Football kit
Boots, the right size of ball, shin pads, mouthguards and glasses: what each one is for and how to choose it.
The practical questions
Kit, Rules and Safety: The Practical Side of Kids' Football
Which boots, what size ball, why can't you use your hands, and is it too hot to play? These are the practical questions that come up once a child is playing regularly.
This section gathers the answers in three groups: the kit worth having, the rules explained so a child can use them, and how to play safely in heat, cold, wind and the dark.
Start with the question you have
What Do You Need to Know?
Each group answers one kind of question, and every page in it is listed further down.
Rules explained
Offside, fouls, free kicks and handball, each put in words a child can use in the garden.
Playing safely
Heat, cold, wind and dark evenings each change how to play. So do headers, and a cast on an arm or a leg.
Near a road or indoors
A game by a road or in a hallway needs its own rules, agreed before the ball comes out.
The full list
Everything in Kit, Rules & Safety
All 48 pages in this section, grouped so you can find the one that fits today.
Football kit
- Child Blisters From Football Boots: Break Them In, Don't Pop Them
- Child Cannot Tie Football Boot Laces: What Works
- Child Refuses to Wear Shin Pads: Why It Happens and What Fixes It
- Choosing Your Child's First Football Boots
- Football Mouthguard for Kids: Is One Worth It for Garden Play?
- Goalkeeper Gloves for Kids: Do They Need Them and What Size?
- How to Dry Wet Football Boots Overnight Without Wrecking Them
- How to Inflate a Football for a Child
- Playing Football Safely When Your Child Wears Glasses
- Puncture Proof Football for Kids: What Actually Lasts
- Remove Grass Stains From Kids Football Kit: Soak, Then Wash
- Soft Ball Indoor Football: Why It's a Real Choice, Not Just a Rainy-Day Backup
- What Are the Best Quiet Football Alternatives for Indoor Dribbling?
- What Size Football Does Your Child Actually Need?
- What Size Football Goal for a 6 Year Old in a Garden?
- What Size Shin Pads for Kids: Measure, Read the Chart, Check the Fit
- What's the Safest Footwear and Floor Setup for Indoor Football?
- Which Soft Ball Is Safest for Indoor Football?
Rules explained
Playing safely
- Child Black Toenail From Football: Bruise, Boots or a Doctor?
- Child Bumped Their Head Playing Football: What to Do Next
- Child Grazed Knee After Football: Clean It, Cover It, Check It
- Child Heel Pain After Football: What It Usually Is and What Helps
- Child in a Cast Playing Football: A Still-in-the-Game Plan
- Child Knee Pain Below the Kneecap After Football: What It Can Be and When to Ask
- Child Sprained Ankle: When Can They Play Football Again?
- Child Winded by a Football: What to Do and When to Worry
- Child With Asthma Playing Football: A Plan for the Garden and Park
- Child With Flat Feet Playing Football: Does It Matter?
- Child With Type 1 Diabetes Playing Football: A Plan to Share With the Team
- Explaining Corner and Goal Kicks to a Child: Last Touch Decides
- Football Near a Road or Street: Safety and the Law
- How to Play Football in a Hallway Without Breaking Anything
- Low Bounce Football for Kids on Hard Surfaces: What to Buy
- Playing Football After Dark in Winter Evenings
- Playing Football Outside When Your Child Has Hay Fever: A Garden Guide
- Playing Football Safely in Cold Weather
- Playing Football Safely in Hot Weather
- Playing Football With a Child Wearing an Eye Patch for a Lazy Eye
- Playing Football With a Hearing Aid or Cochlear Implant: A Garden Guide
- Playing Football With Kids in Windy Weather
- Should Children Head the Ball? The Honest Answer
- What to Do If Your Child Gets a Nosebleed Playing Football
- When Can My Child Play Football Again After Being Ill? A Cautious Guide
- Yellow and Red Cards Explained to a Child
Tonight's five minutes
Sort the Practical Bit, Then Play
Find the answer you need, then get back to the game.