Athletic Supporters

Tomima explains everything you've ever needed to know about athletic supporters - but, were afraid to ask.

Did You Know?

Here's an interesting fact. The first jockstrap was invented over 125 years ago. Since then, many support garments have arrived on the market. Choosing a supportive garment that is right for you depends on the sport you're playing and how much protection you want.

The goal of an athletic supporter is to lift, support, and cradle a man's testes/scrotum against his body. A man's "jewels" hang in place with delicate cord and muscle tissues. Shock or strain on these cords and muscles can result in injury.

If you're playing high impact sports, a jockstrap should also include a cup when playing high impact sports. The cup inside the jockstrap pouch confines the genitals, keeping them out of harm's way. We've all seen grown men reduced to a semi-fetal position after a hit to the groin without any protection. The recovery from such a blow is very slow and agonizing. Remember this next time you think you can do without.

When And How To Wear An Athletic Supporter

Hard cups are highly recommended for football, hockey, soccer, rugby and baseball. Basically, any sport where a speeding projectile is involved, you should wear a hard cup. Supporters should be worn (without cups) for any sport requiring running such as track and field, basketball, and rollerblading.

Remember, layering is key to support. Many athletes choose to wear more than one pair of underwear at the same time to provide the needed support. For example, an athlete might wear a pair of compression shorts under a hard cup and strap, or a jockstrap over a pair of briefs or trunks. It really depends on how much protection and support you're looking for, and what you are comfortable wearing. Experiment with layering.


If you're one of those guys who just won't wear a jockstrap, there is an alternative - the sports brief. It's a jockstrap with an extra panel in the back for coverage. It looks like a skimpy brief, but has the cup support you need.

Choosing An Athletic Supporter

A good supporter must function almost as an integral part of your body if it is going to be comfortable and effective. When choosing a jockstrap, keep in mind that the sizing does not relate to the cup size - only the waistband size. Ideally, jockstraps should come in sizes like women's bras - with a band size and a cup size. Unfortunately, they don't. However, it's valuable to note that as the sizing goes up, so does the pouch size. If you think about it, this makes no sense given the fact that there is no correlation between a man's waist size and his package size. So, if you try on a jockstrap and it feels a little snug, you can go up a band size to get a larger pouch. However, you may have to have the band size altered down.

Leg straps should be tight enough to prevent rolling or twisting. The waistband should fit the contours of your body for natural support. Generally, a waistband on a supporter will be wider than the average waistband on briefs, offering greater support. Since the jockstrap has little to keep it in place, a sturdy wide waistband helps.

At what age should you start wearing a jockstrap? A boy involved in any sport that has the potential to cause injury to the genitals should be protected - regardless of age.