Why Do Football Players Wear Arm Bands?

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Football is one of the most expensive sports to play. One of the reasons for that is because of all the equipment that is needed to play it.

Not only do players need to wear all the different protected pads, but there are other accessory uniform options that most players choose to wear.

One of the extra pieces that you may see players wear is different bands or sleeves on their arms. I know my son wanted to get some sleeves, and I agreed for some very specific reasons.

So, why do football players wear arm bands or sleeves?

Football players wear arm bands for protection from the turf, to help protect the ball, keep them warm, and most importantly… to look good! 

First let’s look into the protection. If football players are supposed to be tough, why are they worried about getting their arm scrapped by the grass?

Great question, however since the early 2000’s many football fields have been moving away from grass fields and more towards turf fields, there have been a lot more football players wearing bands or sleeves on their arms.

There have been a ton of advancements on turf fields over the last 20 years or so, but if you scrape your arm on one of these fields you would understand how important these sleeves may be. 

16 of the NFL teams currently play on real grass fields, while 14 have made the transition to artificial turf fields. Below is a breakdown of which teams have made the switch.

NFL FIELD Artificial Turf Real Grass
Buffalo Bills X
Miami Dolphins X
New England Patriots X
NY Jets X
Las Vegas Raiders X
Denver Broncos X
LA Chargers X
Kansas City Chiefs X
Cincinnati Bengals X
Baltimore Ravens X
Cleveland Browns X
Pittsburgh Steelers X
Tennessee Titans X
Houston Texans X
Indianapolis Colts X
Jacksonville Jaguars X
Philadelphia Eagles X
Dallas Cowboys X
Washington Redskins X
NY Giants X
LA Rams X
Arizona Cardinals X
SF 49ers X
Seattle Seahawks X
Green Bay Packers X
Chicago Bears X
Minnesota Vikings X
Detroit Lions X
Carolina Panthers X
Tampa Bay Buccaneers X
New Orleans Saints X
Atlanta Falcons X

Why do football players wear arm bands – Ball Protection

Another great reason why football players wear bands or sleeves on their arms is to protect the football.

During a game, a player may get really sweaty. 

The more elements on the ball, the greater the risk of fumble.

An armband or sleeve is a good way to soak up the sweat and keep the ball dry. Another layer between your sweaty arm and the ball could be an advantage.

Why do football players wear armbands or sleeves – To Keep Warm 

If you see a football player wearing sleeves it could also be to keep them warm. During rainy, windy or just plain cold games, you may see more than just ball carriers wearing sleeves. Getting blocked or tackled HURTS, but getting blocked or tackled when its super cold out is super painful. 

Sleeves can help keep your body warm and lessen the pain of getting hit. It really is that practical.

However when you see players wearing sleeves in the cold, the type of sleeve is different from the material worn on warm days. The material on super cold days can be referred to as ‘cold gear’ and is made specifically to keep an athlete warm.

They also make cold gear leggings that a player may wear under his pads, and even a hood that would be worn around their neck and head for warmth as well.

Why do football players wear armbands or sleeves? 

The last reason players may wear armbands or sleeves would be to look good. I know the main reason my son wanted to get some sleeves was to look the part.

If you look good, you feel good, and when you play good. 

I’m a big fan of getting players looking the part, and feeling like a ‘real player’ in order to help them perform on the field.

I’m all about getting the little extra pieces of equipment, putting on the eye black, pumping up the music, and getting athletes in the right frame of mind to compete on the field. Remember these kids are playing a game, and its supposed to be fun! 

Why do football players wear arm bands conclusion 

There are many functions for different pieces of equipment. If there is a reason an athlete wants to wear armbands, or sleeves that was not mentioned in this article, we’d love to hear about it.

Feel free to reach out and keep the conversation going. 

Football is such a great sport, with a ton of gear. If one of your kids wants to wear armbands, or sleeves there are a ton of reasons why they may think they want to. It may not be a bad idea, however you can definitely play the game without them, as many of us have before, and we turned out fine! 

Feel free to email us with questions or comments at Legionreportnews@gmail.com

If you want to buy some arm bands or sleeves for your player I recommend Dicks Sporting Goods.

Until next time,

 Coach Scott

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