The other day I was watching a college football game from the 2008 season and I saw the most peculiar thing…a kicker lined up to kick a field goal, but the kicker was wearing CUTTERS football gloves! As a former high school and college player, I truly understand the importance of looking good on the field. Gloves were the first things that I purchased before every season. The difference between the kicker and me (besides the fact that his game was being nationally televised) is that I played running back and slot receiver. My positions warranted the use of gloves. A kicker, (one who uses his foot to kick the ball) has no use whatsoever, for wearing football gloves. I could MAYBE understand if the kicker was playing mid-January in the great state of Wisconsin, but this game was being played in Texas at the end of August!
Whether or not the kicker committed a fashion faux pas by wearing receiver gloves is debatable. If you’re going to wear football gloves (kicker or not), which gloves are considered the best? What features do I need to look for in a glove? The following is a quick review/overview of the most popular football gloves worn by college, high-school, and youth players across the country.
Football gloves generally come in two player types: receiver gloves and lineman gloves.
Receiver Gloves
Receiver Gloves
These are special gloves that improve a player’s ability to catch the ball in all types of weather conditions.
They are specially lined for better overall comfort and increasing the “feel” for catching the football. Many receivers wear gloves that have a synthetic tackified feel.
Padded Receiver Gloves are becoming increasingly popular among some players. These may also have a tackified feel. The major difference from standard receiver gloves is in the name, the addition of padding for the back of the hand.
Lineman Gloves
Lineman Gloves
Quarterback Gloves
These special gloves usually have thick back hand padding to better protect the lineman’s knuckles during
contact, especially when their hands become pinched between two helmets or between shoulder pads.
I also get asked about Quarterback gloves a lot. Quarterbacks need gloves that will allow for ball control, accuracy, and better ball handling. Quarterback gloves should be very thin to maintain the player’s feel of the ball.
