How to put on shin guard sleeves

This looks trivial and is the difference between a sleeve guard that works and one that spends the game round the back of the calf. The most common mistake is putting the sleeve on first and then trying to slide the guard down inside it.

Why the order matters

A compression sleeve is tight by design — that is what holds the guard in place. Trying to feed a rigid guard down into a sleeve already stretched over a leg means the guard ends up sitting crooked, sometimes only half in the pocket, and it will not stay put.

Loading the guard first, while the sleeve is loose and off the leg, means it seats properly in the pocket before anything is under tension.

Check left and right

Most youth shin guards are shaped, with a left and a right, usually marked L and R on the inside. On a sleeve guard the sleeves themselves may also be shaped.

A guard on the wrong leg sits badly against the shin, rubs, and is considerably more likely to rotate. Cheap symmetrical guards exist and avoid the problem, at the cost of fitting less closely.

Where the guard should sit

Centered on the shin bone, top about two finger-widths below the bottom of the kneecap, bottom just above the ankle bone.

Then the crouch test: have them crouch right down, as if tying a lace. If the top of the guard digs into the bottom of the kneecap, it is too long — and a too-long guard gets worn low, leaving the top of the shin bare. The size chart has the height bands.

For a true slip-in, with no sleeve

Same idea, one fewer layer, and the sock does the work:

1. Put the sock on part-way, up to the ankle.
2. Slide the guard down inside the sock, against the shin, and position it centered on the bone.
3. Pull the sock up over it and check the guard is entirely covered.
4. Jog on the spot. If it moves, the sock is the problem — see how to stop shin guards slipping.

With slip-ins the sock is the entire retention system, so a thin or stretched-out sock will not hold the guard however carefully you position it. An over-the-calf sock with genuine compression through the calf is the requirement, not a preference. See the sock picks.

For strapped guards with ankle protection

Easiest of the three, and the order still matters:

1. Ankle sleeve on first, if it is a separate piece, or foot through the attached sleeve if it is one unit.
2. Position the shin shield centered on the bone, top two finger-widths below the kneecap.
3. Fasten the strap snug but not tight — you should be able to get a finger under it.
4. Sock up over everything.

One note on the strap: it fills with grass and turf crumb over a season and loses grip. Pick the debris out with a stiff brush every few weeks. See the ankle guard picks.

Teaching a kid to do it themselves

Worth the ten minutes, because otherwise you are doing it in a car park every week. Two things help.

Mark the L and R more visibly than the manufacturer did — a dot of permanent marker on the inside of each, or a colored sticker. Kids get this wrong constantly and the factory markings are small and gray.

And practice at home on a weekday, not in the ten minutes before a game. The sequence is simple once learned and impossible to learn under time pressure.

Washing sleeves

Take the guard out and wash the sleeve like a sock. The sleeve sits against skin for a whole game and needs washing just as often — a sleeve that is only rinsed occasionally is the reason a gear bag smells.

Air dry it rather than tumble drying, which degrades the elastic and is the fastest way to turn a compression sleeve into a loose one. The guard itself just needs a wipe.