At any and every level of football, pretty much every player on the field will be wearing some form of tape during a game. Most of the time, you can spot them on a players' socks or their limbs, but sometimes they’re discreetly hidden away.
You may choose to tape yourself, or perhaps your team's physio will be taping you up pre-game to help your body feel its best. Whatever the case, you'll see tape used in football a lot.
This is your ultimate guide to football tapes.
WHAT TAPES DO FOOTBALL PLAYERS USE:
1. FOOTBALL SOCK TAPE
Anyone who’s played a game of football knows that your socks aren’t staying up for an entire game without some help. It’s the secret to securing shin pads and bridging the gap between your grip socks and your team socks. It's such an easy tape to use!
You can get it in lots of different colours and, as per official FA guidelines, the tape that you use around your socks, must match that of your kit. So, in other words, whatever colour your playing socks are, buy that colour tape.
Features for football
- The tape uses a PVC that can stretch up to 175%, which allows for muscle expansion beneath the tape.
- There are 9 different colours to choose from in order to match your team's football kit.
2. COHESIVE SOCK WRAP
Sock Wrap or Cohesive Bandage (same thing!)...
Many football players now choose to cut the feet off their team socks in order to wear their own ankle socks. These ‘grip’ socks usually have small dots along the bottom of the sock that give better traction within the boot. This stops the foot from moving about within the boot, improving the feel on the ball and increasing stability when making quick changes of direction.
You can use Sock Wrap to basically bridge that gap between the top of the ‘grip’ sock and the bottom of your cut-off team sock, creating the illusion of a single sock. This also helps to keep the bottom of the shin pad in place too.
Sock Wrap is viewed by lots of players as a more effective choice than regular Sock Tape, as it's wider and has no glue, meaning it can, technically, be re-used game-after-game and is kinder on any area of exposed skin.
Features for football
- Provides comfortable compression that will easily last for an entire football match.
- It can be used underneath goalie gloves to protect the hand and wrist.
- It's available in 15 different colours, so you can match them up perfectly with your kit.
3. ZINC OXIDE TAPE
Zinc Oxide Tape is the only choice if you need to immobilise an area. It's a non-stretch tape that provides unrivalled support.
Choose the Tan/Brown version for its highest tensile strength. Because of it’s tensile strength, the most common use of Zinc Oxide Tape is to support joints such as the ankle, knee and shoulder. You won’t usually see it on show though – it’s usually hidden by a sock or jersey.
If you'd like to learn about some of the ways that Zinc Oxide can be used to tape up certain football injuries, head over to our learn page.
Features for football
- The rigidity can help to restrict and prevent painful movements, or movements that may cause injuries.
- it can be used to protect non-weight bearing joints, such as; fingers, wrists and thumbs.
- Perfect support for ankles, knees and shoulders.
4. KINESIOLOGY TAPE
Use Kinesiology Tapes to aid movement. When applied, it stretches and moves with the body. This provides dynamic support and can help to ease pain and reduce swelling.
You’ll often see these tapes in bright colours stuck to the leg of your favourite football player. Because they're used for neural feedback, they are the number one choice for muscle injuries. The most common areas of the body you'll see it on the football pitch would be the knee, the calf and the hamstrings.
If you'd like to learn about some of the ways that Kinesiology Tape can be used to tape up certain football injuries, head over to our learn page.
Features for football
- The ideal tape for common football injuries like; calf tightness, runner's knee and ankle strain.
- Comes in multiple colours that can be used to match your team's jersey.
And that’s it! Now you know exactly what tape to pick for every situation out there on the pitch, whether you’re a poacher like Jamie Vardy, or a shot-stopper like Edersen. If you'd like any more information about any of these tapes, get in touch. We'd love to help!
