# Football equipment question - those pads that look like fanny packs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 9, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888 "2013-12-09T13:46:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/1 "2013-12-09T13:46:47Z")
What are those pads that some football players wear that look like fanny packs? My wife was asking me about those yesterday while we were watching the Chiefs-Redskins game. I’ve noticed them before but never really gave much thought to what they were for. Since I didn’t know, I just made something up. (And in fact my made-up answer was “They’re fanny packs.”) Not everyone wears them - it looked like mostly defensive backs and running backs? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/2 "2013-12-09T14:22:15Z")
Hand warmers. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/3 "2013-12-09T15:07:06Z")
Do you mean like this? [http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/tom-brady-patriots-nfl-quaterback-workout-routine-tips.jpg](http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/tom-brady-patriots-nfl-quaterback-workout-routine-tips.jpg) If so, then yes, they are hand warming pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/4 "2013-12-09T15:38:31Z")
No, not those. Similar looking, but they are on the back, not the front. I guess they could be hand warmers but that would be an odd way to wear them! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/5 "2013-12-09T16:19:56Z")
Still hand warmers. They are on a belt that the player can rotate from the front to the back. Front to hold your hands in in between plays, back while you’re playing. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/6 "2013-12-09T16:22:06Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/7 "2013-12-09T17:51:25Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Still hand warmers. They are on a belt that the player can rotate from the front to the back. Front to hold your hands in in between plays, back while you’re playing. Interesting. I didn’t know that they could be rotated around like that. I guess that makes sense if you are a running back – you don’t want it in your way if you are trying to take a hand-off. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-equipment-question-those-pads-that-look-like-fanny-packs/675888/8 "2013-12-09T17:54:55Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Still hand warmers. They are on a belt that the player can rotate from the front to the back. Front to hold your hands in in between plays, back while you’re playing. This. The warmers are slid from front to back by the player as they need them.