American Football Protective Equipment

American Football protective equipment is really important for football players as it helps to protect the body during football games. Basic equipments worn by almost all football players are:-

Helmet

The helmet has evolved a lot. It was originally made of leather. Nowadays, the helmet is really improved and is taking modern technology to protect the health of the players.  A more recent addition to the football helmet is a visor or eyeshield, traditionally used to protect players from eye injuries or glare.

The helmet is the same for any player but the face mask can vary much depending on the position of the player. It is clear that certain players need more protection and others need more space to view the field. New design for the helmet includes an integrated faceguard featuring shock absorbing "Energy Wedges" that reduce the force of impacts to the faceguard.

There are several distinct parts of professional football helmet which are the shell, jaw pads and air bladders, face mask, chin strap, and mouth guard. The shell is constructed of hard plastic with thick padding on the inside, a face mask made of one or more metal bars, and a chinstrap used to secure the helmet. Although they are protective, players can and do still suffer head injuries such as concussion.

Shoulder pads

Shoulder pads is important for a football player as they will help to absorb some of the shock of impact through deformation (the pads at the shoulders are strung on tight webbing and deform on impact) and they will also distribute the shock through a larger area so there is less pressure at the point of impact.

The shoulder pads are made of a hard plastic outer shell with shock-absorbing foam padding underneath. The pads fit over the shoulders and the chest and rib area, and are secured with various snaps and buckles. Various styles of shoulder pads exist for different positions played. Pads for linemen are designed with few flaps and epaulets, thus reducing the opportunity for being grabbed by the opposition. On the other hand, pads for a quarterback are lightweight and offer freedom of movement.

Shoes

Shoes are worn depending on the turf on which the game is played. If it is nice weather typical cleats are thick on the outside and thin on the inside of the bottom of the shoe. ON the other hand, during rainy weather, football players will use longer and thicker cleats to allow good grip on the wet grass.

Gloves

Gloves also can be worn. Usually there are 2 types of gloves that the football players wear. The types are sticky in the palm who usually being used by receiver, or thickly protective for the linemen. The gloves worn by linemen usually are lined with very thick padding to better protect fingers and hands, which sometimes are caught in an opponent's face mask or are stepped on.

Position (Special Teams)

The special teams units that are involved in kickoff, punt, and field goal plays comprise the third "phase" of the game. The squad's kicker and punter are extremely skilled at kicking for length, height, and/or accuracy, which no other players on the team are usually able to do. Punt and kickoff return units use a swift player referred to as a return man to take the ball back as far as he can and negate some punt or kick yards. All other players on a special team will block, tackle, or halt ball movement depending on exactly what team it is and where the ball is at the moment. 

The special teams comprise of:-

Gunner

Gunner is the members of the special teams who specialize in racing downfield to tackle the kick or punt returner. The gunners usually line up on the outside of the offensive line and are often double teamed by blockers. 

Holder

Holder is the player who catches the snap from the center and places it down for the placekicker to attempt to kick it through the uprights of the goalpost. On an attempted field goal, the holder must catch the ball and put it into a good kicking position, ideally with the laces facing away from the kicker. 

Kick Returner

A kick returner job is to catch kickoffs and try to get as far down the field as possible. He is usually one of the faster players on the team, often a reserve wide receiver. 

Long Snapper

The center position as it would be played on offense, but this player specializes in making longer snaps for punts and field goal attempts. A long-snapper generally has to snap the ball seven-to-eight yards behind him for field goal attempts and 13 to 15 yards for punts with the accuracy that allows the holder or punter to handle the ball cleanly. 

Placekicker

Placekicker is the player who kicks the ball on kickoffs, field goal attempts, and extra point attempts. A placekicker either kicks the ball while it's being held by a teammate or kicks it off a tee. 

Punter

Punter is a player who stands behind the line of scrimmage, catches the long snap from the center, and then kicks the ball after dropping it toward his foot. The punter generally comes in on fourth down to drop kicks the ball in a punt play to get the defending team away from their inzone.

Punt Returner

Punt returner job is to catch the ball after it has been punted and run it back toward the punting team's end zone.