This is a question that people starting in goal and parents who have kids starting in goal will probably have. Do goalkeepers have to wear gloves? The answer is no, there is no rule in the book that is going to force you to wear goalkeeper gloves. Now, there are different reasons why it makes sense to wear goalkeeper gloves. That’s why for the better part of 60 years or so goalkeepers have worn gloves. We can talk about the pro game as well as the amateur level. There are also other things to consider. For example, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on gloves.
Should You Want To Wear Gloves As A Goalkeeper?
Maybe a better question than, “do goalkeepers have to wear gloves” would be, should be: Do you want to wear gloves as a goalkeeper? A lot of people are probably looking at this like something that you can answer with, no duh! I do think it really depends. The question of do goalkeepers have to wear gloves may be asked by parents who see their kids leaning towards playing in goal. A lot of times it can be hard to determine when you should look into buying gear. More often than not in some recreational youth teams, the coach could bring some goalkeeper gloves and just have whatever kid is in goal at the time wear them. This brings up another issue about the benefits of wearing and not wearing gloves.
Are There Real Benefits To Wearing Goalkeeper Gloves?
In the early days of the game, this was probably a question that was way more relevant than it maybe is today. Since the gloves back in those days provided little protection and sometimes even diminished the amount of grip a goalkeeper would have. These days there are 2 main benefits that you’re going to be able to tap into if you’re wearing goalkeeper gloves. For one, you’ll be able to have more grip on the ball. The second thing is you’ll be protecting your fingers. I would bet that there are more broken finger issues in basketball where players use their bare hands to play than there are in football or soccer.
In many ways, the data should be the other way around. The amount of speed that a ball can pick up in football or soccer by being kicked far exceeds the speed that it reaches in basketball. One of the main reasons why we’ve been able to reduce the number of finger injuries in the beautiful game is the technology that is going into goalkeeper gloves these days. As far as there being tangible benefits to wearing goalkeeper gloves there’s no doubt that there are plenty. There’s a second issue though that is worth mentioning. Wearing goalkeeper gloves that are your size and still have decent grip will allow you to obtain the benefits of wearing gloves. If you’re wearing gloves that are not your size it could backfire on you.
When Should You Buy Your Kid Goalkeeper Gloves?
If you’re starting out in goal or again your kid is it can be hard to make the decision to go out and buy gloves. Particularly when you realize how expensive top-quality gear is! It’s a lot like a person who enjoys going to Top Golf and they think they’re ready to hit the real links. When you realize how expensive it is you may want to order another beer and stay at Top Golf. Goalkeeper gloves are not as expensive as golf clubs by any means, but having to put up those first 50 dollars on goalkeeper gloves can be a hard decision.
On this, I would say if you or your kid is serious about playing in goal make the investment. The experience of having your own gloves that fit you can make goalkeeping much more enjoyable. Also, you or your child is going to be safer from injuries. Particularly if you were playing bare-handed or if you had gloves that were nowhere near your size. There are a couple of things that you should consider before just buying the first pair of gloves that you see at a store.
You Won’t Grow Into Goalkeeper Gear
This is something that I’ve talked about in other articles on the site, but it makes sense to bring it back up here. When it comes to goalkeeper gloves the best thing that you can do is buy the ones that are your size at that point in time. If you are going to be playing or training on a consistent basis the gloves will most likely wear out before you outgrow them. That being said, it’s usually a good idea to make sure that your gloves don’t fit extremely tight on your fingers. You can have them tight on your wrist, that’s ok. If they are too tight on your fingers an injury is going to be more likely with an incoming hard shot.
When it comes to jerseys they tend to last more and you could potentially grow more into those than you could gloves for sure. The thing is if you’re buying a padded goalkeeper jersey that you hope your kid is going to grow into then don’t be surprised if your kid shows up with scrapes and bruises on the areas that the jersey is meant to protect. When it comes to pants, shorts, or other gear it’s the same deal. There’s really no sense in wearing overly loose padded clothes. The pads on the clothes are not going to protect the areas that they are meant to protect.
The Type of Goalkeeper Gloves That You Wear Can Make A Difference
Skill is obviously the first factor that is going to come into play. If you don’t work hard it’s going to be difficult for you to get better in goal. Goalkeeper training takes a lot out of you especially in higher levels of competition. That being said, the type of gloves that you wear can make your job easier as a goalkeeper. Most new gloves are going to provide awesome grip. Even medium-tier gloves at around 50 to 70 dollars can bail you out. The main difference is going to be in your grip. With some new gloves, you’re going to feel like Spiderman with the way that the ball just seems to stick to the palm of the glove.
In a sense, the real issue isn’t, do goalkeepers have to wear gloves. Definitely, the type of gloves and the wear on the gloves can play a role in performance. A lot like with car tires. Can you still drive a car with relatively old tires? Sure, but braking can be more difficult; you can start to skid on turns. Certainly, new tires are safer. With goalkeeper gloves, you have the same issue. Yes, you can stretch out the life of your older gloves as much as you want. They are not going to be as safe as a pair of newer gloves with massive amounts of grip.
Do Goalkeepers Have To Wear Gloves Conclusion
Goalkeeper gloves have certainly evolved to help make the goalkeeper’s job much easier and safer. If you really think about goalkeeper gloves are the only aspect of the game that has improved to help the goalkeeper. These days balls are a lot lighter and have much more unpredictable spin rates than in earlier days of the game. FIFA along with ball manufacturers have publicly mentioned that most of this technology is geared towards generating more goals and therefore a better level of play. I think that most goalkeepers would agree that the number of goals in a game doesn’t necessarily mean that the game was better than a close game.
Do goalkeepers have to wear gloves? No, we don’t, but they are pretty much the only tool in our arsenal to be able to impact our level of play. Therefore goalkeepers should want to wear gloves that provide a good level of grip. That’s going to make catching the ball much easier. Wearing gloves with finger protection for example can serve a dual purpose. In that, you’ll be more protected and in some cases, you’ll be able to keep your fingers from being bent and letting in a hard taken shot on goal.
The fact that it’s better to wear gloves doesn’t mean that you have to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on gloves. You can if you want to, and there are gloves that can fit your style and your playing surface better than others. Ultimately though when buying goalkeeper gloves especially when you’re starting out looking for something with decent grip and protection is fine. Here is a link to our picks of some of the top gloves at lower prices. We also have an article on how gloves should fit. That way when you’re trying some on you know what to expect or what kind of feeling to look for. Hopefully, both of these pages will allow you to make better financial decisions!
