A girdle is the compression garment that holds your lower-body padding in place. It is the least glamorous item in the bag, and the one that decides whether you are legal on the line of scrimmage. Four things separate one model from another: what it covers, how it holds the pads, how long it is, and how it is sized.
Contents · 8 parts
The 2-minute summary
- Start with the rulebook: the IFAF requires hip pads, thigh guards and knee pads, and the hip pads must include a tailbone protector.
- Five pads: two hips, two thighs, one tailbone. That is how Barnett defines its integrated girdle.
- Seven pads: those five plus two knee pads, which covers the whole lower-body list in a single garment.
- Sewn in or pocketed: stitched pads never shift and cannot be mislaid; pockets let you swap a pad or add one.
- Size on your waist measurement, not on your usual trouser size, and the manufacturers' charts do not line up.
- Nothing goes outside the trousers: the trousers have to cover both the knee pads and the knees themselves.
What the rules require, and what they leave open
The 2026 IFAF rulebook lists nine mandatory items of equipment (rule 1-4-3). Four of them concern the lower body: hip pads, knee pads, thigh guards and pants. That list, rather than any product page, sets the minimum you need on match day. Our guide to mandatory football equipment covers all nine; the models themselves sit in the girdles collection.
Two clauses bear directly on the choice of a girdle. The first: "Hip pads must include a tailbone protector" (1-4-4-b). A girdle that pads the hips but leaves the tailbone bare will not do. The second: "Knee pads must be covered by pants. Furthermore, the pants and knee pads must cover the knees. No pads or protective equipment may be worn outside the pants" (1-4-4-d).
The rulebook is equally clear about what it does not regulate: "There are no specifications for thigh guards" (1-4-4-i). No minimum thickness, no standard to look for on the label. The decision comes down to construction and cut, not to a certification. The rest of our football protection range falls under the same articles.
Five pads, seven pads: what a girdle actually covers
The trade counts padding in "pads", and it remains the most useful yardstick when comparing two models. Barnett describes its FS-07 as a compression pant with five integrated pieces: tailbone protection, thigh protection, hip protection. In other words two hips, two thighs and one tailbone.
The seven-pad layout adds two knee pads to those five: a seven-pad girdle listed by a German retailer states protection at the hips, the tailbone, the thighs and the knees. On its own it therefore covers all four lower-body items the rules demand, where a five-pad girdle leaves one of them out. Our catalogue has one: the Barnett FPS-01, compression trousers with 7 built-in pads (tailbone, thighs, hips, knees), in 8 adult sizes from XS to 4XL.
The other two girdles in our catalogue are short, five-zone models. The McDavid HEX Thudd Short is listed with 9 mm HEX protection at the hips, thighs and tailbone, in an 84% polyester and 16% elastane fabric, with a cup pocket (cup sold separately). The VICIS Padded Compression Shorts are listed with "five separate pad areas" in auxetic foam, a polyester/spandex blend and mesh panels for ventilation. Neither includes a knee pad.
Nike adds two more, without stating a piece count. The Nike Pro HyperStrong Padded Shorts 2.0 is a short with integrated padding and foam panels, in lightweight Dri-FIT fabric. The Nike Pro HyperStrong Hardplate Tights run down to below the knee instead, adding rigid thigh plates on top of the padded panels.
Sewn-in pads or pockets to fill
Two constructions sit side by side, and they do not live the same life. In the first, the pads are stitched into the garment: they stay exactly where the maker put them, but you can neither remove nor replace them. That covers both girdles above and Barnett's FS-07, which "integrates the protections directly".
In the second, the garment supplies pockets only and you slide your own pads in. Barnett sells a three-pocket compression short with no padding supplied at all. Match trousers work the same way: the Barnett FP-2 is a heavy 100% polyester pant whose pockets are made for pads, with double reinforced stitching. Barnett's own FKA-03 kit fills those pockets for adults, with seven PVC-foam pads for the hips, thighs, knees and tailbone; the FKJ-01 is the same kit scaled down for junior players. One caveat: an empty pocket protects nothing, and the rules do not let you make up for it by wearing a pad on the outside.
| Sewn-in pads | Pockets to fill | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up | Nothing to do | One pad per pocket |
| Replacing a pad | Not possible | Possible |
| Risk of shifting | None | Depends on how the pocket fits |
| Examples | Barnett FS-07, McDavid HEX Thudd, VICIS | Barnett FS-01, Barnett FP-2 trousers |
Shorts or full-length
Length follows straight from the pad count. A five-pad girdle stops above the knee, which makes it a short, like both catalogue models. A seven-pad girdle runs down to the knee to house the knee pads.
Choose a short and the knees still need covering, and here the rules give you no latitude. Sleeves from the knee pads collection answer that need: the McDavid HEX Knee/Elbow/Shin Pads are sold in pairs, in 9 mm HEX, from S to XL, and work equally at the knee, the elbow or the shin.
Either way the girdle goes under the match trousers, never over them. The jersey in turn "must cover all pads worn at or above the waist" (1-4-5-a-1), so the top of the girdle is not meant to show. Trousers and jerseys are gathered in the football apparel collection.
Sizing: measure your waist, not your trousers
A girdle is a compression garment, so it is sized on the waist measured on the body, not on the trouser size you usually buy. McDavid gives the method: stand with your stomach relaxed, measure the smallest circumference around the waist, and keep the tape parallel with the floor.
The two charts do not overlap, which is reason enough to distrust any universal sizing. VICIS also publishes a hip measurement, useful when your two figures fall in different sizes.
| Size | McDavid waist | VICIS waist | VICIS hip |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 71 to 76 cm | 73.5 to 78.5 cm | 86.5 to 91.5 cm |
| M | 76 to 86.5 cm | 78.5 to 86.5 cm | 91.5 to 99 cm |
| L | 86.5 to 96.5 cm | 86.5 to 94 cm | 99 to 106.5 cm |
| XL | 96.5 to 106.5 cm | 94 to 104 cm | 106.5 to 117 cm |
| 2XL | 106.5 to 117 cm | 104 to 115.5 cm | 117 to 127 cm |
| 3XL | 117 to 127 cm | 115.5 to 127 cm | 127 to 137 cm |
The McDavid chart is the one shown on the HEX Thudd page, but it covers the brand's whole shorts range rather than that single model. Both girdles come in adult sizes only, S to 3XL.
FAQ
Is a girdle compulsory?
The rules require hip pads with a tailbone protector, thigh guards and knee pads, not the garment that carries them. A girdle is the simplest way to bring them together, but pads slid into the pockets of a pair of match trousers meet the same requirement.
Is a five-pad girdle enough to play in?
Not on its own. It covers the hips, thighs and tailbone, but not the knees, which are on the mandatory list. You need to add knee pads, and the trousers must cover them.
Do I need a cup with my girdle?
A cup does not appear on the IFAF list of mandatory equipment. Some girdles still provide a pocket for one: the McDavid HEX Thudd Short does, with the cup sold separately.
What if I fall between two sizes?
AFG has run no field testing and cannot decide for you. Go by the chart of the brand you are buying, because they differ: a 77 cm waist falls into M at McDavid and S at VICIS.
Sources
- IFAF, Football Rules and Interpretations 2026 (rule 1-4, articles 3 to 5): https://amerikanskeidretter.no/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IFAF-Rules-and-Interpretations-2026.2.4.pdf
- McDavid, HEX Thudd Short: https://www.mcdavidusa.com/products/hex-thudd-short
- VICIS, Padded Compression Shorts: https://vicis.com/products/padded-compression-shorts
- Barnett, FS-07 compression pant with five integrated pieces: https://www.barnett.fr/products/fs-07-pantalon-de-compression-5-pieces-integrees-football-americain-html
- Barnett, FS-01 three-pocket compression short: https://www.barnett.fr/products/fs-01-short-de-compression-3-poches-blanc-html