Shinguard length?

[RedBullFan17]

About how much inches should the shindguard be from the knee? Thanks

[garethchelsea]

TBH i dont think it really matters how long they are just that they do their job.

[SergioRamos15]

i've been told that shinguards should be about 3 inches down from the knee.
i wear my shinguards high, because thats how i like them and i find them comfortable. i guess you could wear them 3 inches down from your knee, or where ever they feel comfortable

[yufu14]

Usually whatever is comfortable for me, but the bottom should start right after the curve of your foot to actually protect the shin.

[snolly g]

i don't think there's a rule. you just have to decide for yourself how much protection you want.

[ctsoccer13]

If you are playing High School soccer there are requirements. Starting in this fall's season, all Shin Guards must be NOCSAE (NFHS) approved. They will be stamped accordingly. Each shin guard is also sized to height to make them age appropriate. A shin guard will not be more than 2 inches above the ankle, but I'm not sure where it ends up below the knee since that can obviously be different for everyone. Just an FYI.

[Bronaldo]

If you are playing High School soccer there are requirements. Starting in this fall's season, all Shin Guards must be NOCSAE (NFHS) approved. They will be stamped accordingly. Each shin guard is also sized to height to make them age appropriate. A shin guard will not be more than 2 inches above the ankle, but I'm not sure where it ends up below the knee since that can obviously be different for everyone. Just an FYI.

That's retarded.

[ctsoccer13]

That's retarded.

Exactly. That's NFHS.

[constructor]

There's a reason NFHS came out with this one. Some players come out on the pitch with shinguards about as big as pringles potato chips, way up on their shins with about 6 inches of shin uncovered above the ankle. Now factor in the liability issues that schools can face for letting players on the pitch with equipment that is clearly not going to do the job and you've got what you've got. The schools are going to protect their budgets from the legal eagles by mandating shinguard length. You guys brought this on yourselves.

When I ref club matches, I don't care what your shinguards are, so long as you have a set on. If the guards are crap and you get your ankle/leg broken, well tough, Darwin doesn't grade on a curve and hopefully you'll learn a lesson that won't cost you the rest of a career.

[snolly g]

There's a reason NFHS came out with this one. Some players come out on the pitch with shinguards about as big as pringles potato chips, way up on their shins with about 6 inches of shin uncovered above the ankle. Now factor in the liability issues that schools can face for letting players on the pitch with equipment that is clearly not going to do the job and you've got what you've got. The schools are going to protect their budgets from the legal eagles by mandating shinguard length. You guys brought this on yourselves.

When I ref club matches, I don't care what your shinguards are, so long as you have a set on. If the guards are crap and you get your ankle/leg broken, well tough, Darwin doesn't grade on a curve and hopefully you'll learn a lesson that won't cost you the rest of a career.
it's a good rule. high-schoolers tend to think they're invincible. they don't usually think about what will happen if they get injured.

me, i love playing too much. if extra protection keeps me fit, then i'll use it.

the worst is getting some niggling injury that either prevents me from playing or prevents me from playing my best in future games.

[ctsoccer13]

There's a reason NFHS came out with this one. Some players come out on the pitch with shinguards about as big as pringles potato chips, way up on their shins with about 6 inches of shin uncovered above the ankle. Now factor in the liability issues that schools can face for letting players on the pitch with equipment that is clearly not going to do the job and you've got what you've got. The schools are going to protect their budgets from the legal eagles by mandating shinguard length. You guys brought this on yourselves.

When I ref club matches, I don't care what your shinguards are, so long as you have a set on. If the guards are crap and you get your ankle/leg broken, well tough, Darwin doesn't grade on a curve and hopefully you'll learn a lesson that won't cost you the rest of a career.

maybe it's me, but isn't this contradictory? You don't care about the clubs, but you care about the High Schoolers? They are all the same players.

[NHRef]

This is brought on by us refs! We have the power to say the shinguards are not suitable for protection. We don't do it, so the High schools stepped in to do so.

[constructor]

When doing HS, I have never had a problem telling a player that his guards are inadequate as there usually isn't the same experience/skill level seen in club play. The guard length issue has been part of the NFHS rules for some time, it's only been lately that it's been codifed with the standards. Problem has been uneven enforcement from refs. Some refs will let the club guys play with the tater chips and the rest of the team follows Johnnie's lead because he plays club. Now you have up to half a team what used to be improperly equipped. By changing it to illegally equiped, we now have codified enforcement power to deal with it rather than a range of opinion as to what constitutes "safe".

Now to change gears to club. No, I don't see a double standard when dealing with club players. They have been around for a while and should know better. I will speak to the tater chip bunch in pregame, but there is nothing in the LOTG that allows me to say exactly what is an insufficient shinguard, even though I "could" make it an issue through Law 5. Couple that with the attitudes of many club organizers who think that the ref is just being a control freak because he wants better shinguards, and it's an issue I won't deal with so long as they have something on their shins. Back to the original premise, they're playing club, they know better, they understand the implications for injury, I will speak to them, if they choose not to listen, they will have to learn somehow. Do I care- Yes. Is it something I can realisitcally do something about without ALL the refs around joining in- NO. So, Darwin's school is in session. I hate to see a kid get injured but at what point does the player take responsibility for being stupid after he's been warned of the danger??

[emu og]

I play with the smallest things possible, and I wear them very high. Which is stupid, because if you're getting kicked anywhere, its right above your ankle. I constantly have sore swollen shins right above my ankle, because some kid likes to slide cleats up.

[elgambitero]

I wear kids size small guards, and I'm 6'2.

It really doesn't matter, whatever works for you. If I have sore shins the next day, it's my fault for wearing them, but honestly i get kicked in the shins very rarely, but rather have more problems with getting stepped on or getting kicked in the ankles.

[ctsoccer13]

Mandatory head gear will be next

[Seven30witwork]

there shouldnt even be a rule for shinguards...take it back to the old school days... sort of like mandatory seat-belts... if you dont wanna wear them at all or rock them up to your knee, exposing 95% of shin... thats on u... just dont complain when u get clattered in the shin...

personally mine are about 6-7 inches long... i wear them in the middle of my shin.. equal space above and below the guard...thats were I find them most comfortable...

so i guess just wear whateva u find the most comfortable.. some guys like the old school full leg gladiator shinguards that have the ankle protection connectd to them and some guys like having paper napkin size shinguards up to their knee ala emmanuel adebayor....

now most leagues dont relaly care how big or small your gurds are ,as long as you have some on.... but every once in a while you'll run into a power hungry ref who wont let u play with small shinguards... so in those cases u may need to carry around some bigger shinguards for back up..

[ctsoccer13]

the new nocsae (nfhs approved) shinguards have sizing guards inside them. they tell you if they are appropriate for your height, etc.

[constructor]

now most leagues dont relaly care how big or small your gurds are ,as long as you have some on.... but every once in a while you'll run into a power hungry ref who wont let u play with small shinguards... so in those cases u may need to carry around some bigger shinguards for back up..



It's not a case of a "power hungry ref" when we're instructed by the state associations to enforce whatever policy they have. If there is an injury and policy was not being enforced, be sure that litigation (read LAWSUIT) may well follow. So, some associations, (read club) only stipulate that the player have shinguards while making no mention of size or position. Schools, ever mindful of potential litigation and the safety of the player have mandated both length and position. Call it whatever you like, we refs didn't make up the policy.

[flyingdutch]

whatever feels comfortable