Wrong. As someone who played a life’s worth of football, was AA in it, recruited by all the big boys and now teaches orthopedics 34 years, treats same, they’re helpful in certain situations.
Protects the patella from side glancing blows and possible fractures and dislocations hitting the pad before the patella thus first absorbing the blow, as well as protect the knee from fall down compression injuries of the patella with the potential chondromalacia patella issues, and then simple stuff like protects against abrasions, scrapes and possible subsequent infections. It makes no logical sense from an injury standpoint.
Where it does make sense, and I might have entertained the thought if had been given the option, is how it frees up your mobility a bit if you’re a speed player, have to run, etc.
