From the age of seven all the way to the professional level, players of all ages, wear gloves during a football game. Is it because they look good? Do young players wear gloves because the professionals do? Gloves are designed to help players and are designed for multiple positions.
Football manufacturers and sporting goods stores everywhere sell football gloves, and not for cheap. These gloves are used for multiple positions and are useful for players of all ages. Football gloves come in different sizes and styles, and have multiple uses during their use.
Football is a great game, enjoyed by many, but there are parts of the game that make a difference for players. Football equipment is a huge part of the sport, and there are advantages to using the best equipment possible.
Why do Football Players Wear Gloves?
The evolution of football gloves has changed drastically in the past 20 years. Now, everywhere there is football, whether tackle or flag, or adult touch leagues, players everywhere are wearing gloves. Football gloves are a great option for the following reasons; they help during the cold, they keep your hands from suffering from sweat, they help the wear and tear on players’ hands, they look good, and they have great grip.
At one point, football gloves were considered to be a fad, something that people thought would fade out of popularity. This is not true, as gloves are now usually worn by most positions, in order to have an advantage for grip and hand safety. There are many different brands available, all looking quite different, and all serving slightly different purposes.
Gloves are Built for the Cold
The original idea of wearing gloves was to keep a players hands warm and away from the elements. Rain, snow, and cold can take a beating on the hands and impair the use of them during a football game.
The issue with wearing gloves in the 80’s and 90’s was that the gloves were very bulky and the use of them for players that touched the football became very difficult. The bulkiness made the experience difficult for those carrying the ball, catching the ball, or throwing the ball.
For these reasons, football gloves were typically only used for players that were on the line or on defense, who were not required to handle the ball on a regular basis. They were used mostly to keep a players hands warm and ready for play.
Football gloves have come a long way since then, as they are still used for the cold, but skill players, who touch the ball often, can now wear them, because of their evolution and technological advances. Football gloves have become less bulky and more manageable to wear at all positions, but are still worn for comfort and to battle the cold elements that affect the game of football.
Eliminates Sweat on Hands
On a hot day, playing football can be challenging in many ways. From dehydration, to excessive body temperature, let’s consider that those are in check. Next, comes the sweat produced from playing football during a hot afternoon or evening. The heat causes sweat and the humidity being high can make sweat continue for hours.
During a football game, it is imperative for many of the positions to Handle the ball, by carrying it, catching it, or throwing it. Years ago players would wear a towel on their waist in order to keep their hands dry and not sweaty.
Football gloves have become an important part of the game, especially for the skill players, as the condition of their hands dictate the success they will have when handling the ball. The gloves are way to take the factor of the weather out of the equation.
Gloves Help Reduce the Wear and Tear on the Hands
Years ago, linemen were the only ones that were gloves. Typically, the gloves were bulky and very big, but the linemen were willing to sacrifice control of their hands in order to keep their hands healthy throughout the season. Many times the linemen get their hands caught in face masks and shoulder pads and this impacts their play.
Nowadays, women use their hands much more than they used to. Blocking styles in the past were typically using their shoulder pads to make contact with a defender. Today, the linemen use their hands much more than they used to.
The style of play today as opposed to years ago has changed quite a bit. My men black with their hands more than their shoulder pads and so use of their hands and the health of their hands is important to their success.
Gloves Make Players Look Good
This seems to be a trend that is becoming more popular in sports today. Looking good is extremely important to many of the players in football as well as other sports. Professional athletes have paved the way for our youth to put an importance on the way they look.
There are all sorts of gloves and manufacturers that make them and the choices of the style of gloves that each player wears our vest. Youth, high school players, college players, and professional players will pick gloves based on how they look.
As a high school coach, I have realized the importance of my players looking good. I am more old-school than many others, but have come to the realization that our youth today seems to play better when they feel like they look good. Every year there is a new style of gloves that hit the market, and youth of today by them as soon as they possibly can.
It is hard to argue with young players about the gloves they choose, mostly because the gloves are helpful, and our professional athletes are paving the way for the styles that we see today.
Football Gloves Have Great Grip
The football gloves of today are designed for those players that are catching and caring the football. Years ago, players were gloves mostly for protection, nowadays they wear them to help them carry and catch the ball.
The gloves that are designed for today’s game definitely have an advantage for those catching the football. The gloves are very tacky and the grip is outstanding. There are more one-handed catches in the game today than ever before, and some of this has to do with the equipment that is available.
It has almost come to the conclusion that without loves you are at a disadvantage. It is highly recommended that gloves are purchased and used if you play receiver, running back, or any of the returner positions.
Is there a Bad Time to Wear Football Gloves?
The worst time to wear football gloves is when it is raining. The gloves tend to become slick, making it difficult to carry and catch the football. The alternative, Bear Hands, is not much better, so many players choose to wear gloves even during bad weather games.
The key is to try to keep the gloves dry and away from the elements. They will still keep your hands warm, but when they are slick it does make it difficult to catch or carry the football.
Will Gloves Make Me a Great Football Player?
This is a question that many of the youth today ask. Gloves will not make you a great football player. Hard work, determination, and practice I won’t make players better at football. Gloves, however, go a long way in having the proper equipment to maximize your success, given the ability that you have.
There are still many skills that need to be coached and learned in order to become a great running back or receiver, as far as carrying the ball and catching the ball. Gloves will help in your developmental process, but they are not the reason you will become a great football player.
Gloves for Linemen
Mind my gloves have changed quite a bit over the years. Gloves that lineman used used to be very big and bulky and mostly used for protection. You will see some lime in that still use these types of gloves, however, even the receiver gloves add some protection for alignment but also give the player an opportunity to use their hands properly without feeling restricted.
Linemen do not need the tacky feel to their gloves, because it is very unlikely they will handle the ball. The quality of gloves for linemen are not as important as the quality of gloves that running backs and receivers might use.
Gloves for Quarterbacks
Quarterbacks do not typically wear gloves when they are playing in a football game. Sometimes, depending on the weather, some quarterbacks may use a glove on their offhand. You will not see a quarterback typically wearing a glove on his throwing hand.
The reason quarterbacks do not need a tacky feel to their throwing hand is because throwing a football is quite the opposite of that feeling. Quarterbacks want the ball to come after hand loosely and smooth.
Gloves for Receivers
Receivers are the position that players need the gloves the most. As the ball is coming to them, receivers are able to use the gloves as a way of gripping the football. These gloves are designed to be tacky and have a lot of grip, therefore helping as they are receiving the football.
Receivers are also required to carry the football and run. These gloves help them as they carry the football, as they do not desire to fumble it.
Gloves for Running Backs
Running backs also wear gloves many times. Although not as important for running backs as they are four receivers, gloves to help running backs when they carry the ball.
Gloves for Defenders
For the fenders this is based on personal preference. The chances of a defender caring the football are pretty slim in general. Defensive backs are the most likely to wear football gloves during a game. Defensive backs are the most likely to catch and carry the football.
Defensive linemen and linebackers might wear gloves, but mostly for protection of their hands, similar to the reasons offensive linemen would wear gloves.
What are the Best Football Gloves?
In the following, we will review different brands of football gloves, and what each has to offer as far as comfort, style, and performance.
Cutters C-Tack Gloves
These are probably the most popular gloves on the market today. The reason they are one of the best is because of their durability and tacky grip that they provide. Cutters actually restore their grip after they are washed, which is a rare find on the market today.
Under Armour Glove
Under Armour football gloves provide a very tacky grip, not as tacky as the Cutters brand, however. Under Armour football gloves come with a little extra padding on the thumb to help in controlling the football.
Neumann Gloves
Neumann prides themselves on a natural feel to their gloves. These gloves do have a tacky grip, but not like the previous two manufacturers. Neumann is one of the originators in the field, originating to help linemen protect their hands.
Adidas Gloves
These gloves provide a tacky grip, and they pride themselves on providing a seamless glove, tackiness that extends out to the thib for better ball control.
If My Child is Playing Youth Football, Should I Buy Him Football Gloves?
This is really a personal choice. The main idea is to find out why your child would like football gloves. If they are being used to look good, then as a parent you must decide if it is worth it.
Youth football players can use gloves for protection and they will provide a source of comfort through the elements.
If your child is a running back or receiver, we see football gloves being worn as young as seven years old. It is not a bad idea to get them used to the gloves and using them on a regular basis as they will most likely use them when they are older.
Final Thoughts
Football gloves have changed over the years, from being only for protection, to being an advantage for receivers and running back’ football gloves have changed over the years, from being only for protection, to being an advantage for receivers and running backs. Although there are different styles of gloves for each position, for the most part they are not that different.
Players of all ages are wearing gloves nowadays, whether it’s for protection, to battle the elements, or to give them an advantage for caring and catching the football, these gloves are worth it in the long run.
Football gloves will not make you a better player, but will give you a bit of an advantage on some plays that happened during a football game. If you are willing to invest in these gloves, go ahead and do so, I don’t think you will be disappointed.