Background/aimThe most common method to study the use and attitudes of mouth and face guards is a limited number of preprepared questions. This approach, however, risks information restriction and lowers the general value of the study. The aim of this study was therefore to present a phenomenographic approach to capture the use and attitudes towards mouth and face guards in two Swedish ice hockey clubs. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMaterials and methodThe phenomenographic study was set up as 12 focus group interviews: six interviews with one elite and six interviews with one division 3 ice hockey club in Sweden. A number of categories were identified, which became the basis for how the results are presented. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResultsThe participants inspired each other to speak freely, which allowed for much wider and deeper discussions than was expected. In comparison with the use of a preprepared questionnaire with a limited number of questions sent home by post, this method included comments from the participants and revealed new angles of approach in 12 identified categories. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusionsUsing a phenomenographic research method, more variations and different apprehensions could be revealed than what would be possible with a set of preprepared questions sent by post or used in individual interviews.