About this product
This is an abdominal guard – a moulded hard cup worn inside a supporter, in the youth size.
Of everything in a cricket bag, this is the item there is no argument about. Every other decision is a trade between protection and comfort or cost. This one costs almost nothing, weighs almost nothing, and prevents an injury that is severe and occasionally permanent. A cricket ball arriving at the groin – off an inside edge, off a yorker, off a deflection at short leg – is a medical emergency without one.
It is worn by batters, by wicketkeepers and by anyone fielding close to the bat. Junior cricket universally requires it, and any coach worth the name will not let a player face a hard ball without one.
How it works is worth understanding, because it changes how you wear it. A hard cup does not cushion – it spreads the force of the impact around the rim onto the bones of the pelvis, which can take it. For that to happen the cup has to be held firmly against the body in the right place. Loose, it moves at the moment of impact and does nothing. That means wearing it inside a proper supporter or a pair of briefs with a pocket, not simply tucked into shorts.
Replace it if it cracks. A cracked cup concentrates force rather than spreading it, which is worse than no cup at all.
Rinse it after every session and let it dry. It is the item in the bag that is worn against the skin and least often washed.
Puls8 Abdominal Guard - Youth