1 hour ago, New Colonel said:

The knee pads protect more than the hip and butt pads, which are pretty useless.

Do the hip pads not help prevent hip pointers?

4 minutes ago, Oldercoach said:

Do the hip pads not help prevent hip pointers?

Have you seen how thin these pads are anymore?  

No, they don't.   But they are required, so they get worn.

If you get hit hard enough in the hip to get a hip pointer, the pads in these newer girdles definitely won't prevent one from happening. 

2 hours ago, New Colonel said:

Have you seen how thin these pads are anymore?  

No, they don't.   But they are required, so they get worn.

If you get hit hard enough in the hip to get a hip pointer, the pads in these newer girdles definitely won't prevent one from happening. 

Thanks.  Loss track of new equipment development when suspension helmets disappeared.

On 7/26/2025 at 7:14 PM, Oldercoach said:

Don’t remember butt pads ever being part of the equipment rules of the game.  Don’t think we see many coaches endorsing/encouraging their players to speed on the interstate either.  Why not?  Probably because it’s against the law and maybe unsafe.  I am not sure about the safety of knee pads, but it is a rule and coaches should demand compliance.  Easy fix.

As an official those butt pads were part of the pregame visual inspection of players at one point.

For the 25 years I  officiated the HC was always asked if all his players were properly equipped.....a yes or no question. We then asked if there was any specific player that we needed to check if there was any question about the legality of equipment. This was done at every level to protect the officials and coaches. I assume that still happens? I would say when you see those "shorts" that are supposed to be football pants you address it then during the pregame.

4 hours ago, 9068 said:

For the 25 years I  officiated the HC was always asked if all his players were properly equipped.....a yes or no question. We then asked if there was any specific player that we needed to check if there was any question about the legality of equipment. This was done at every level to protect the officials and coaches. I assume that still happens? I would say when you see those "shorts" that are supposed to be football pants you address it then during the pregame.

Doesn't ever happen at the youth level,  which is what I currently coach.   Even when I was still coaching high school 10 years ago, it was hit or miss with officials, mostly miss.  Officials then and now rarely say anything to me or other coaches on the teams I'm coaching before coin toss.