Football is the most equipment-heavy youth sport. The helmet alone can cost more than a kid’s entire soccer kit. Most leagues provide team helmets and pads through middle school, which keeps your costs manageable. After that, it gets serious.
The most important thing to know up front: do not buy a used helmet from a non-certified source. NOCSAE recertification matters. Your kid’s brain is in there.
Ages 5–7 (Flag football)
This is the right age to start. Tackle football for 5-to-7-year-olds is increasingly being phased out, and most pediatric and orthopedic guidance recommends flag through age 9. Flag is the right answer.
Athletic cleats
Standard youth football cleats are fine. Soccer cleats also work. Avoid metal-tipped cleats; they aren’t allowed at this age anyway.
How to choose: thumb width gap at the toe with the kid standing. Heel snug. No-slip when they cut.
Cost range: $30–55.
A flag belt (usually provided by the league)
Most flag leagues provide the belts. If yours doesn’t, plan on $10 to $15.
A mouthpiece
Required by most leagues even for flag. The boil-and-bite kind is fine at this age.
Cost range: $5–15.
Athletic shorts and a t-shirt
The team usually provides a jersey. Practice gear is athletic shorts and a t-shirt.
Cost range: $20–30.
Ages 8–10 (Flag or starter tackle, depending on league)
Many leagues offer the choice between flag and tackle at this age. Flag is the safer choice and the developmental research supports it. If your league offers it, take it.
Cleats (now real football cleats)
Football cleats have a slightly different stud pattern than soccer cleats. Mid-cut for ankle support is standard.
How to choose: have your kid run forward and lateral in them. Heel should stay locked.
Cost range: $40–80.
Tackle gear (if playing tackle)
If your league has you in tackle at this age, the team usually provides helmet and shoulder pads. You provide:
- Mouthpiece ($10 to $20)
- Padded girdle (built-in hip and tail pads): $25 to $50
- Football pants (usually issued with hips/thigh pads built in): $30 to $50
- Cleats: $40 to $80
- Practice jersey: $15 to $25
Total league-provided: helmet, shoulder pads, game jersey. Total parent-provided: mouthpiece, girdle, pants, cleats, practice jersey. About $130 to $200.
A youth football (size 6 or 7)
For backyard practice. The Wilson TDY (size 6) is the standard youth ball.
Cost range: $25–60.
Ages 11–12 (Tackle football, junior high feeder)
Most kids who are going to play tackle are doing it by now. The gear list expands. League-provided helmets and shoulder pads still cover the most expensive items at most levels.
A custom-fit mouthpiece
The boil-and-bite mouthpiece is fine. A custom dental-fit mouthpiece is better and runs $80 to $150 from a sports dentist. Not necessary, but worth knowing about.
Cost range: $10–150.
Better football cleats
Higher-cut, more ankle support, better stud pattern. Look for cleats designed for the position your kid plays (linemen want different cleats than skill positions).
Cost range: $60–120.
Padded gloves (skill positions)
Receivers and DBs wear sticky gloves. Linemen wear padded gloves. Quarterbacks wear thin grip gloves.
Cost range: $25–80 depending on position and quality.
A neck roll or cowboy collar (optional)
Some kids wear a neck roll for added neck support. The science on this is mixed but it doesn’t hurt.
Cost range: $15–40.
Ages 13–14 (Junior high / freshman)
Junior high programs typically provide all the major equipment. You provide cleats, mouthpieces, gloves, undergarments, and any specialty equipment.
Compression shorts and shirts
Standard underclothing for football. Wicks sweat, prevents chafing.
Cost range: $20–40 each.
A position-specific bag
For carrying gear to and from practice. Most teams have a recommended brand or size.
Cost range: $40–80.
Ages 15+ (High school)
This is where the equipment ownership conversation gets real. Most high schools provide game-day gear (helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys, pants). Some require players to buy their own. Read the program’s equipment policy in the spring.
The helmet conversation
If you are buying your own helmet, do not save money on this. Look for NOCSAE certification (every legal football helmet has it), good Virginia Tech STAR rating (5-star is current best), proper fit by a certified equipment manager.
Helmets need to be reconditioned every 1 to 2 years. Reconditioning runs $40 to $80. A helmet older than 10 years is almost universally too old to play in.
Cost range: $200–400 new for a quality youth-to-adult helmet.
Shoulder pads
Position-specific. Skill players wear lighter pads with more mobility. Linemen wear heavier pads with more protection. Linebackers and safeties land in the middle.
Cost range: $80–250.
Quality cleats
By high school, your kid will have a strong opinion about cleats. Let them pick within budget.
Cost range: $80–200.
How to choose a youth football helmet (when you have to)
This is the most important buying decision in the sport.
One. Fit matters more than brand. Have a certified equipment manager fit the helmet. Most football programs have one. Most national chains do not.
Two. Look at the Virginia Tech helmet ratings. They publish a public list of helmets with star ratings (1 to 5). 4 and 5 star helmets are the current standard for safety. Older models drop down the list.
Three. Buy the helmet with the most padding your kid will wear. The most protective helmet is no good if your kid won’t keep it on.
Four. Reconditioning every 1 to 2 years. Plan for the cost. Don’t skip the schedule.
A few honest notes
The single best thing you can do for your kid in football: limit hits to the head in practice. The data on cumulative impact is strong. Coaches who run thudding tackling drills during the week increase risk for marginal practice value.
If your kid wants to play tackle and you are nervous, flag football is a legitimate alternative through age 12 or 13. Many of the best NFL athletes played flag through middle school. The skills transfer.
Don’t buy used helmets unless they’re from a certified reconditioning shop with current paperwork. The savings aren’t worth the risk.
— Jeff