Soccer worksheet
Soccer Gear Worksheet
A printable soccer worksheet for ball size, shin guards, cleats, and playing surface — with instructions for each measurement.
Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac) to print this worksheet or save it as a PDF. The site navigation and links are removed from the printed version automatically.
Measurement fields
How to take each measurement
Take these at home before you shop. Measurements recorded calmly are more accurate than ones taken in a shop with a restless child, and having them written down is what keeps a fitting from turning into an estimate.
- Age group / division
- Write the division name your child is registered in, not their age. Ball size follows the division.
- League ball size
- Confirm with the coach. Under AYSO rules: size 3 through 8U, size 4 for 10U and 12U, size 5 from 14U.
- Player height
- Measure against a wall without shoes. Used as a cross-check for shin guard bands.
- Shin length
- With the knee bent at about ninety degrees, measure from just below the kneecap to just above the ankle bone. This decides the guard, not height.
- Shoe size
- Current athletic shoe size, confirmed with a foot-length measurement. Measure both feet and note the longer.
- Playing surface
- Count training hours as well as match days. Note grass, artificial turf, or indoor — and check whether the venue bans firm-ground studs.
- Sock thickness
- Note whether they wear thin or thick game socks over the guards, since this changes cleat fit meaningfully.
Shopping checklist
Shin length, not height, sizes the guards
Shin guards are sold in height bands because height is convenient, but the measurement that decides fit is the length of the lower leg. Two children of identical height can need different guards, because leg proportions differ.
Measure with the knee bent at about ninety degrees, from just below the kneecap to just above the ankle bone. The guard should cover most of that distance with roughly two finger-widths clear at each end. A guard that fouls the kneecap when the knee bends will be pushed down by the child until it does not, which recreates the gap you were trying to close.
The sock rule that catches people out
The laws of the game require shin guards to be entirely covered by the socks, and referees do check. This has a shopping consequence that surprises first-season parents: the socks have to be tall enough for the guards you buy.
Record sock thickness on this sheet as well, because it affects the cleat fitting. Game socks worn over shin guards take up noticeably more room than the thin socks a child happens to be wearing when you measure them at home, and a cleat fitted without them will be tight on match day.
Count training hours, not match days
The surface line on this sheet is the one that most often gets answered wrongly, because parents think of match days. A great many youth teams now train on artificial turf even when matches are on grass, which means most of a child's playing hours may be on a surface the match-day answer does not reflect.
Add the hours up honestly. Firm-ground studs on artificial turf are uncomfortable — pressure concentrates on a few stud tips — and many turf facilities prohibit them outright. If the split is genuinely even, two pairs is the correct answer rather than a compromise.
Common questions
How do I print this worksheet?
Ctrl+P on Windows or Cmd+P on a Mac, then print or save as PDF. The printed version drops site navigation and link styling automatically.
How do I measure my child for shin guards?
Knee bent at roughly ninety degrees, measure from just below the kneecap to just above the ankle bone. The guard should cover most of that with about two finger-widths clear at each end. Use height only as a cross-check.
What ball size should I write down?
Whatever your league specifies for the division your child is registered in. Under AYSO national rules that is size 3 through 8U, size 4 for 10U and 12U, and size 5 from 14U — but confirm with the coach, as competitions vary.
Why does the worksheet ask about sock thickness?
Because game socks worn over shin guards take up meaningfully more room in a cleat than everyday socks. Fitting cleats without them produces a shoe that is tight on match day.