Buying goalkeeper gear can be an exciting prospect for anyone unless you’re the one that has to pay for everything. That can sometimes take the joy out of the process for sure. There’s a ton of different things that you can potentially go out and buy. Gloves, jerseys, and shorts or pants being the key things that you’re going to need to have. From there though, you can go down the rabbit hole wanting to buy all sorts of protective gear and other things that you may or may not need. Many times on this site we’ve reached the same conclusion when it comes to goalkeeper gear. Buy and wear what works for you! There are things though that can be classified as “What every goalkeeper needs”. As the title suggests that’s exactly what we are going to be talking about in this article.
At this point, I’ve already given away a couple of things, but it’s obvious that you’re going to need gloves, a jersey, and some type of bottom. You can have a totally different experience in goal though if you’re wearing short shots compared to long pants. The shorts can seem more comfortable when you’re walking down the street, but when you have to drag yourself through hot turf fields they can be a terrible idea. Therefore, in this article, I don’t just want to talk about the particular item that you need to have. Also, the specifications of said item or protective gear whatever it may be! With that in mind, let’s get going.
You Need Goalkeeper Gloves, But What Type, How Many Pairs?
Goalkeeper gloves are a must! I actually wrote an article about whether or not goalkeepers need to wear gloves. It’s not something that’s in the rules of the game as a must. However, if you’re not wearing them you’re really hurting yourself on so many different levels. The main purpose of wearing gloves is to make sure that you’re able to protect your hands. These days gloves also give you better grip levels to be able to make clean catches more effectively than you would with your bare hands. From there, the type of glove that you need in particular could vary depending on other needs that you may have. That’s why glove brands have so many different models.
For kids, and people with soft thin hands, (that’s not a criticism, I have soft, thin hands) you’re usually going to be looking for thicker gloves that are able to reduce the impact of hard shots. An important thing to point out here is that thicker gloves don’t necessarily mean gloves with finger protection. Although, if your main focus is on protecting your hands, then finger protection is going to be a must for you! On the other side of the spectrum, there are goalkeepers that want the grip that gloves can provide, but don’t want to lose mobility or feel like their hands are heavy. If that’s what you want, look for some of the thinner modern glove cuts. I’ll link to an article that explains this in depth here!
When it comes to the number of gloves that you want to have at any given time it really depends on how often you play. Also, you want to take into account how much money you’re willing to spend on gloves. While considering how often you want to buy gloves. Some people have two pairs of gloves, one pair for training the other for games. If you play on different types of surfaces it can be a good idea to have multiple pairs with different palms. The other option is just to use one pair for everything until they wear out. I’m a self confessed glove addict, so I typically play around with 3 different pairs at once. Ideally though, I would say find a model that you’re comfortable with and have two pairs, one that you can tear up in training, and another with better grip levels for games.
Goalkeeper Jerseys What To Look For
You’re going to need a jersey that’s a given. What should you be looking to wear though? That actually depends a lot on where you usually play. If you play on nice soft grass you really are going to be able to wear whatever you like. In the pro game for example there are some goalkeepers that just wear the away team jersey or the regular goalkeeper color jersey. What they are essentially wearing is just a t-shirt. If you can live with an extra side of scraped elbows you can do that as well.
The main reason though why I would definitely recommend the long sleeve, specialized goalkeeper jersey is that it can save you from some unnecessary punishment. I’ve said in other articles in the past that wearing long sleeves isn’t necessarily going to prevent you from ever scrapping your elbows. That just isn’t possible. That being said, they can protect you way more than short sleeve shirts can. Particularly if you’re going to be playing consistently on rough beat up fields. More so even if you’re going to be training on rough fields! Training can take a huge toll on your body in general. Having just the minimal amount of protection is the least that you can do.
I would recommend that as a goalkeeper you keep around 3 goalkeeper jerseys that you feel comfortable with. Especially if you’re training on a regular basis. If you just go to Sunday league once a week you can have one jersey. Yet, just going to Sunday league and not doing any diving during the week is actually a great way to get yourself hurt. That’s maybe a topic for another day. I do believe though that even goalkeepers with a vast level of experience should look into training twice a week at least. Particularly if they want to be able to compete well on Sundays. If you don’t want to train, play 2 or 3 times a week. Just so you stay in the habit of diving. Keeping 2 or 3 jerseys is probably ideal. Buy jerseys with at least elbow protection.
Underwear Protection, Elbow & Knee Pads (Optional)
We’ve talked about these as being optional in other articles on the site. Therefore, it would be hypocritical to say that you should be wearing any of these. That being said, a lot is going to depend on the type of field that you regularly play in. If you really just can’t cope with the stress on the knees on a hard field by all means wear knee pads. What you want to do is incorporate these types of extra padding options maybe on a per-need basis. At the same time, for example with knee pads and elbow pads it can be a good idea to try a couple of different options out.
A lot of us goalkeepers who typically don’t wear extra protection probably had a failed tryout. I’ve told the story of my dad out of the blue coming home with a pair of knee pads that I ultimately never wore. That’s a great “gift” on his part. Never getting a chance to try the gear before he bought though potentially doomed those knee pads. Then for years I would wrongfully believe that goalkeepers couldn’t wear knee or elbow pads because they limited my movement. Until I had the need to wear one, and I found a model that worked for me. The same thing can apply to undershirts with padding. Try different options out and potentially see what works.
When it comes to this type of gear you have two options: wear the same elbow and knee pads until they wear out. Another option could be to buy two pairs or three pairs of each. Rotate them to ensure that you can get the most out of each pair. A lot of times it can be hard to find a model of anything that works for you. That can apply to gloves, to jerseys, to all of the different gear that you could want to wear. So if you find something that works it may be a good idea to buy “spare parts” right then and there.
Shorts, Pants, Leggings
The good thing about wearing leggings is that you can wear virtually any type of sports shorts over them. That’ll allow you to not have to turn over rocks to find specialized goalkeeper shorts. You can have a couple of pairs of those special shorts for games. When you want to boast the high socks short shorts old school look. Yes, this look is not one that is overly popular anymore. There are some of us though that grew up with it and like it! Really what I see a lot of on the training ground these days are leggings. I do get the sense that you have to get used to wearing them. Wearing tights was something we would’ve laughed at back in the day for sure!
Again though, these days all across the board with male and female goalkeepers I see those leggings being the preferred option. I personally own one pair that I’ve used a ton! I wish I would’ve bought more pairs, but I haven’t been able to find the same model that I’m now comfortable with. That goes back to a point I made in the last paragraph. If you find something you like it could be a great idea to buy plenty when you can. Pants is the option that I see fading. I still like to wear loose pants once in a while. Plus I have a ton of pairs that I still need to wear out!
Just as a tip here what I would do is wear leggings with any type of sports shorts for training. Ideally make sure the shorts don’t have pockets. It gets uncomfortable when you dive with those shorts sometimes. Maybe then keep the cool goalkeeper shorts for games. If you like the leggings look and you just put the uniform on with your leggings that’s ok as well. As with anything in fashion things are going to come around! Some are going to keep my high socks.
Socks & Shin Guards
Speaking of socks, I’ve also seen plenty of goalkeepers gravitate away from the typical high socks that I was talking about. The reasoning is very simple. Leggings, plus high socks can get a little too much on the legs. The problem is, if you don’t have these socks it is going to be hard to keep the shin guards in place. By the way, one pair of shin guards is more than enough. Wear them until you outgrow them, they wear out, or someone cleats you really bad in the shin, and they break!
To this point in the article, I’m realizing that my tip is to buy a ton of everything. When it comes to socks you can lay back on that these days. Especially if you train in leggings. You’re going to be able to use virtually regular socks without too much trouble. Maybe one pair of knee-high socks is all that you’re going to need. Granted, leggings are not as worn by goalkeepers in some games because of the shin guard mandate. Again, high socks plus the long leggings can be too much. That’s why we see shorts in games. What you could do is wear the shin guard under the leggings and tape them in place. If you don’t want to wear the high socks.
Cleats, Which Ones, How Many Pairs
I actually have a full article on this as well. I’ve mentioned with kids, don’t force them to grow into their cleats. Also though the sock issue could affect this. Maybe the type of sock you want to wear affects the size of shoe that you need. With the regular soccer socks that pretty much everyone knows you could be looking at a shoe that needs to be larger than what you wear on a regular basis. It’s important to point that out. As I’ve mentioned in the cleat article that I just referenced, the type of sole on the cleats that you have is going to influence your grip. The main rule that I have for this is don’t wear too many cleats on your shoe, and usually make sure they are not too long.
Too much grip is known to cause way more injuries. So trying to find cleats that can give you a decent level of grip across the board is probably the best way to go. That being said, if you want to make the investment and have cleats for all different surfaces knock yourself out no issue there. If you play indoor you are going to need the special indoor shoes. So, you could be looking at 2 pairs of cleats minimum at any given time. Does the type of cleats that you wear heavily impact your performance as a goalkeeper? It definitely could, that’s why I suggest finding the middle ground. Do I need to buy more gloves or more cleats? I make this mistake all the time! In theory though, if you have one good pair of gloves from a model that you like you should get two pairs of cleats to adapt to different surfaces better.
What To Carry In The Bag
You usually see that goalkeepers carry around a bag with them. What’s in the bag? Usually it’s another pair of gloves, maybe another pair of cleats. Keeping tape in your bag can definitely be a great idea. You never know when or even where you’re going to need some extra support. Hurt fingers and wrists that are tended to are supported on the spot can heal faster or in turn injure less! A towel is also something that goalkeepers like to carry around. The trick with the towel is to make sure that you’re able to keep it as clean as possible. That way you can use it if you get dirt in your eyes and things like that. After the game you can use it to clean your shoes.
What Every Goalkeeper Needs Conclusion
If in reading this article you’re getting the idea that playing goalkeeper can be expensive it’s because that’s true. Granted, you very well could get the job done with one pair of cleats, one pair of gloves and shorts, and a t-shirt. In this low end of expenses, you’re going to be paying the price with a lot more wear and tear on your body. That’s just a fact, that’s sadly the nature of the beast. If you’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt on a hot turf field, I wish you nothing but the best. However, I would never want to be you.
If I had to pick out just the minimal amount of clothing and gear to say that that’s what every goalkeeper needs, I would say it’s a pair of leggings, a pair of gloves, a good jersey, and cleats. The rest of the things that we talked about in the article, like the socks and the protective gear could upgrade your comfort level as you play. That’s really what you’re constantly looking for. As brands evolve gear evolves so a lot of times this is a never ending process. To figure out what every goalkeeper needs. How often you play, and frankly the level of play effort that you put in also factors in. Those two things are going to determine the wear and tear on your equipment. The more you play, the quicker your gloves and your clothing are going to wear out.
Trying to determine how much money you should be spending on gear is really hard because the price ranges on things like goalkeeper gloves and cleats are so wide. That being said, it’s not a bad idea, if you’re on a tight budget to look at lower-cost gloves and cleats. You really can find quality equipment that you’ll be able to afford. That way you can have more money to spend on protective gear or other parts of your outfit.
