Safety is the most important aspect of the game of football. From pee wee football all the way to the professional ranks, keeping your body healthy allows you to play the game you love. There are the more obvious pieces of safety equipment, like a helmet, shoulder pads and even knee pads – all of which are required and do the bulk of the work in keeping you safe. But in this post, we’ll cover one of the lesser-known pieces of football safety equipment: a back plate. Learn more about what a back plate is, who should wear them, what factors make for a good back plate—and even how to clean your back plate.
What is a Back Plate?
A football back plate (sometimes referred to as a back flap) is a piece of safety equipment that attaches to a football player’s shoulder pads and helps protect their lower back. Back plates connect to the shoulder pads using an attachment strap and back plate hardware, such as screws, washers, and t-nuts. The best football back plates will help disperse the impact of hard hits and tackles, feel comfortable to wear, and not get in the way of player mobility.
Who Should Wear a Back Plate?
Football back plates can be worn by any football player, at any position, and at any age level. Both adult back plates and youth back plates are widely available.
Usually, back plates best serve the players who are more prone to hard hits from the side or from behind. If you’re a skill position player, we highly recommend a back plate. Quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends, defensive backs and linebackers are especially prone to absorbing or delivering hard hits. With the lower spine being a sensitive region that can lead to catastrophic damage if struck the right way, it's best to leave nothing to chance when it comes to safety protection.
What Factors Make for a Good Back Plate?
The top two factors you should consider when purchasing a back plate are fit and style.
The Correct Fit
A correctly fitted back plate is critical for keeping you protected. A football back plate that is too small likely won’t cover the entire surface area of your lower back. And a back plate that's too big will weigh you down, flop around while running—while also being at risk of sliding out of place when you're most in need of protection. These factors are why adult-size and youth-size back plates are available.
And to ensure your back plate fits perfectly, you’ll also want to make sure you have the correct hardware to connect your back plate to your shoulder pads. Battle back plates come with the hardware you need, but if ever you find yourself needing back plate replacement parts, opt for the Battle Back Plate Hardware Pack.
Creative Styles
On top of the crucial lower back spine safety protection they provide, back plates also allow players to enhance their style and showcase their individual personalities. From chrome back plates to classic black back plates to You Slow AF back plates to many options in between, Battle has a back plate style for every player personality, uniform color, and trash-talking and flexing preference.
What's The Best Way to Clean My Back Plate?
You can clean your back plate by hand washing it with water and regular soap. Dish soap is also highly effective because its degreasing capabilities help remove dirt, grime, and even sweat stains. After you clean your back plate, you can air dry the back plate at room temperature or let it get some outside air and sunlight. Just be sure you allow your back plate to dry before fastening it to your shoulder pads.
Final Back Plate Breakdown
Spine and lower back safety is the most important function of a back plate. Fortunately, when you shop for back plates at a player-first football brand like Battle Sports, you can pair top-level safety protection with swaggy styles that make a statement. That's what it means for a brand to have your back.
