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Required Equipment List

Required Equipment List


Click for more details on the Ridell Helmets our Players wear

FYF provides helmets, shoulder pads, practice jersey, game jerseys.  The remainder of the equipment is your personal responsibility to purchase prior to our first full pads practice. All of this equipment is available at most sporting goods stores.


Required Equipment

Footwear/Cleats:
While they are not required/mandated, cleats are necessary in football. If you purchase screw-in cleats, the screw-in cleats can not have any metal in them. Most cleats today are all molded rubber. Football cleats are not a must, but they do provide more support than a soccer cleat.

Protective Cup/Athletic Supporter:
This is required by FYF. Some girdles have a pocket for the athletic cup, or you can use an athletic supporter/cup.  Some feel that the athletic supporter/cup combo is more comfortable as it fits better to the players body.

Chin Strap for the Helmet:
We suggest a protective chinstrap, which has a plastic cup that fits under the player's chin. Make sure that you purchase a "youth" chinstrap for smaller players.  For best results, bring the helmet and your child to the store with you so you can try the strap on.

Mouth guard:
All players must wear a mouth guard while playing. It must be in their mouths before the snap or the team is penalized (FYF takes this very seriously). The mouth guard must attach to the face mask and must be colored.  Clear mouth guards are not allowed.

Other Accessories (not required)

There are a lot of football accessories available. Some will enhance your child's experience from a protection standpoint, others just look cool but don't do much. Some accessories are not allowed by FYF.

Here is our take on some of the accessories available:

Arm pads/hand pads/elbow pads:
We do not recommend nor discourage the use of these. It really depends on what your child thinks they need after they have been playing for a few practices. We don't suggest purchasing any of these until after your child has played a few practices. Certain positions benefit more from certain additional padding (arm/hand pads for linemen, elbow/rib pads for backs). Too many times, parents buy these pads and the kids don't end up using them.

Gloves:
Another popular item that the kids love because they look cool, but they may or may not improve your child's performance, safety or comfort. Many coaches don't want kids that handle the ball to wear gloves. Linemen really don't need them. Think carefully before you buy gloves.  They might end up only wearing them in the yard to play catch with their friends.  For cold morning games, some type of gloves might be helpful.  Check with your coach.

Face Masks:
In the past, some parents have purchased their own face mask for the helmet. We strongly discourage this. We have a number of different helmets and not all masks fit all helmets. Please talk to our Equipment Manager if you would like to consider a different face mask. We have a lot on hand in the color that we require.

Face Mask Shields:
Another item that has been made popular by the NFL. FYF rules state that shields can be used but must be clear. They can not be tinted in any way.

Hopefully, you find this helpful before you spend money on items that you don't need.  As always, we are happy to discuss any of these or other items with you.