Why Football Gloves Are Important

Back in the old days of football, you used to never see any football players wearing gloves. The personal protective equipment consisted of mainly some sort of head protection, shoulder pads, and cleats. That was all they needed. That said, the game that was played back then was much different than the game that is played today. Players today are much bigger, stronger, faster, and all around more athletic. The players have evolved as the game has, and with that, the equipment has to evolve to compensate for the players as well in order to keep them protected and performing the way they are expected to. Football gloves are one of the things that have been introduced at certain positions in the game.

Back when gloves were first introduced into the game, you would only see wide receivers and running backs wearing gloves. It made sense as all the players are sweating and have slick hands and since the running back and wide receivers were the ones getting the ball for the majority of the game, them wearing gloves wasn’t all that uncommon. Since then, it seems that every position, all the way to the quarterback, is wearing gloves that are serving some purpose.

There are many types of gloves for football players such as the most common in running backs and wide receivers, but the other types would compensate for defensive backs, linemen, and even some quarterbacks. That’s right, even quarterbacks. I think the first in the NFL to play the quarterback position with football gloves was Kurt Warner. Many thought it was very weird, but it worked for him. Now, he is headed on his way to the NFL hall of fame some day so can you really blame him? I can’t.

The gloves for different positions are made different so in order to say what the best football gloves are can be very tough. You might be able to pick out the best brand of gloves, but not type. Nike, Reebok, Under Armour, and many more make quality gloves and they also make a large variety of types as well. You basically have to find the ones that are best for you. For instance, a lineman might have gloves with no fingers but extra pads on top of the glove, to prevent a hand injury as they go head to head against other linemen. The running back and wide receiver’s glove may be a bit sticky in the palm area, and that is basically to have a better grip.