Install
Soccer Gear Guide
What you actually need — and what you do not. Every item opens live shopping results through the 4Soccer search engine, so prices and stock are current rather than whatever was true when this page was written. The one thing worth getting right first is the studs under your feet: they are chosen by the surface, not by the brand.
Cleats: read the letters on the box
| Code | Means | Use it on |
|---|---|---|
| FG | Firm ground | Natural grass in normal conditions — the everyday choice |
| SG | Soft ground | Wet, muddy natural grass; usually metal studs, and many rec leagues ban them |
| AG | Artificial grass | Modern long-pile 3G turf |
| MG / FG-AG | Multi-ground | A compromise for players who switch surfaces weekly |
| TF | Turf | Older short-pile astroturf, cages and hard-packed dirt |
| IN / IC | Indoor court | Gym floors and sport courts — futsal |
Law 4 says a player must not use equipment that is dangerous to anyone, and leagues apply that to studs: check your league's rule on metal studs before you buy soft-ground boots. Shin guards are required, and they must be covered by the socks.
The basics
Cleats — firm ground (FG)
The default: moulded studs for natural grass. If you own one pair, own these.
Cleats — artificial grass (AG)
More, shorter studs for modern 3G turf. Many turf fields ask you not to wear long-studded boots on them.
Turf shoes (TF)
A rubber-nub sole for older sand-filled astroturf and small-sided cages.
Indoor shoes (IN/IC)
Flat gum soles for a wooden or sport court. Futsal is played in these.
Shin guards
Compulsory under Law 4 and they must be covered by the socks. Slip-ins for most players; ankle-guard styles for younger ones.
Ball
Size 3 for the youngest, size 4 from about U9, size 5 from U13 up — see our size guide before you buy.
Goalkeepers
Gloves
Cuts differ (flat, roll finger, negative) and so does the fit. Latex wears out — that is normal, not a fault.
Padded keeper pants
Hip and thigh padding for diving on hard ground.
Keeper jersey
Padded elbows, and a colour that is distinct from both teams and both keepers, as the Laws require.
Coaching a team
Cones & markers
Fifty disc cones is the single best purchase a volunteer coach makes.
Training bibs
Two colours, and small sizes really do exist.
Portable goals
Pop-up goals for small-sided practice; anchored goals for games. Unanchored full-size goals tip over — anchor them, every time.
Goal nets
Nets perish in the sun long before the frame does.
Ball bag & pump
Balls at the right pressure behave the same every week, which matters more than you think for young players.
Practising alone
Rebounder
Turns a wall into a team-mate: first touch, volleys, driven passes.
Agility ladder
Cheap, and the footwork transfers.
Futsal ball
A heavier, low-bounce ball. Brilliant for close control even on grass.
4Soccer is not a retailer and none of this is an endorsement. Sizing charts differ by manufacturer, and children outgrow boots in a season — buy for this season, not next. Ball sizes by age →