Question Number: 17916

Law 4 - Players Equipment 11/14/2007

RE: Competive Adult

Eric of Tokyo, Japan asks...

Is there any rule regarding where the shinguard is placed. I hate the guard being on the front of my leg so I put it on the side kind of in the back. This is where I get kick most often anyways. I got carded the other day and was wondering if it was rule or not.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It just might be called a SHINguard for a reason. It should be worn properly - protecting the shin.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

You got carded for wearing your shinguard improperly? I'm guessing you ignored an instruction at least once to replace it properly on the front of the leg, or worse, argued with the referee about it? There is nothing to say you can't wear a shinguard with padding on all sides, but it should at least be worn as meant - in the front first. This seems tilting at windmills, though, in a way, to card for such an item. If you are an adult, and you have the appropriate gear, I would be less inclined to force the issue with you, since if you get kicked in the shin and it misses the protection and gets the shin, I won't be listening to any calls for help from the wearer of sideways shinguards. Consequences tend to be the greatest enforcers of reasons.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

I know a player who wore four shinguards. He protected his shins and where he kept getting hacked. There is nothing specifically in the Laws about where the SHINguard must be worn, but like Ref Voshol I tend to think if it were meant to be worn someplace else it would be called a "whatever" guard. If it bothers you to have the item in contact with your shin just wear a second pair of stockings.

This is what I did. I also took this one step forward. The bottom stocking was long enough to be pulled up and over the front of the shinguard. The outer stocking was long as well and that was tucked inside the inner stocking. It provided a second layer between the shinguard and my shin. In the back was four layers of stocking and that afforded some protection from hacking. Lots of trouble, I know... Oh yes, there was the larger than life appearance of my calf muscles and that little bit of intimidation factor went far in matches. As a coach I asked all my players to use that little trick, worked for them too.

Best thing for you to do is what you want to right up until the time someone in authority asks you to do something else. When that happens you say "Yes, Sir" and do as requested. Life gets easier when one does that.

Regards,