Football is a contact sport, a sport that involves physicality, and therefore needs protection. Football players wear shoulder pads to protect their shoulder, chest, and upper back.
Shoulder pads are made out of a foam-like material. This is the part that rests against the body. The outside of shoulder pads are made out of an advanced plastic material, giving more protection when contact occurs.
Shoulder pads are not the most comfortable material, so choosing something to wear underneath the pads is vital for comfort and to eliminate rashes from sweating and the elements.
What Do Football Players Wear Under Their Shoulder Pads?
Football players must choose the proper material to wear under their shoulder pads. A simple t-shirt, a compression shirt, or a padded shirt can reduce the sweat, rashing, and sliding of the shoulder pads.
Why do football players wear shoulder pads
Below we will discuss different options to wear under shoulder pads:
T-Shirt
This is probably the most popular undergarment when playing football. T-shirts are lightweight and comfortable. The options would be cotton and performance.
Performance t-shirts will keep you a bit cooler underneath the shoulder pads, whereas cotton will soak up sweat easier. Cotton will reduce the sliding of the shoulder pads, whereas performance t-shirts do not catch the sweat as much and can cause a great deal of sliding.
Performance t-shirts are a bit more popular these days, as they are a cool version of a t-shirt.
The other advantage of wearing a t-shirt underneath shoulder pads is that they are affordable and most people have random t-shirts that will work underneath.
T-shirts will greatly reduce the rubbing of the shoulder pads and reduce rashes and irritation during hot days.
Compression Shirt
Compression shirts are a great choice to stay cool. Compression shirts will conform to the body and do a great job of wicking the moisture away, creating a cooling sensation.
Compression and performance are similar, except that compression shirts are tighter to the body.
Advantages of Compression Shirts
Compression shirts do a great job keeping the body cool when over exerting during a sport. When overheated, fatigue may set in, which can reduce overall performance and success.
Compression shirts are also known for helping muscles to rebuild after exercising. They do this by increasing blood pressure to a sore muscle. This helps rebuild and restore a broken down muscle.
Compression shirts also help improve flexibility. Stretching, lifting, and extending are improved with compression shirts.
Padded Shirts
Padded shirts are a great option to wear under shoulder pads. Padded shirts provide extra protection for a player’s ribs, underarm areas, and shoulders.
Football, being a contact sport, can sometimes cause some contact shock. Padded shirts help to absorb this contact and give extra protection during tackling or being tackled.
These padded shirts not only provide extra cushion, but also are made out of performance material, to help in the wicking process during hot temperatures.
These padded shirts have soft pads usually made out of hexagons, creating a good cushion for contact and safety.
What Could Happen if I Don’t Wear a Shirt Underneath My Shoulder Pads?
The biggest issue of not wearing a shirt underneath shoulder pads is irritation and rashes. Football starts in hot weather, typically in August, when it is pretty hot in most parts of the country.
The heat can cause irritation from sweat, and then cause rashing on the shoulders and upper back. These rashes can be painful and limit performance in football.
Odor is another issue that may arise when not wearing undergarments during football. Shirts help catch sweat before they reach the foam padding in shoulder pads. The more sweat that the shoulder pads are subjected to, the more odor that can come from them.
Shoulder pads can be difficult to wash and get clean, so wearing the proper undergarments are extremely important, as they reduce odor and break down of the foam material that shoulder pads are made out of.
Is There Anything Else I can Wear Under Shoulder Pads for Protection?
The technology and design of shoulder pads have come a long way as far as safety and protection. Shoulder pads nowadays are very safe and the technology behind them continues to improve.
Vinyl Coated Shoulder Pad Cushion
This is an option for underneath shoulder pads, as they provide more added protection on contact.
This added protection is extremely comfortable and easy to wear and fit. They are usually one-size-fits-all, and are very adjustable. These shoulder web cushions have been around for a long time, but are still extremely effective for safety and added cushion.
Should I Wear a Cutoff or Full Sleeve Shirt?
This is based on preference, but keep in mind that cutoff shirts can still have shoulder exposure and cause rubbing and rashing possibly. Most of the pressure from shoulder pads comes at the very top of the shoulder, so for some players, a cutoff is still effective.
T-shirts (cotton and performance), compression shirts, and padded shirts all come in full sleeve or cutoffs. Depending on body type and comfortability, cutoffs and sleeve shirts can be effective and useful.
Do I Only Need to Worry About Heat and Shoulder Pads?
Football starts in August when it is extremely hot, but ends in November or December, when it is extremely cold. Som eo the gear under shoulder pads may need to be changed, as long sleeves do help.
Compression long sleeve shirts are very effective for staying warm and also giving added protection. Padded shirts do come in long sleeves, but can also be worn as cutoffs over long sleeve compression shirts.
Final Thoughts
Shoulder pads are a necessary and important piece of equipment for all football players, at all ages. They provide protection and create the safest way of playing football. Football is a contact sport, so the correct equipment is extremely important.
The proper undergarments are important for wearing under shoulder pads as well. There are several options as far as sleeves and material. SOme of this is based on preference, and some is based on safety.
It is important to pick the proper equipment, but also be comfortable and safe underneath. Wearing extra padding in the form of shirts can be beneficial to prevent shoulder and back issues, rashes, and also help muscles recover quickly.
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