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Youth Football Equipment: Cleats, Helmets, Gloves, Ball Size

A first season of youth football usually means cleats, gloves if the position calls for them, a mouthguard, and a helmet and pads that the league often supplies or fits. This hub covers each piece, how to size it, and what to ask your coach before you buy.

Updated November 3, 2026 · By Editorial Team

Quick answer: what a first season of youth football needs

Ask your league first: it tells you which pieces it supplies and which you buy. Families usually buy cleats, a mouthguard and, for some positions, gloves. The helmet is a fit and certification question, covered in our youth football helmet guide. Ball size follows the makers' age ranges: pee wee for ages 6 to 9, junior for 9 to 12.

Original illustration of a youth football helmet, two footballs and a cleat on a grassy field

What a first season of youth football needs

Youth football is a gear-heavy sport, so the useful first move is not shopping. It is sending your coach or league one question: which equipment do you provide, and which do we buy? Practices differ, and so do rules. Some leagues issue helmets and pads and ask families to bring cleats and a mouthguard. Others ask families to bring more. Buying before you hear back is how families end up with a second pair of pants.

Once you know, the list below shows each piece, how to size it, and where to read more. The "ask your league" column matters most: we only state a rule when we have read it on an official page, and for football we have not found one rule page that covers every league.

First-season football checklist
ItemHow to size itAsk your leagueOur guide
CleatsFoot length plus a quarter inch of toe room, with game socks onWhether it limits stud typeYouth football cleats
HelmetHead circumference with a soft tape, then the maker's chart and a trained fitterWho supplies and fits it, and its recertification dateYouth football helmets
GlovesHand length, base of palm to middle fingertipWhether your child's position uses themYouth football gloves
MouthguardMaker's size range; follow the fitting instructions on the packWhether one is required and which kindProtective equipment
Pads and girdleMaker's chart by chest and waist or by weight and heightWhich pads are required and who fits themProtective equipment
FootballAge range on the maker's chart; your league's ball may differWhich ball the league plays withFootball size by age

Football size by age

Two makers publish age ranges for youth footballs, and they agree closely. Wilson names the sizes pee wee, junior, youth and official; Nike numbers them 6 to 9. The overlap is useful: a child around 9 or 10 sits on a boundary, so ask the league which ball it plays with before you buy a practice ball.

Football size by age, from two makers
SizeWilson age rangeNike age range
Pee wee (Nike size 6)Ages 6 to 9Ages 9 and younger
Junior (Nike size 7)Ages 9 to 12Ages 10 to 12
Youth (Nike size 8)Ages 12 to 14Ages 12 to 14
Official (Nike size 9)Ages 14 and upAges 14 and up

Sources: Wilson: How to choose a football; Nike: Football size chart. Checked .

Our football size by age tool does the lookup for a specific age and lists both makers side by side. It is a starting point; the ball your league uses wins.

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Cleats: cut, studs and a fit for today's feet

A football cleat has three choices. The cut is low, mid or high: DICK'S Sporting Goods says low-cut cleats suit players who rely on speed, mid-tops balance mobility and ankle support, and high-cuts give the most ankle support. The studs are molded (permanently attached, less upkeep) or detachable (replaceable, with shorter studs for dry ground and longer for wet or soft fields). The fit matters most for kids: the same guide says never to buy cleats too big in the hope a child will grow into them.

It also says youth leagues may restrict cleat types, so check your league's equipment regulations before you buy. We have not found a league page that sets one rule for everyone, so we do not state one. The full walk-through, with a fit-check table, is in our youth football cleats guide.

Sources: DICK'S Sporting Goods: Football cleats buying guide. Checked .

Helmets: fit and the certification label, not a ranking

We do not rank youth football helmets and we make no claims about what any helmet prevents. What we can do is explain what a parent can check, using NOCSAE's own recertification page and a fitting article from USA Football that quotes Riddell.

A helmet should fit now

The USA Football article quotes Riddell's Kyle Borland: never buy a helmet thinking a child will grow into it, and ask the organization to measure the head with a tape. A helmet that drops onto the eyebrows is too big. Have a coach or trained fitter check the fit, and check it again before practices.

On certification, NOCSAE says recertification is not a requirement of its standards but is strongly recommended, and that intervals follow each maker's rules. Where a maker bars recertification, the helmet carries a permanent label showing when its certification expires, and NOCSAE says that life cannot be more than five years. For helmets made before January 2017, NOCSAE recommends annual recertification. So the questions to ask are simple: what does the label say, and when was this helmet last recertified?

Our youth football helmet guide has the head-measuring steps and the label checks. It is not a doctor's guidance, and it is not a substitute for a fitting.

Sources: NOCSAE: General recertification requirements and recommendations; USA Football blog: What parents need to know about football helmets (2016, quoting Riddell). Checked .

Gloves: receiver or lineman, sized by hand length

Not every position wears gloves, so check before you buy. Battle Sports describes receiver gloves as thin and flexible with a tacky palm, and lineman gloves as padded for contact. Its youth chart sizes by hand length, measured from the base of the palm to the tip of the middle finger.

Youth football glove sizes by hand length (Battle Sports)
Youth sizeHand length
Youth SUnder 6 1/4 in
Youth M6 1/4 to 6 1/2 in
Youth L6 1/2 to 6 3/4 in
Youth XL6 3/4 to 7 1/4 in

Sources: Battle Sports: How to size football gloves. Checked .

Battle says to buy for the hands a child has today, since loose gloves can interfere with ball handling. More in the youth football gloves guide. This is one maker's chart; another brand's sizes can differ.

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Pads, mouthguards and the rest

Shoulder pads, girdles or pants with pad pockets, and mouthguards are where leagues differ most, and where a wrong guess costs real money. Our approach is the same as for helmets: ask the league what it requires, size from the maker's chart, and have the fit checked by the person who runs the equipment. Our protective equipment hub covers protective gear across sports.

Two practical points. First, buy for today: pads and cleats that are too big are a fit problem, not a saving. Second, keep a simple routine: after each practice, take wet gear out of the bag so it can dry. A vented equipment bag and our storage ideas help.

Practice gear for the backyard

Beyond the league list, backyard practice needs very little: a football in your child's size, a few cones for agility drills, and a hand pump with a gauge. Match the pressure printed on the ball and check it with a gauge rather than guessing; our guides to pumps, needles and gauges and how often to check ball pressure explain how. For drills, see agility ladder drills for beginners and agility ladders and cone sets.

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A sensible order to buy in

  1. Ask the league

    Find out which equipment it supplies, which it requires, and any rules on cleats and mouthguards.

  2. Measure

    Foot length for cleats, hand length for gloves, head circumference for the helmet fitting.

  3. Buy what fits today

    Choose the size for now, not a size to grow into.

  4. Check labels

    Look for the NOCSAE label and recertification date on a helmet the league did not supply.

  5. Add practice gear last

    A properly sized ball, cones and a pump with a gauge.

Sizes and ranges here are makers' and leagues' published guidance, not a measurement of your child. Kids grow at different rates: check fit in person and follow your league's equipment rules.

Youth Football guides and size tools

Every guide and size chart we have for this sport.

Youth football cleats

Cut, molded or detachable studs and fit. Read more

Youth football helmets

Head measuring, the NOCSAE label and recertification, no rankings. Read more

Youth football gloves

Receiver versus lineman gloves and a size chart. Read more

Football size by age

Look up pee wee, junior or youth ball size. Open the tool

Protective equipment

Protective gear across sports. See the hub

Sports footwear

Cleats by sport and sizing for growing feet. See the hub

Beginner gear

First-season checklists across sports. See the hub

Ball pumps, needles and gauges

Inflate to the pressure printed on the ball. Read more

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do you need for youth football?

Usually cleats, a mouthguard, a helmet and pads, plus gloves for some positions. Leagues differ on what they supply, so ask yours first. Our checklist above shows how to size each piece, and you only need to buy what the league does not provide.

What size football helmet for a 10 year old?

Helmet size follows head circumference, not age. Measure with a soft tape, check the maker's size chart, and have a coach or trained fitter check the fit. Never buy a helmet to grow into. See our youth football helmet guide.

What is the safest helmet for youth football?

We do not name one or make injury claims. What you can check is the NOCSAE label, the recertification date or expiry label, and a correct fit by a trained fitter. Ask your league which helmets it uses and how often it recertifies them.

What size football is appropriate for a 7-year-old?

Wilson lists pee wee for ages 6 to 9, and Nike lists size 6 for ages 9 and younger. So a 7-year-old is in the pee wee range on both charts, but your league's ball is the one that counts.

What are the best football gloves for youth?

The best glove is the one that fits and suits the position. Measure hand length from the base of the palm to the middle fingertip, then use the maker's chart. Receivers and linemen use different builds. See our gloves guide.

Is football cleat size the same as shoe size?

Not always. Sizing varies by brand, so measure foot length and use the maker's chart. DICK'S Sporting Goods advises a quarter inch of toe room and trying cleats on with game socks. Read the cleats guide for the fit checks.

Links on this page are Amazon Associates affiliate links to Amazon search results; we may earn from qualifying purchases. See our affiliate disclosure. Sizes and rules come from the sources named on this page; follow your league's equipment rules.