Funky Tie Dyed Socks - But how do you wear them?

I just got off the phone with a lovely coach out in Indiana. She asked a question I get asked at least 3-4 times a month: “How are we supposed to wear our soccer socks?”

While it may be a seemingly funny question, for this volunteer coach, she wanted make sure she instructed her youth team properly. To me, that’s a great soccer coach! There is a specific way to wear soccer socks. And, it ties back in to the laws of the game. Yes, there is a specific rule about your socks.

Socks must completely cover the age appropriate shin guards. And, what we mean by age appropriate shin guards is that high school players – who don’t want to be “bogged down” by guards tried to get away with wearing kids soccer guards. No more.

Wearing Soccer Socks

We recommend that you put your shin guards on first, your socks on second and then lace up your soccer shoes. If the sock is too long, you can simply fold it back down. Some players like to roll the sock top back down to the top of the shin guard. A sock should not impede the bending of the knee at all, so roll it back down below the small bump under your kneecap where the patella tendon connects to your shin bone.

Now, there are variations to this…

Some youth players don’t like the feel of the guard against their shin, so you can do two things:

1. Wear a pair of athletic socks first, drop the guard on and then pull on the soccer socks and the shoes; or
2. You can put the soccer sock on first, put the shin guard on second and as long as you have enough sock you can fold it over and cover the shin guard. This is pretty typical for younger recreational players.  In higher levels of play, a referee may make you change this configuration because the ankle part of the guard will not be completely covered.

Personally, I like to wear a pair of ankle socks, pull on the guards and then put my soccer socks over that. For me, that is what feels best in my soccer shoes. It’s a personal preference. At the end of the day, the important thing to remember: guards have to be completely covered by your soccer socks.

For information about buying soccer uniforms, please visit Totally Soccer.