Soccer players often shave their legs mainly because it provides comfort during the play and aids in smoother motion during runs or tackles. However, there are many other factors at play. Let’s find out why they do this and how it helps improve their game.
Easier To Wear Socks And Shin Pads
One of the primary reasons behind shaving legs is that it makes it easier for the player to wear shin pads and socks. Having hair on your leg can cause burns and itches after prolonged sessions.
The socks and the guards might pull the hair on your legs while playing. This can result in an introduction to feelings of discomfort during the game. Besides, the friction between the socks and the hair can charge your leg hair with static electricity. Hence, you will feel extreme discomfort and itchiness while playing.
Faster Recovery & Less Pain
Although this might sound absurd, shaving legs can allow players to heal their injuries faster. You would know that hairy legs can cause sweating and accumulated sweat droplets around the wound.
Turning to basic science, we know this would promote bacteria and hence possible infections in the wound. On the flip side, smooth skin trickles the sweat and prevents accumulation.
Moreover, if a player is injured on the field and has incurred an injury causing bleeding, it would be easier for the medics to identify the nature and depth of the wound immediately. Besides, cleaning a wound on a shaved leg is way faster and far less messy than a hairy leg.
If you have ever placed a band-aid or a bandage on a hairy area, you would certainly be aware of the pain one experiences upon removing them. While band-aid sticks to your hair and pulls them viciously, even plucking some out, the bandages/gauzes get stuck to your skin because of the medicine applied to the wound.
This causes severe pain and might not be very gentle on your skin. Soccer players shave their legs to avoid all this ruckus so they can focus on their game better.
It Keeps The Legs, Cooler
Soccer is a long-format sport that causes extreme physical exertion, and shaving hair allows you to keep your body cool. Soccer players must keep most of their bodies covered due to the kit they wear. Their uniform consists of shorts mainly because their legs do most of the work.
Hairy legs can increase body temperature and cause unnecessary sweating, leading to dehydration. Moreover, shaving legs allows players to keep their legs cool and promote airflow throughout their lower bodies. This is also a reason why soccer players cut their socks.
Eliminates Risk of Hair Pulling By Other Players
Players might get into physical contact during tackles and dribbles; most of the time, pushing or pulling is also involved. Hence, shaving legs removes the risk of hair pulling. We all know soccer is a contact sport, which might sometimes get rough.
Although strictly prohibited, players still tend to grab each other whenever possible. Shaved skin enables the player to move swiftly through the defense’s attempt to capture the player. Although it doesn’t need to happen all the time, you catch my drift, don’t you?
Better Body Massages
Trust me, getting body massages on a hairy body is not a relaxing experience; hence, soccer players shave their legs to get smoother massages. A body massage is crucial to an athlete’s recovery; hairy skin can destroy this experience entirely.
While your muscles may get a bit relaxed, your skin will be agitated due to the itchiness caused by the hair being pulled. Moreover, the hair getting rubbed on the skin is certainly not a pleasant experience.
Smooth skin allows better massages to promote blood flow and alleviate muscle soreness or spasms.
Smoother Slide Tackles
Often, players can hurt themselves during slide tackles as the friction between their hair and the turf causes burns on the skin; hence they shave their legs.
Slide tackles are an integral part of tackling techniques in soccer used by both defenders and strikers, but hairy legs can be a major deterrent to a player when trying to slide tackle. Shaved legs allow smoother motion by reducing friction during slides and decreasing the chances of burns and scratches.
A Better Look On Camera
Soccer players are very particular about their appearance, which is one of the primary reasons they shave their legs. Would you like to see your favorite soccer player with hairy legs on the field? The answer would be no.
Maintaining a likable appearance for fans is crucial for a soccer player’s digital image. They must look sharp and clean if their fans like them. Clean, muscular legs and fashionable appearances are as important as good skills on the field for a soccer player to grow in all aspects. Hence, it seems understandable that soccer players shave their legs.
FAQs
Why should soccer players shave their legs?
Soccer players should shave their legs for several reasons, such as to keep their legs cool during the match, easier application of bandages/ointments in case of injury, to have better massages, smoother slide tackles, and a fresher look on camera.
