As you can see, while soccer is a relatively simple, relatively low equipment sport, you still have a lot of options and considerations when it comes time to make a purchase such as new goalie gloves.  Let’s take a look at a few points of consideration in the glove options you will have to decide on.

Palm material.  The palm of a soccer goalie glove is the business end of the glove for the most part, so what the palm is constructed of is probably your area of primary focus.  The back of the gloves matter too, but we’ll look at that in a moment.

Almost all goalie gloves have a palm made of some variation of latex rubber.  The reason for this is that latex has a tacky surface that makes it easier for a goalkeeper to grab a spinning ball out of the air, or redirect it with some control.  However, different manufacturers will all use slightly different fabrications of latex, not to mention the way they construct and sew the gloves together.  You may also need to choose between different thicknesses of palm material.  The thicker you go, the more cushioning you’ll have to take some heat off of those really hard shots.  However, some keepers don’t like the palms to be too thick because they fell the need to maintain a good ‘touch’ on the ball too.

“Finger Save” Gloves.  Let’s talk about the other side of the glove for a moment.  Finger Save gloves are goalie gloves that have plastic spines inserted into pockets along the back of the hand.  The purpose of these spines is twofold.  First, they are designed to give you extra support and protect you fingers from getting bent backwards too far in the event of a very hard shot.  They also help protect you hand and fingers from damage (or possibly even getting broken) if someone were to accidentally step on the back of your hand.  All in all, it’s a pretty clever design and not a bad idea at all.

However, that doesn’t mean they’re a good idea for you.  You see, there are as many opinions about these kinds of features as there are goalkeepers in the world.  Some feel these finger saves are an absolute must have, while others think they’re a good idea, but don’t like the feel of them.  Still others prefer to go the old-school route and avoid the plastic spines all together.

The good news is that you don’t have to struggle too much if you don’t know where you stand because there are some gloves that give you the options to switch the spines around from heavier duty to less stiff, to even removing them completely.  This will allow you to figure out where your comfort zone is.

Really the best thing you can do is to go into a soccer specialty store and try on a number of different gloves from different makers to see which ones feel the best.  If you can have someone at least toss a soccer ball in your direction, that would be a good idea too.

One more thing to consider when you go to buy your new keeper gloves.  Depending on your budget, you might consider having one very good pair of gloves for game situations, and another more durable pair for your everyday training sessions.  Goalie gloves can be expensive, and you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on a great pair and have them torn to shreds because a bunch of knuckleheads want to take shooting practice all day and you have nothing left for the big game!

The first thing you always notice at a game is the soccer goalie jerseys. It is always a bright and bold stand out color. This is so the referee and players can readily spot the goalie on the field. The referee needs to locate the goalie to ensure safe and fair play in the goal area. There can be so many players surrounding the goal and the goalie is the only player allowed to contact the ball with their hands. The goalies’ soccer jerseys are usually padded in the elbows for when they make those diving catches and long sleeved protection for when the ball hits their arms. Adult and youth soccer goalie jerseys come in many florescent colors and designs. Some of the youth jerseys have their favorite cartoon designs, scary ones of course.

Soccer goalie shorts are designed a lot like spandex bike shorts except the padding is over the hips not the buns. This is so when they make diving catches, they have that extra padding over their hips when they hit the ground. Usually outer loose-fitting shorts are worn over the goalie shorts. With many goalie jerseys there are matching shorts available that you can purchase as a set.

Goalie gloves have padding in different places than your normal glove. They kind of resemble the thick nylon winter padded ski gloves. But be assured they will be made of usually leather. There are a couple of different styles and this is where youth soccer equipment or beginner soccer equipment is a little than adult or professional. Training gloves have lots of padding and flexibility and little grips to help stop and catch the ball. They are pretty rugged and will hold up to daily play time. Finger protection gloves have extra support so your fingers will not bend back and lots of padding in case you get stepped on. Weather proof gloves are really great because they are meant to work better when they are wet. Match gloves are meant for professionals they have ultimate flexibility and the palms are tacky to grab the ball from the air with ease these gloves are made for the seasoned player.

Goalie cleats can be also matched to goalie soccer jerseys. A regular cleat can be worn for youth soccer goalie equipment. A special goalie cleat is made with extra grabbers for quick side to side movements and a wedged heel to keep you on your toes.

The right shin guard can save your season. Anyone with a good kick to the shin will tell you that this is the truth. Shin guards now can be purchased sewn in a pair of socks they are a little hard to launder but great to wear. There are the traditional shin guards worn under socks and recommenced to be worn with soccer socks so they will not slip. The ultimate shin guards are an exterior sock guard, much like a hockey guard these are great and you can coordinate colors with your other apparel.

Soccer goalie equipment is necessary for safety and to distinguish this important position on the team. The basic essentials will help you and your game stay competitive.

So what kind of equipment should a soccer goalie consider having?  Let’s take a look from the feet up to the head.

• A good pair of soccer cleats (or indoor soccer shoes, if you’re playing on that surface)
• Soccer shin guards
• Soccer socks
• Padded goalie shorts or goalkeeper pants
• Goalkeeper jersey
• Goalie gloves

Of course soccer is all about using your feet instead of your hands… except for the goalkeeper.  Nonetheless, the last thing you want is for the last line of defense to be slipping around due to bad traction or having unnecessarily heavy boots on their feet.  You also don’t want to have your first line of offense to be shanking the ball in crazy directions because they have clunky shoes on their feet instead of real soccer cleats.

Soccer shin guards are a necessity both for protection and because it’s part of the laws of the game.  With all the kicking going on, it only makes good common sense to protect your shins with a good pair of shin guards.  And to help keep them in place, you really should use actual soccer socks which are designed to accommodate such equipment and to help keep them in position.

As mentioned above, a goalkeeper is going to be diving and sliding on the ground a lot.  Having a good pair of padded soccer goalie shorts or goalkeeper pants will help protect their hips (and knees when using the keeper pants), from unnecessary bruises, scrapes and grass raspberries.

A good keeper jersey will also have some padding in the elbows for the same kind of protection as mentioned above in the padded keeper shorts and pants.  At least as important is also the fact that the different color of the goalie jersey helps to distinguish the player in that position from all other players on the soccer field.  This not only helps the referee to quickly identify exactly who is allowed to use their hands, but it also helps the opposing team recognize the goalie, even if just out of the periphery vision.  This is important because a soccer goalie is afforded a bit of additional protection on the field, much like the quarterback in American football.  This is because they often need to focus on the ball in a manner with outstretched arms and hands, such that they are less able to protect their own bodies.  As such, players need to recognize this and not crash haphazardly into them as serious injuries could result.  The distinct goalkeeper jerseys help with those identification efforts by everyone.

Finally comes the goalie gloves.  Considering the fact that soccer balls can come flying in at them at tremendous speeds, having a bit of cushioning on the palms of the gloves is very helpful.  Also, because soccer is played in all kinds of weather, the soft, spongy material built in to the palms of soccer goalie gloves helps to maintain a tacky surface to ensure a confident grip on the ball regardless of the conditions.  And of course there is also the fact that, as already mentioned several times, the goalkeeper is often sprawling out on the ground, so a bit of additional protection for their valuable hands is more than worthwhile.

If you’re wondering who makes the best equipment for soccer goalies out there… I can’t tell you (well I could, but then I’d have to kill you).  Of course I’m kidding.  The fact is, trying to say which one brand is THE best is not only impossible as there are so many variables and personal opinions and preferences, but it is also a potentially volatile endeavor to even attempt.  You see, soccer players can be as fanatical as they come.  If you think you’ve seen heated debates over whether Ford is better than Chevy or PC vs Mac, you haven’t seen anything.  Get hardcore soccer fans talking about adidas versus Nike, and add in Puma, Umbro, Uhlsport, Diadora and a whole host of others, and you have a battle in the making!  They all make good soccer gear covering a wide range of price points.  Get what you like and you’ll be fine.

So as you can see, while soccer is a simple game not requiring an excessive amount of equipment, when it comes to goalkeepers, there is a little bit more involved.  And when you consider the fact that they can single handedly keep a game alive by making a spectacular save, making sure that your man (or woman) between the posts has the best soccer goalie equipment possible makes all the sense in the world.