Goalie Equipment Guide

There are many variations of goaltenders' protection in sports, from the sparsely protected soccer goalkeeper to the moderately protected lacrosse keeper to the ice hockey goalie, who requires protection from head to toe. The level of equipment required is determined by the potential for harm from the projectile that must be stopped.

  1. Ice Hockey

    • With frozen rubber pucks coming at high speeds, the hockey goalie needs a fortress of padding, including chest, shoulder and elbow pads; leg pads; a catching glove (in the 1940s, a baseball glove was the first type used); a stick with a wide blade; and a mask. The most widely used mask is the "birdcage" mask---a helmet with steel face-protecting bars. Hockey goalies also can wear calf and knee protection.

    Lacrosse

    • A lacrosse ball may not be as dangerous as a flying hockey puck, but getting hit with one without protective equipment still hurts. Lacrosse goalies wear chest protectors, shin guards, helmets and gloves. Their sticks measure between 52 inches and 72 inches long and have a hard-mesh pocket that measures 10 inches to 12 inches wide.

    Field Hockey

    • Field-hockey goalies are covered in all kinds of armor, including chest protectors, leg guards, arm pads, hand protectors, sticks and helmets with optional throat protection. Field-hockey goalies also wear padded pants, and some of these come with protective girdles.

    Soccer

    • Soccer goalies require the least amount of protective equipment; after all, players bounce soccer balls off their heads. The soccer goalie's primary equipment is a pair of oversize gloves (preferably one or two sizes too big), but some also choose to wear shin guards and elbow pads.