ABSTRACT
Shinguards are used by soccer players to protect their shins and ankles from the effects of direct contact by an opponent’s boot. Their primary function is to protect the skin, underlying soft tissues and bones of the lower leg from external impacts. They prevent injury by means of shock absorption, spreading the load, and by modifying the energy absorption characteristics of the system. Early forms of shinguard consisted of old newspapers placed between the sock and the leg. The earliest proprietary brands were made of material and leather with thin rods of wood placed longitudinally within the construction to give it form and to aid its function. More recently, with the advent of plastic and foam materials the contemporary shinguard is usually made of some form of plastic external shell with an inner foam cushioning material. The wearing of these shinguards has been mandatory in English soccer since 1990, and yet their effectiveness in reducing the severity of impact has not been evaluated, and no standard methods for their evaluation exist. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop an appropriate method for testing the effectiveness of a shinguard in terms of shock and energy absorption and to evaluate, by comparison, the effectiveness of different shinguard types and constructions.
