The Ultimate Equipment Inventory Checklist for High School Coaches

Whether you're starting a new season, doing a mid-year audit, or preparing for end-of-year returns, having a complete equipment inventory checklist is essential for any high school athletic program.

We've put together the definitive checklist — covering every category of gear a typical high school football program manages. Use it as a starting point and customize it for your program.

Football Equipment Inventory Checklist

Helmets & Head Protection

• [ ] Football helmets (quantity, size, brand, model, year)
• [ ] Helmet face masks
• [ ] Chin straps
• [ ] Helmet visors/shields
• [ ] Mouthguards (if team-issued)
• [ ] Helmet reconditioning records (last recertification date)

Shoulder Pads & Body Protection

• [ ] Shoulder pads (quantity, size, position-specific)
• [ ] Back plates
• [ ] Rib protectors
• [ ] Neck rolls/collars
• [ ] Padded girdles
• [ ] Hip pads
• [ ] Thigh pads
• [ ] Knee pads
• [ ] Tail pads

Uniforms — Game Day

• [ ] Home jerseys (quantity, sizes, numbers)
• [ ] Away jerseys (quantity, sizes, numbers)
• [ ] Alternate/specialty jerseys
• [ ] Game pants (quantity, sizes)
• [ ] Game socks
• [ ] Belts
• [ ] Towels

Uniforms — Practice

• [ ] Practice jerseys — offense/defense colors (quantity, sizes)
• [ ] Practice shorts/pants
• [ ] Pinnies/scrimmage vests
• [ ] Scout team jerseys

Footwear

• [ ] Cleats (if team-issued)
• [ ] Turf shoes
• [ ] Sideline/travel shoes (if program-issued)

Training & Practice Equipment

• [ ] Blocking sleds (7-man, 5-man, 2-man, 1-man)
• [ ] Blocking pads/shields
• [ ] Tackling dummies
• [ ] Agility ladders
• [ ] Cones (quantity)
• [ ] Footballs — game balls (quantity, condition)
• [ ] Footballs — practice balls (quantity, condition)
• [ ] Ball bags
• [ ] Ball pumps and needles
• [ ] Kicking tees
• [ ] Snap machines
• [ ] Resistance bands
• [ ] Speed parachutes
• [ ] Weighted vests/sleds

Sideline & Game Day Equipment

• [ ] Water coolers/jugs (quantity, condition)
• [ ] Water bottles / squeeze bottles
• [ ] Ice chests
• [ ] Sideline benches
• [ ] Coaches' headsets
• [ ] Radios / communication equipment
• [ ] Down markers / chain set
• [ ] Sideline capes / cold weather gear
• [ ] Team canopy/tent
• [ ] Equipment trunks/travel cases
• [ ] First aid kits
• [ ] AED (location and inspection date)

Technology & Film

• [ ] Tablets/iPads for sideline film
• [ ] Film tower equipment
• [ ] Cameras
• [ ] Tripods
• [ ] Charging cables and battery packs
• [ ] Hudl/film software subscriptions

Storage & Organization

• [ ] Equipment room shelving
• [ ] Locker assignments
• [ ] Lock inventory
• [ ] Hanging racks
• [ ] Uniform storage bins/bags
• [ ] Equipment carts

How to Use This Checklist

Step 1: Count Everything Block off 2–3 hours with your staff and physically count every item. Don't rely on last year's numbers. A fresh count is the foundation of accurate tracking.

Step 2: Record Condition For major items (helmets, pads, jerseys), note the condition:

• A = Game-ready, good condition
• B = Usable, showing wear
• C = Practice-only, needs repair or replacement
• D = Retired, needs disposal or donation

Step 3: Log Serial Numbers For helmets especially, record serial numbers and the most recent reconditioning/recertification dates. This is both an inventory and a safety practice.

Step 4: Assign to a System Once you've got your count, enter everything into a tracking system. Whether it's a spreadsheet (not recommended but better than nothing) or a purpose-built platform like Sideline HQ, the data needs to live somewhere accessible.

Step 5: Schedule Regular Audits Do a quick inventory check:

• Pre-season: Full audit before gear issue
• Mid-season: Spot-check during bye week or mid-October
• Post-season: Full audit during equipment return week
• Off-season: Check stored gear condition before summer

The Most Commonly Lost Items

Based on conversations with dozens of high school coaches, these are the items most frequently lost or unreturned:

1. Game pants — players take them home and forget 2. Practice jerseys — multiple colors circulating makes tracking hard 3. Belts — small, cheap, easy to lose, expensive in bulk 4. Chin straps — detached and misplaced constantly 5. Padded girdles — stuffed in bags and never returned

These "small" items add up fast. A program that loses 15 belts ($10 each), 10 chin straps ($15 each), and 8 practice jerseys ($30 each) has quietly lost $540 — and that's before you count the big-ticket items.

Go Digital with Your Inventory

A paper checklist is a starting point. But if you want real-time visibility into your equipment — who has what, what's been returned, and what's still outstanding — you need a digital system.

Sideline HQ lets you track every item on this checklist digitally, assign gear to individual players, and run instant reports on your inventory status. It takes about 30 minutes to set up and costs less than two replacement helmets per year.

Ready to digitize your inventory? Start your free 30-day trial of Sideline HQ →