Knee pads or kneepads are protective gear worn on knees to protect them against impact injury from falling to the ground or hitting an obstacle, or to provide padding for extended kneeling.
Knee pads are worn in many recreational and sporting activities such as cycling, rollerskating, skateboarding, cricket, volleyball, handball, basketball, American football, polo, dancing, etc. In polo, knee pads serve primarily to protect the rider's knee when "riding off" an opponent.
Knee pads are also used in various trades such as for the home handyman, for the police SWAT teams, and they are also incorporated into military uniforms such as the Army Combat Uniform and the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform. These knee pads are generally designed differently than the general all round high impact knee pads made for sports.