United FC Rush

GOALKEEPING GLOVES

It is important for goalkeepers at all but the youngest levels to wear gloves. Gloves not only give you a better grip on the ball, but they offer protection and cushioning for the fingers and palms.

Glove construction

Palms

• The palm is the most important part of any goalkeeper glove because it is where most of the protection and tackiness is needed
• The grip in the palm area depends on the materials used to make the glove
• Most gloves are comprised of a smooth latex, which provides the best grip
• Dimpled and textured latex gloves are also available. They offer more durability but their grip is not as great as pure latex gloves.
• Some manufacturers also utilize different treatments to increase the tackiness of the glove
• Typically the better the latex, the better the gloves will perform
• Ironically, the better the glove, the quicker it will wear out, so many keepers use two pairs of gloves--one for games and one for practice
• The best latex gloves will begin to flake relatively quickly, but they are still usable until almost of the material has worn out
• The textured or dimpled palms provide more durability, are less expensive and better suited for practice

Closures

• There are many different types of closures on keeper gloves
• Hook-and-loop(Velcro-type)
• V-notch
• Bandage
• The style you purchase depends mostly on personal taste

Determining your glove size

• Most goalkeepers prefer to wear gloves that are a little larger than they actually need, giving them a larger surface area to stop the ball without sacrificing control
• Glove sizes correspond roughly to you shoe size, and come in whole sizes only
• If you are between sizes, always buy the larger size

Measuring your hand

• Palm size
• Use a tape measure to measure all the way around the widest part of your palm, excluding your thumb
• If you don't have a tape measure, use a string and measure that against a ruler
• Measure both hands and add 1 inch to the largest measurement
• For example, if your longest measurement is 6 inches, your glove size is 7
• Finger size
• Some manufacturers also measure by finger length
• For this, measure from the base of your hand right above the wrist to the tip of your longest finger
• This is your glove size