Wardrobe malfunctions when playing sports are nightmarish. This is why athletes wear gear that hugs their bodies, is aesthetically pleasing and gives room for optimum performance.
Goalkeepers consider the same thing when looking for goalie gloves.
As you already know, goalkeepers are the only soccer players allowed to use their hands in a soccer game, although it is limited (there’s a six-second rule between them catching the ball and releasing it, or they’re penalized). Their gloves are just as important as a soccer cleat.
This article provides information on how goalkeepers can select a glove that fits for optimum performance.
Goalie Gloves Size Chart
Let’s go down memory lane before we dive into the chart sizes for goalie gloves.
If you search for any articles or videos on ancient soccer (older than 70 years old), you’ll see that goalies did not wear gloves. It wasn’t a thing back then, despite the balls from that era being harder than the ones in use now.
At some point in the sport, some teams played without shoes!
The India national football team had to forfeit their place at the 1950 FIFA World Cup because they preferred playing without shoes, and FIFA didn’t want that.
So, how did goalie gloves come to be in the sport?
If you’ve ever picked up a soccer ball, you’ll realize how hard it is. Imagine having to stop that spherical mass kicked with the strongest force that can be mustered with your bare hands.
Not only would it sting your palms and probably bruise them, but it could break a few bones, including your fingers and wrists.
So in the middle of the 20th century, some goalkeepers realised that they could no longer use their bare hands to stop a soccer ball. Then they started wearing protective coverings on their hands: bandages, rubber and gloves.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that it became a rule that goalkeepers must wear gloves before playing the game. This was because there were too many injuries and bruised palms in the sport.
As time progressed, glove makers started considering the way the goalies gripped the soccer ball and began making gloves with materials that could not only soften the impact of a powerful shot but could grip the ball when caught.
The aesthetics of it came later and now, goalie gloves are even a fashion statement, with many modern goalkeepers signing deals with sportswear companies to produce a specialized line of goalie gloves.
Goalkeepers just don’t go to a store to pick up gloves.
They have to fit, and they have to meet certain requirements like grip strength, adequate padding for injury prevention, warmth (the goalie would not want to get all sweaty underneath the glove, or it would affect performance), and how the glove fits (because goalies have stated that some gloves make them feel more confident).
Here’s a simple size chart for goalie gloves you can consider before buying a pair:
| SIZE | AGE | MEASUREMENTS |
| 4 | 6-7 YEARS | 5.9IN (15CM) |
| 5 | 8-9 YEARS | 6.3IN (16CM) |
| 6 | 10-11 YEARS | 6.8IN (17.2CM) |
| 7 | LARGE YOUTH | 7.2IN (18.2CM) |
| 8 | SMALL ADULT | 7.6IN (19.4CM) |
| 9 | MEDIUM ADULT | 8IN (20.4CM) |
| 10 | LARGE ADULT | 8.5IN (21.5CM) |
| 11 | XL ADULT | 8.9IN (22.6CM) |
Now that you know how important goalie gloves are, let’s learn how to select the appropriate sizes!
What Size Goalie Gloves Do You Need?
To determine what size of goalie gloves you need, first measure your palms (more on that in the coming section).
Then, consider the fit, your personal style, how you feel wearing them, and the material with which they are made.
Different gloves are made with different materials, such as leather, cotton, wool, gauze, etc. Once you have this information, visit any sports shop for your goalie gloves.
How to Measure Goalkeeper Glove Size?
What you need to know as a goalkeeper before shopping for goalie gloves is your palm width, palm width with thumb, and palm length.
Measure your palm horizontally to get your palm width. Then measure your palm horizontally – this time, including the thumb. Then, measure your palm vertically from the base to the tip of your middle finger.
With these measurements, visit any sports shop and get your goalie gloves.
Final Thoughts
Your goalie gloves should be slightly larger than the size of your hands.
A goalkeeper’s gloves should not touch the tip of the glove, nor should there be so much room that the glove feels sloppy. It’s just like clothing – there should be an allowance for the hand to move freely within it.
The ideal measurement is that the fingers should be no less than a ¼ inch to an ideal ½ inch from the top of the glove.
Also, if everyone’s going with a particular brand, you should buy them too. In goalkeeping, there’s little room for mistakes.
