not ankle length). The shin guards are kept in place on the lower leg by the long football socks.

Compared to other ball sports, less equipment is often needed to play association football. The right shoes are a must for soccer, though. Players choose lightweight uniforms and equipment. This allows them to feel relaxed and free to walk around the field for 90 minutes.

Who governs the football gear items list?

FIFA is the organisation in charge of regulating the sport of football worldwide. They hold the use of soccer equipment in all official league games and international competitions. Here is a rundown of the fundamental pieces of football gear, from the top of the player's head down to their feet.

1. Soccer headgear

Soccer supplies list
Two American football helmets on a football field. Photo: RichLegg
Source: Getty Images

Younger players, in particular, are increasingly likely to be seen sporting some form of headwear while playing football. It has become a standard issue for U-21 teams to have one as part of their junior football kit.

Lightweight and worn like a headband, football helmets are a style statement. If you are heading the ball, you will like the padding on this one. Several studies have also shown that a head-on collision significantly reduces the risk of significant injury.

2. Soccer jerseys - UK

Soccer items list
Detail of the Wolverhampton Wanderers 2022/23 Third Kit is seen during the Wolverhampton Wanderers Media Access Day at Molineux on August 03, 2022, in Wolverhampton, England. Photo: Harriet Lander
Source: Getty Images

A football shirt is an essential piece of equipment for any football fan. You can get them with long or short sleeves, according to your preference. Shirts typically use either a polyester blend or are constructed of 100% polyester. Synthetic soccer jerseys are designed to wick away moisture.

More and more companies are tailoring football jerseys for female players. Women's tops are typically tailored to fit more snugly at the bust and shoulders and looser at the waist.

3. Soccer gloves

All soccer equipment
White goalkeeper and soccer ball gloves on orange background. Concept of football, sports, competition and world champion. Photo: DBenitostock
Source: Getty Images

Only the goalkeeper is required to wear gloves throughout "every" game. Many variations of gloves are available. As a goalkeeper, you need a glove that protects your wrists and allows you to move your fingers freely.

How do soccer players cope with the cold?

During freezing spells, some outfielders would use football gloves. This is permitted per the FIFA Laws of the Game. But, the mittens/gloves must be made of thin, breathable fabric.

4. Football shorts

Basic soccer equipment
Kassem El Zein of Lebanon's match shorts in the locker room before the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 at Al Janoub Stadium on December 04, 2021, in Al Wakrah, Qatar. Photo: Maddie Meyer
Source: Getty Images

Little guidelines exist for the proper use of soccer shorts. There have been instances of youth players donning short running and oversized, loose-fitting shorts.

Most football shorts conform to standard sizing. They must be easy to wear, provide ample comfort, and not restrict movement. In terms of colour and fabric, shorts should be "coordinated" with the jersey. Shorts that go below the knee, as required by basketball rules, are not appropriate for the game.

5. Football socks

soccer equipment list for training
Kevin De Bruyne's Manchester City socks during the UEFA Champions League vs Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, on Wednesday, 14th September 2022. Photo: Mark Fletcher
Source: Getty Images

Socks for soccer are often constructed from thick, durable synthetic fabric or thick cotton. As a safety precaution, shin guards must be worn with football socks that reach at least to the knee. That is why socks are so crucial for football players.

Lower leggings are not the priciest part of a football uniform. Still, they should match the rest of the player's outfit in colour.

Football socks tend to slide down your shin. You may find stocking ties at stores that go down to your kneecap. After the socks have been folded in half, the relationship can be hidden within.

6. Soccer shin pads

Basic soccer equipment
Erin Cuthbert of Chelsea boots and shin pads are pictured ahead of the Vitality Women's FA Cup Final match at Wembley Stadium on December 05, 2021, in London, England. Photo: Naomi Baker
Source: Getty Images

Soccer players are mandatorily required to wear shin guards. Because of this, they should be on every team's list of needed football gear. The shin guards soccer players use are the first line of defence against kicks to the legs. However, shin guards are not always effective at preventing severe bone fractures.

Shin guards are "particularly" made to shield the delicate tibia and fibula. Manufacturers use materials like fibreglass, foam, rubber, polyurethane, or plastic to create them. Ankle support is an optional extra found on some shin guards.

Shin guards can range in thickness and design. The functions of individual football positions frequently influence the selection. A striker, for instance, typically prefers a more compact and lightweight type. Nonetheless, players like the goalkeeper, defenders, and midfielders tend to favour more protective styles.

7. Football footwear: soccer cleats

Youth soccer equipment list
Pair of new unbranded black leather football shoes or soccer boots isolated on white background with a clipping path. Photo: Roman Samokhin
Source: Getty Images

Cleats or special turf shoes are required equipment for all professional soccer players. These are shoes designed specifically for the sport of soccer. Cleats are essential soccer equipment.

Accessories for Football Boots and Soccer cleats are designed with moulded or screwed-in studs on the soles to increase grip on the grass field. The firm substance makes kicking the ball quite comfortable. Cleats aid in traction and shield the feet from any injury.

Cleats come in various sizes and styles and can be purchased for multiple budgets. Your football shoes should be snug but not too tight. A football player's quick starts and stops and dribbling skills require shoes with adequate arch support.

8. Football goalkeeper equipment list

Goalkeepers are the only players on the field who must wear specific specialised equipment. For instance, they have specialised gloves for keeping the ball out of the net and technical gloves for keeping the ball out of the net, for example. There will be no deviation from the requirement that a goalkeeper wears these gloves.

Their hands are shielded from the force of the ball by thickly padded gloves. Furthermore, they aid goalkeepers in better grasping the "synthetic outer surface" of today's soccer ball. Goalies must wear a different coloured jersey than the rest of their squad. According to the rules, players cannot wear uniforms of the same colour as the referee or other officials.

9. Soccer equipment list for coaches

Soccer equipment list for coaches
Branded bibs on the bench during the FIFA World Cup Group D match at Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar. Picture date: Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Photo: Mike Egerton
Source: Getty Images

Plastic cones and disks are standard pieces of soccer training equipment for coaches. They give out soccer bibs known as pinnies when they have practice.

Small, portable goals and rebounding nets allow many coaches to speed up practice sessions. Besides agility ladders and speed parachutes, trainers can employ both methods. Faster football players at the professional and collegiate levels benefit from training equipment like this.

The soccer equipment lists for other team sports accessory essentials are short compared to other sports. The bare minimum for a soccer tryout includes a shirt (with short or long sleeves), shorts, shin guards, footwear, socks and a soccer ball.

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Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.