Soccer Goalkeeping Gloves are worn by Football Goalkeepers to improve their grip on the ball, and to protect themselves from injury. There are now gloves that have features designed to prevent injuries, such as sprained fingers. Gloves now include "fingersaves", which help prevent injuries such as jammed and sprained fingers. Fingersaves are a type of hard plastic put in the back of the finger part of the glove. Though gloves are not mandatory attire, it is uncommon for goalkeepers to opt against them due to the advantages they offer.
The most important function of goalkeeper gloves is the grip (latex). There are many different opinions about gloves in terms of look, feel and comfort and the style you purchase really depends on personal taste.
It is important for goalkeepers at all but the youngest levels to wear gloves. Gloves not only give you a better grip on the ball, but they offer protection and cushioning for the fingers and palms.
Glove Contruction The palm is the most important part of any goalkeeper glove because it is where most of the protection and tackiness is needed. The grip in the palm area depends on the materials used to make the glove. Most gloves are comprised of a smooth latex, which provides the best grip. Dimpled and textured latex gloves are also available. They offer more durability but their grip is not as great as pure latex gloves. Some manufacturers also utilize different treatments to increase the tackiness of the glove. Typically the better the latex, the better the gloves will perform. Ironically, the better the glove, the quicker it will wear out, so many keepers use two pairs of gloves - one for games and one for practice. The best latex gloves will begin to flake relatively quickly, but they are still usable until almost of the material has worn out. The textured or dimpled palms provide more durability, are less expensive and better suited for practice
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