Kingswood United, together with many other grassroots football clubs around the UK have decided to ban the use of the “Mini Shin Pad” on safety concerns for their players.

There are worries, especially at non-elite level, that smaller pads don't cover the shins properly and could increase the risk of injury.

FA guidelines state shin pads must be worn and offer “reasonable protection” — but do not specify a minimum size. Our Managers and Club Officials say they have seen a steep rise in the Mini Shin Pads being worn by youngsters who received them as presents.

Safety is a key consideration for our game and the Laws of the Game state that shin-guards/pads are a compulsory piece of equipment.

Shin pads play an important role in injury prevention as they are intended to protect the shin from injury.

The amount of shin physically covered is an important consideration, as any part of the shin that is not covered is not as well protected.

“Micro” or “Mini” shin pads may therefore increase the risk of injury due to the smaller amount of shin covered compared to larger sized shin pads.

Kingswood United have therefore banned the use of these smaller shin pads in order to protect their players from as much harm as possible.  Please give these protection levels serious consideration when deciding what is the right shin pad for you or for your child.