Too wide shorts, fabrics that mark sweat and other stains, t -shirts that do not respect breast contour or shoulder width. In women’s football, this type of modeling is common when the uniform is done for another body, and this has cost to health, affects the performance and self -esteem of athletes.
Female uniforms are often only reduced versions of masculine, without considering the real anatomical differences, which reveals the unpreparedness of industry and structural neglect. “What happened for a long time is that it was a smaller male uniform for women, as if the woman were a small man,” says Mariana Camargo, a sports medicine doctor of sports medicine at the Hospital das Clínicas.
There are physiological effects on poorly projected uniforms such as dermatitis, candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis and friction. The biggest problem, according to the doctor, occurs when the fabric is damp and is not breathable.
Camargo emphasizes the absence of adequate ergonomics not only in uniforms but also in the boots. Women have more propensity to anterior cruciate ligament lesions (LCA) for anatomical and biomechanical reasons – the angle of the femur in relation to the hip is different due to the hip width, as well as the form of balance and heels, as well as a possible elasticity of the ligaments.
Poorly adapted showers increase the risk of sprains, fractures and muscle injuries. “If the boot is stuck on the lawn or if the angle that the woman is not right, she may have a ligament injury because of it,” he explains.
To scientific lacuna
One of the greatest criticism of the movement that seeks improvement for these uniforms is the lack of study and scientific production with the body of women and their performance as the main focus.
In 2022, one of the only scientific revisions focused on technologies applied to women’s football was published on Sports Engineering. She has identified only 32 articles published on the topic so far, in contrast to decades of development in the men’s game – while no specific design of uniforms for comfort, adjustment or performance.
The review states that soccer players are not equal to sports technology. Both uniform and showers and balls, when predominantly designed for men, increase the risk of injury – there is also discomfort and insecurity with clear shorts during the menstrual period.
For years, the uniform has been treated as an irrelevant detail in the face of other priorities of women’s football, such as lack of structure and low wages, especially after decades of prohibition and exclusion of women in sports.
When Patrícia Toledo was a professional player, with stints at clubs like Corinthians, Palmeiras and Flamengo, she didn’t even think deep into the uniform problem, but knew it bothered. The athletes adapted to what was offered, without question, for lack of conscience about their rights. “We pretended to be what it had to be … we didn’t think, ‘We can ask more, we must demand more,'” she says, who today acts as a coach.
The discomfort was with almost knee shorts and sleeves that went to the forearm. The old uniforms were disproportionate: too large, uncomfortable, and exposed the athletes in times of stretching or training. This generated shame, insecurity, and a constant need to be visually protected. “All the time was trying to protect the private parts so that it would not be exposed.”
For Toledo, adapted male uniforms convey the idea of irrelevance of the sport practiced by women. “The message that ends up is that women’s football is a secondary version of the male.”
Toledo recalls that there was no planning or adaptation of uniforms to deal with menstruation, generating fear of leaks and constraints on training days or game. “It was terrible. If it was a day of game or strong physical work and we were menstruating, it could leak. We were not careful.”
A recent study conducted by Alex Krumer, a sports economist and a professor at the University of Molde, Norway, used female cups and Eurocopas between 2002 and 2023 and concluded that teams using white shorts have lower performance compared to those who wear dark colors. There was no difference in the male version. The main factors would be anxiety related to the menstrual period and fear of visible leaks, impairing focus and emotional motivation.
Search for changes
Toledo argues that the ideal uniform should prioritize three dimensions that are mutually influenced: comfort, performance and dignity.
Inadequate uniforms reflect a led sports system mostly by men, who make decisions based on their own experiences, ignoring the female demands, says Julia Barreira, professor of the UNICAMP Physical Education course (State University of Campinas).
“Decision making processes involving uniforms are based on men’s experiences, not the demands of players.” For her, this is just one of the factors that show structural neglect with women’s football.
Barreira states that it is necessary to strengthen the critical awareness of the athletes so that they feel allowed to require decent conditions – an inclusive about clothing. “The more women occupy these positions, the more these demands will be taken into consideration.”
There is a awareness movement that goes to change in sports, pulled by teams such as the US, who use their platform to promote equality. “Today women understand that it is no favor. They are rights.”
Brands such as Nike, Adidas and Under Armor have invested in female anatomy studies to develop appropriate equipment. “Everything that is work equipment has to be thought to the people they are using,” says Toledo.
Development is still recent. There was progress with the introduction of personalized female uniforms in women’s elite football since the 2019 women’s World Cup.
A practical example of the benefits of this personalization occurred before the 2022 Euro, when the players of England worked with Professor Joanna Wakefield-SCurr (University of Portsmouth) to obtain personalized sports bra prescriptions. This adjustment brought comfort, decreased pain and performance gains to about 17% of the athletes involved.
In the study “Ten Questions in Sports Engineering: Technology in Women’s Elite Football”, a group of researchers led by Katrine Kyger of Queen Mary, London, highlighted the need for specific sports technology and sports clothing and pointed out that unisex socks and football boots cause slips, bubbles and even risk of ankles twists.
The study also addresses religious considerations (such as hijab design), sports bras, balls and performance monitoring devices and menstrual cycle.
For both Camargo and Toledo, science must support the development and redesign process of equipment. “Who needs to be heard in this case are the people who are living women’s football,” says Camargo.
