Football Equipment

What size football do I need? I cannot stress enough the importance of choosing the correct ball size for youth football. This is one area of football equipment you need to get right. How many times do you see small children trying to kick a size 5 ball around, nearly tripping over it because it is too large? The FA...

Full-size football goal posts are heavy, rigid structures that require proper anchoring. If they’re not fixed into the ground properly, they can move around. And if they fall onto a player, they can cause life-changing injuries.  Once you’ve chosen your preferred goalposts, you need to ensure you have the equipment needed to keep them firmly in place. The safest method...

Buying a Christmas gift for a grassroots football player this year? If so, why not give them the gift of skill? Yes, you can play your part in that person’s footballing development by putting one of these exciting football training gifts in their stocking this year. Whether you’re buying for a child or a regular Sunday league player, these quality...

There are a few key goalkeeping skills that are essential in the modern game. Without all of them, an aspiring keeper won’t be able to fulfil their true potential. This is why constant practice and repetition of certain drills and exercise is essential. We’ve put together a few tips to use on the training pitch. But first, you need to...

In football, no one skill is more important than any other — at least in the eyes of a coach. But there’s little doubt that fans love the ability to score goals. In many cases, this skill is instinctive. But to perfect it, you must put in the hours on the training pitch. And you must work on your technique...

While honing technical skills is a very important part of football training, strength and conditioning work is equally as important. Football is a highly physical contact sport. In order to muscle opposition players off the ball, you need lower, core and upper body strength. Strength and conditioning work on the training pitch also improve speed, acceleration and balance. But there...

Football is a technical game that requires many different skills and traits. If you’re keen to develop your core football skills, however, there’s nothing that matches continuous practice. By spending hours on the training pitch, you can gradually improve the five key skills that can make you a better player. But to truly maximise your potential, you’ll need more than...

A grassroots football coach and their club’s admin team need to be fully prepared for the season ahead.This means stocking up on kit, footballs, football goals and training equipment. But there are also certain items of matchday equipment every club must have. In many cases, failing to provide certain items for use on matchday can result in a fine. Or...

Shin pads are now mandatory at most levels of the footballing pyramid. When they were first introduced, they were relatively primitive. Now, however, the modern shin guard uses a range of new technologies to deliver maximum protection and mobility. It is believed that shin pads were first worn by footballers in 1874. Sam Weller Widdowson was a keen Nottinghamshire cricketer...

The creation of the modern game of football is universally credited to Sheffield F.C. in England. However, the act of kicking a spherical object around for fun is an ancient endeavour that stretches back to around 300 BC. Footballs have a long and illustrious history that is as much about passion for the game as it is about scientific innovation...