At any level of Football, pretty much every player on the field will be wearing some form of football tape during the game. Most of the time, you can spot them on players socks or limbs, but sometimes they’re discreetly hidden away.

I can GUARANTEE you that whether you prefer MESSI, VAN DIJK or even DAVID DE GEA, they’re ALL using football tape in some form or another. BUT, as with all tapes, there is no one size fits all. They use different tapes for different purposes and a lot of it is down to personal preference.

This is YOUR ultimate guide to FOOTBALL TAPE. Read on socceroo.

The 4 most common tapes in Football are:

  1. SOCK TAPE
  2. SOCK WRAP/COHESIVE
  3. ZINC OXIDE TAPE
  4. KINESIOLOGY TAPE

What tape you wear will depend on exactly what you’re trying to achieve through taping. Let’s look at each in turn…

Sock Tape Football Tape - hold up socks

SOCK TAPE

Anyone that’s played a game of football knows that your socks aren’t staying up for a whole game without some help. Capitalise on the self-adhesive nature of SPORTTAPE SOCK TAPE to hold up your team socks. 

Our SOCK TAPE is made from a PVC specially chosen for use in sport. It stretches to 175%, allowing space for muscle expansion beneath the tape when playing. This prevents over-compression that can reduce blood flow known as ‘torniquet’.

Simply wrap the sock tape around your upper calf a few times, and then fold then top of the sock back over.

Sock Wrap Football Tape - merge cut off socks

COHESIVE SOCK WRAP

Many players now choose to cut the feet off their team socks in order to wear their own ankle socks. These ‘grip’ socks have small dots along the bottom of the sock that give better traction within the boot. This stops the foot from moving within the boot, improving the feel on the ball and increasing stability when making quick changes of direction.

You can use SOCK WRAP to bridge the 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.

SOCK WRAP is a more effective choice as it is wider and has no glue, meaning it can be re-used game-after-game and is kinder on any area of exposed skin.

Strap the ankle using Zinc Oxide Strapping

ZINC OXIDE FOOTBALL TAPE

ZINC OXIDE TAPE is the ONLY choice if you need to immobilise an area. It is a non-stretch tape that provides unrivalled support. Choose the TAN/BROWN version for the 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.

Soccer player wears Kinesiology Tape

KINESIOLOGY FOOTBALL TAPE

Use KINESIOLOGY TAPES to aid movement. When applied, they stretch and move with the body. This provides dynamic support and enabling better proprioceptive feedback. You’ll often see these tapes in bright colours stuck to the leg of your favourite player.

Because they are used for neural feedback, they are the number one choice for muscle injuries.

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 Miroslav Kloser, or a shot-stopper like Petr Cech.

PLEASE NOTE – Current football regulations state that any tape should be the same colour as the socks. So make sure that when you buy your football tape that it matches the colour of your kit! Luckily for you, SPORTTAPE SOCK TAPE and SOCK WRAP is available in 8 colours to match your team kit.