Okay so this all started when my kid begged for new football gear, saying his buddies had cooler stuff. Parents know how that goes – you wanna get it right but football pads look mad confusing at first glance. Backplate? Shoulder pads? Same thing right? Nope. Figured I’d test both properly instead of guessing.
Step 1: Grabbing the Gear
Went straight to the local sports store after work. Told the dude I needed both types. He hands me this big plastic shell thing (backplate, felt hard like a turtle shell) and these bulky shoulder things with flaps hanging down (shoulder pads, way squishier). Didn’t buy yet though – smart move.
Step 2: Living Room Experiments
Laid both out on my rug. Seriously looked ’em over:
- Shoulder pads wrap over shoulders like a mini jacket. Padding felt thick but bendy.
- Backplate was just one solid curved piece for your back. Hard plastic, no give. Weird straps hanging off.
Tried wearing each over my hoodie like a dummy. Shoulder pads made me feel like a linebacker instantly – bulky, covered collarbones. Backplate? Just… slid on my back. Didn’t cover anything up front. Light though.
Step 3: The Actual Football Test
Took the gear to my kid’s practice Thursday. Coach grinned when he saw me holding both. Got my son’s teammate to help test – poor kid ran drills wearing both setups.
- With shoulder pads? Kid blocked tackles easy. Pads took shoulder hits fine. When he fell? Landed weird, pads kinda slipped.
- Switched to the backplate? Kid kept grabbing his chest during sprint drills. “Feels naked up front!” he yelled. But during a tumble? That plastic shell made him slide easy on the grass.
Biggest difference? Protection spots. Shoulder pads guard shoulders/collarbones. Backplate? Only back/spine protection. Zero chest help. Felt kinda dumb not realizing sooner.
Final Thoughts
So yeah, huge difference for real football. Shoulder pads = everyday wear for hits, blocks. Backplate? Extra spine armor for quarterbacks or players who smash hard on their backs. Kid got standard shoulder pads. Me? I learned a lesson: never trust gear names at face value. Gotta get hands-on every time.
