Protective Football Gear

Essential football protective gear includes a NOCSAE-certified helmet, a mouthguard, shoulder pads, and hip, thigh and knee pads, plus cleats for traction. In Canadian amateur tackle football, a certified helmet and a mouthguard covering the upper teeth are mandatory. Proper fit matters as much as the gear itself, so get sized before play.

Football is a full contact sport, which means that proper protective football gear is crucial. Helmets, pads, mouthguards, and cleats are all necessary to keep football players safe during gameplay. 

MVP Athletic Supply carries a wide selection of all the protective gear needed for your football team. We are proud to provide our customers with football equipment from all the most trusted and popular brands, including Champro, Oakley, Shock Doctor, All-Star, Lowry’s, and more.

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Essential Football Protective Equipment

Helmets

A properly fitted, NOCSAE-certified helmet is the most important piece of protective equipment, reducing the risk of serious head injury. Shop football protective gear.

Mouthguards

A mouthguard covering all of the upper teeth protects against dental and jaw injuries and is mandatory in Canadian amateur tackle football.

Shoulder & Body Pads

Shoulder pads use shock-absorbing foam under a hard plastic shell to spread impact. Hip, thigh and knee pads protect against the repeated contact of a full-contact game.

Cleats

Football cleats provide the traction needed for quick cuts and drive. See our football cleats and full football equipment range.

What Does NOCSAE-Certified Mean?

NOCSAE — the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment — sets the football helmet safety standard known as ND002, and helmets pass certification through drop tests that measure impact severity. The NFHS has required NOCSAE-certified helmets for U.S. high-school play since 1980, and Canadian school-sport bodies such as Ontario's OPHEA likewise require a legible NOCSAE certification sticker along with periodic reconditioning. A youth-specific helmet standard, ND006, was finalized in 2025 with implementation set for 2027. There is currently no finalized NOCSAE performance standard for shoulder pads, so for pads a proper, secure fit is the key safety factor.

What Football Gear Is Mandatory in Canada?

Under Football Canada's rules, required equipment must be worn by all players, must be made by a professional manufacturer, and cannot be altered in any way; this includes a mouthguard covering all of the upper teeth. Playing without mandatory equipment carries a five-yard penalty, and the player is removed until the equipment is replaced. A 2025 rule change makes it illegal to wear a second mouthguard attached to the facemask, and Football Canada also added an option to wear a manufactured helmet cover in practices and games, provided it is unaltered. A certified, properly fitted helmet and a compliant mouthguard are non-negotiable — check your league or school for any additional requirements. Shop football protective gear.

The Importance of Protective Football Gear

Football is a very physical sport that involves a lot of tackles and collisions. This means that you can injure yourself if you do not take the proper safety precautions. Having the correct protective football equipment and always using it during gameplay and training is extremely important for keeping yourself and other players safe.

Make sure that you and your football team are properly outfitted with all the recommended safety gear, including helmets, pads, guards, and cleats. You can find everything that you need in MVP’s online football shop. We carry a wide range of products designed to provide protection to football players of all kinds. 

The Right Protective Football Gear for Me

Looking for the right protective football gear for you and your team? Make sure you have everything on the checklist below. Ensure that all protective gear is properly fitted to you for the best results.

Helmets

A helmet is the single most essential piece of protective equipment a football player can have. Since football is a contact sport, players need to be very cautious about head injuries caused by tackling and making contact with the ground. Helmets significantly reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury, brain tissue bruising, and skull fractures.

Mouthguards 

Mouthguards help protect you by absorbing the shock when you are hit in the mouth. This prevents shockwaves from the hit being sent through your teeth, jaw, and neck as well as keeps you from biting down on your tongue. 

Pads

Protective pads are extremely important for football players. Shoulder pads are the biggest piece of protective equipment that football players wear. Football shoulder pads are made of a shock-absorbing foam that is covered in hard plastic. There are different types with varying levels of weight and coverage designed for different positions, including linebackers, quarterbacks, and defensive ends.

Other protective pads include hip, thigh, and knee pads. These are worn underneath a player’s pants in order to protect them from collisions by softening the impact on vulnerable areas.

Cleats

Football cleats keep players safer and playing their best. Cleats provide traction, which makes football players able to run quickly, turn on a dime, and maintain stability. Cleats are an essential safety precaution for football players, as well as important for optimal performance.

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Protective Football Gear Sizing in-Store

Want to make sure you get the right fit? Come visit us in store. We provide football equipment sizing in person, so you can get protective gear that fits perfectly and keeps you safer. Improperly sized equipment will not be as effective for protection, so it is important to make sure your players are wearing the right gear for them. 

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