With the new season about to kick off for our young players this is just a reminder that shinguards are an essential part of a player’s equipment, as stated by FIFA in the rules of the game.

If a referee or venue coordinator sees a player without shinguards they will immediately ask for them to be removed from the game.

Coaches are responsible for the health and wellbeing of the players and if an injury was to occur to a player because they weren’t wearing shinguards the liability would then fall on the coach so please don’t put volunteer coaches in that position, or in one where they have to remove a player because they aren’t wearing shinguards.

We don’t make the rules, but we have to abide by them.