

GOALKEEPER GLOVE CARE
Teaching good glove care practice will set you up for a lifetime and dramatically increase the life of any goalkeeper glove. This is especially important with younger keepers who’s technique will have not developed as much as seniors, making them more susceptible to abrasion and tearing early into a gloves lifespan.

To get the maximum grip and life from your goalkeeper gloves you should take the following steps:
- Before using your new gloves for the first time pre-wash them and dry naturally in accordance with the washing instructions below. This will ensure you get the maximum grip when in use.
- During use damp the palms of the gloves with water in order to get the best possible grip and durability from the latex palm.
- After use, before doing anything ensure you wash them and leave to dry naturally – leaving latex to dry out will make it brittle, affecting durability and grip.
To get the most from your goalkeeper gloves wash immediately after use in warm water (maximum of 30°C) before allowing to dry naturally. Do not use a washing machine. We would advise simply washing them by hand and not using any form of “scrubber”.
Do not dry the gloves…
- on a radiator
- in front of a fire
- in a tumble dryer
- using a hair dryer
- using an iron
- using an airing cupboard
- in direct sunlight
- by “wringing” them out
All of the above can cause the gloves to lose natural moisture turning them dry and brittle.
- When picking yourself up from the ground in training or non-competitive environments, try not to use your palms. Instead use your fists to push yourself back up, this ensures minimal palm/latex contact with the ground and helps avoid any unnecessary abrasion – particularly on dry or 3G turf. Using your palm will help you spring back up quicker, but you can minimise wear during non-game situations using the fist method above.
- Wash your gloves after every game as soon as you can.
- When drying try rolling up a newspaper and placing this inside the glove. This will help keep the glove “open” and absorb any excess water. You could also help dry them by applying pressure with a towel before leaving to air naturally.
- Pick the right latex for your requirements: if you are playing on artificial or very dry surface then you may want to opt for a glove that uses a latex with more durability such as “Giga Grip” latex. If you are playing in wet conditions then you may prefer a latex that is specifically made for such weather such as our “Aqua” latex.
- Do not leave the palms touching each other when stored away.
- Store your gloves properly; store them in a cool and reasonably moist environment. You do not want the area or your gloves to be wet however as this can cause bacteria and mold to grow which can damage the gloves. Allowing a glove to completely dry out and be left for long periods will cause latex to become dry and brittle. We recommend allowing them to dry overnight naturally before being placed in a glove wallet.
- Do not store your gloves for any length of time without having washed them first.
The One Glove Company only use high quality latex sourced from Germany in the manufacture of our goalkeeper gloves to provide the best possible grip in all conditions. Latex is a very soft natural product and as such is subject to wear and abrasion over time which we cannot be held accountable for.
Any latex can begin to show forms of wear from the first use with many variables at play (age of keeper, technique, playing surface, how they were prepared, were the care instructions followed). As with all latex and gloves the better you care for them the more life you will get – sometimes it really can be as simple as taking an unlucky knick off the playing surface.
If your latex starts to show signs of wear, don’t panic! Glove wear is normal, that’s just what latex does due to it’s natural properties which provide the grip we keepers are so grateful for – however all our gloves come with 4mm of material and will perform until there is physically no latex left on the palm.
Due to the type of fit and stitching method used please note that gloves featuring a Negative Cut palm will show wear on the fingers and thumbs quicker than others. This type of cut provides a much tighter and more natural feel on your fingers, but as a result comes under more stress.
Goalkeeper gloves are predominantly designed for use on natural surfaces like grass unless specified (e.g. a specialist 3G/astro turf latex which sacrifices grip for durability). Please note that if using a goalkeeper glove on an artificial surface such as 3G or astro turf you will be placing a higher level of stress on the latex, therefore it will wear much quicker.
Typically your average goalkeeper can see themselves go through 3-5 pairs of gloves a season, depending on the many variables at play this can be even more.
How many times do they train a week? How many games do they play? How old is the keeper? What is the quality of the surface and/or the keeper’s technique? Have they been properly cared for?
Higher levels of goalkeepers such as those within the professional bracket can see themselves using anywhere between 20-40 pairs a season due to the increased level and regularity of training, games and overall requirements.

GOALKEEPER GLOVE : THE RIGHT ‘CUT’
A cut simply refers to the style that the palm and fingers are constructed and stitched in. There are various types with different properties; some may be tighter than others, some may offer a higher latex coverage on the ball while others may offer a more true feel plus many more.
There is no correct answer to this as it does ultimately come down to personal preference, however we’ve informative and comparable detail on the benefits of each glove cut. You can can filter glove type by cut within the shop, or by using our Quick Finder Tags in the footer of our website pages.

GOALKEEPER GLOVE SIZE GUIDE
Despite our gloves being pretty true size, different styles and designs can sometimes differ, we have therefore put together a guide to ensure you have all the information you need. We recommend that you consult the dedicated measurement guide further down this page for a more accurate guide.
Making sure that you find the right fit in your goalkeeper gloves is extremely important, a correct fitting glove offers more comfort and confidence, while giving you the most natural contact with the ball. If your goalkeeping gloves are too tight, this can put a great amount of stress onto the materials, which in turn could lead to premature wear and splits. Likewise, if a glove is too loose, this could cause unnatural gripping on the ball. With that in mind, however, the fit of a glove is partly down to personal preference.
Some goalkeepers may be inclined to err on the side of a more spacious glove, and others a more snug-fitting. Glove fittings such as Negative Cut tend to be tighter, whereas some of the looser cuts such as Flat Palm and Roll Finger offer a looser-fitting goalkeeper glove.
Size | Type | Age |
---|---|---|
2 | Small Child | 5 Years |
3 | Small Child | 6 Years |
4 | Small Child | 7-8 Years |
5 | Medium Child | 9 Years |
6-7 | Large Child | 9-12 Years |
7.5-8 | Junior / Small Adult | 13+ Years |
8.5-9 | Medium Adult | Senior |
9.5-10 | Large Adult | Senior |
10.5-11 | X Large Adult | Senior |
Although our gloves are pretty true to size, different styles and designs can come up slightly differently so we’ve put together a handy size guide. As a general rule of thumb you can use the above suggestions, however as this is based on averages we highly recommend checking the dedicated measurement guide within ‘What Size Goalkeeper Gloves Should I Go For?’
Getting the fit right is extremely important, a correctly fitting glove means more comfort, more confidence and the most natural contact with the ball. A glove too tight can put greater stress on the materials and lead to premature wear or even splits, a glove too loose could cause an unnatural grip of the ball.
With that said glove fits are a personal preference, some may prefer more space and others a more snug feel (which is why you will see some keepers opt for tighter cuts like Negative, or some the looser cuts like Flat Palm or Roll Finger).
As a general rule, you measure your goalkeeping gloves from the tip of your middle finger and down to the bottom of your palm. However, you may want to consider taking into account the thickness of the goalkeeper glove, as this will inevitably add a little extra bulk to the measure. We advise that adding 0.5cm to your measurement (for purposes of caution) in order to allow for a little bit more room in your glove. For further accuracy, measure your outer palm to your thumb tip.
Size | Height | Width |
---|---|---|
5 | 16.5 cm | 14 cm |
6 | 17.5 cm | 14.5 cm |
7 | 18 cm | 15.5 cm |
8 | 19 cm | 16.5 cm |
9 | 20 cm | 17 cm |
10 | 20.5 cm | 17.5 cm |
11 | 22 cm | 19.5 cm |
Consult the table above to find the average glove size measures. You will find some minor differences between the models that feature different designs and cuts but, if the fit isn’t as you wish, please contact [email protected].

GOALKEEPER COACHING COURSES
One Glove Academy North East work in partnership with Newcastle Elite Academy to deliver professional, high quality coaching programmes for a varying age range and ability of goalkeepers.
Structured and engaging One Glove Academy sessions individually develop each Goalkeeper to maximise potential Technically, Tactically, Physically, Psychologically and Socially.
View all Coaching Courses