Can You Wash Football Gloves?

 My son just started his first year of football this season. Of course, he needed all the gear! One of the most important pieces of the new gear he got was football gloves. 

There are many different uses to gloves that we will get into later in this article, but one of the first questions my wife had was of course…

Can you wash football gloves?

The answer is technically yes, however it doesn’t really work the way we’d all like.

Each manufacturer has washing instructions for the pair of gloves. We followed those instructions perfectly, however, the next time he wore them, the velcro came off. The gloves also lost their sticky feeling, which kind of defeated the purpose for our little wide receiver. So after about 6 weeks of practice and games, it’s time to buy a new pair.

Does washing football gloves ruin them?

Yes, washing your football gloves will add to the wear and tear of the glove making them have to be replaced faster.

There comes a point where you need to weigh the options of trying to wash a kid’s football gloves and just going to buy a new pair.

Why do you need to wash football gloves?

THEY STINK!!!

Even with my son being only 7, he sweats a ton during hot summer practices wearing all that gear. We tried really hard to air his gear off each night, and wash all the different pieces regularly, but after a while, his gloves started smelling terrible. 

At that point, it was time to wash them. My wife followed the instructions and tried to hand wash them, and let them air dry. However the very next time my son wore them the velcro started peeling off the wrist. Not only that the sticky part started peeling off, and the thread on the seams started coming undone.

Here is a picture of my son’s gloves after about a month of usage.

Why do kids need to wear football gloves?

There are many reasons why I think its important for kids to wear gloves when they play football. 

  1. They look good! Kids see their favorite players on the NFL field wearing gloves and they want to look the part. I always go by the motto “Look good, feel good, play good’ if a kid feels good out there psychologically they will have an advantage and will show in their performance. 
  2. It will help them catch, and hold onto the ball. Football gloves are made to stick to the football. Kids have a hard enough time catching, so we make it easier on them and have them use gloves to help them catch, and then hold onto the football. 
  3. Protection! When I was a kid playing youth sports, I did not wear gloves. There were several occasions I remember making a tackle and having a fingernail ripped off. Part of that was because I never cut my fingernails, but gloves definitely help protect a kids hands. 

Can a kid play football without gloves?

Yes, there are no rules in the game of football that require a kid to wear gloves. It’s more of a preference for the kid. It also depends on what position he is playing.

The most common position that would need gloves would be the ball carriers. Running backs, Wide receivers, and defensive backs would find the use of gloves very useful. These players come into contact with the ball, and wearing gloves could help them catch and secure the ball.

Lineman may like to use gloves that have a little padding, to help protect their hands as they are blocking.

Should the quarterback wear gloves?

Some quarterbacks don’t mind throwing with the glove on their hand. In some cases, it may actually help them hold and secure the ball. However, some find that they lose the feel of the ball which affects their throwing ability. 

You may see some quarterbacks keep a glove on their non-throwing hand only. That way they still have some support in securing the ball, while allowing their throwing hand to be free of a glove. 

There really is no wrong or right answer here. My suggestion is to let the kid try both, and find out which is more comfortable for him. 

Summary

Every parent gets to the point where they just can’t take it any longer. THESE GLOVES STINK!!! At that point it is time to make a decision. I see so many players on my team with a new set of gloves every few weeks. However, you do have 3 options.

 

  1. Toss these gloves and go buy another pair. If you want your kid to wear football gloves, and get the advantages out of them, be prepared to buy 2-3 pairs per season. 
  2. Try to wash them, and get a few more uses out of them. This is my suggestion. Try your best to wash the gloves. Use colder water, hand wash, and let them air dry. Hopefully, you get a few more uses out of them before it’s time to get a new pair. 
  3. Ignore it, and let your kid be the stinky kid of the team but from a coach’s perspective I’d appreciate one of the first two options

Hopefully, this helps you understand the importance of getting your athlete some gloves to play football. Good luck out there! 

-Coach Scott