Whether you are watching a high school football game, a college football game, or an NFL football game, you will see that almost all players wear leggings.
Football players of all ages and levels are now adapting to the game and the style, and leggings are becoming a popular part of every uniform.
Why Do Football Players Wear Leggings?
Football players wear leggings for a variety of reasons. Leggings are worn because players need protection on their shins, for comfort, for style, and for warmth. Leggings have become somewhat of a standard in football.
The game has evolved over the years and the players have adapted to this change with equipment and gear.
Football Players Wear Leggings for Protection
Football players wear leggings for protection on their legs. Football is a contact sport where the legs are constantly being tackled and hit.
Helmet face masks are made out of a strong metal and having a facemask hitting a shin bone can be very painful. The leggings provide an added cushion for contact around the leg area.
Leggings can also help with the surface of the playing field. Many fields have turf now that is fairly soft, but there are some turf fields that can cause some burn from landing or sliding on it. Leggings help reduce the turf burn that may occur.
Football Players Wear Leggings for Comfort
Leggings are somewhat comfortable. Leggings give a sort of support that players are looking for. Having skin exposed can feel a bit uncomfortable, especially during a contact sport. Leggings provide a sense of support and comfortability.
Leggings have become popular even outside of sports for their comfort level. Leggings are made of material that is extremely comfortable and can stretch. Flexibility is a feature that is always considered when designing leggings and it continues to improve in this area.
Football Players Wear Leggings for Warmth
This might be the most popular reason to wear leggings on the football field. Football begins when the weather is warm, sometime in August and extends into December for some levels and teams. The end of the season can be very cold and uncomfortable.
Warmth is an important aspect, as it provides comfort and allows players to play at their peak performance level. Having skin exposed in some conditions can be challenging, especially for those that carry the football.
Leggings can be purchased with an intended purpose of providing warmth. These leggings trap the body’s heat inside and create a comfortable temperature for players.
Football Players Wear Leggings for Fashion Reasons
Fashion is always important especially for professional athletes. Some players wear leggings so that they can look good, in turn so that they can feel good.
Leggings come in all sorts of designs, but in the NFL, these leggings must match the team colors, or else they are not allowed to wear them.
Do Leggings Come in Different Colors?
Yes, leggings come in a variety of colors and designs, allowing for a fashion statement, but also so that players can find leggings that match their team colors.
Camo, stripes, and plain are the most common colors for leggings, and can be purchased at most sporting goods stores. Leggings come in all sorts of colors and sizes.
Do All Positions Wear Leggings?
Yes, you will find that all positions do tend to wear leggings. In the NFL, most players, regardless of position, will wear leggings.
Players are always looking for fashion, comfort, and safety. These leggings provide these attributes and can help players to feel comfortable and confident, warm and secure while competing in a football game or practice.
What Did Players Do Before Leggings?
If you watch old films of NFL players, you will find that many of them did not wear any extra leg protection. If they did, players would wear much baggier pants underneath their football pants.
On some really cold days, players wore extra layers, but technology has advanced in a big way to make comfortability and flexibility a key factor.
Do Football Players Still Wear Socks with Leggings?
Yes, players will choose to wear socks. Typically socks will be worn over the leggings, many players choosing to wear long socks that may extend up to the knee.
Socks provide another level of comfort and protection. Socks are typically worn pretty high so that players have an extra layer of protection against a face mask that may hit on their shin bones.
Do the Socks Have to Match the Leggings?
No, the socks can be different colors, as many times you will see players wearing wither white or black socks.
It is actually more typical to see the socks that NFL players wear not matching the color of the legging that they have on. This is intentional for the fashion piece of the equipment and gear that football players wear.
Can Youth Football Players Wear Leggings?
Yes, youth football players can wear leggings, and companies do make these leggings in youth sizes. Youth leggings have become very popular and many young kids actually wear them outside of football.
It is important to check the rules about colors and designs before making a purchase as some leagues might require certain colors, or matching leggings on a team.
Final Thoughts
Everyone that plays sports decides what he or she is going to wear. Whether this is based on fashion, protection, comfort, or body temperature, deciding what is best does take some thought process.
It is important for players to feel comfortable, but also feel protected. Leggings are a great option for football players for these reasons. Leggings have become the popular choice to wear underneath the pants of football players.
Leggings provide a sense of comfort, flexibility, and warmth for football players and should be chosen in this manner.
Leggings have become extremely popular and the technology behind these continues to improve to create an even more comfortable experience.
