A protective headguard including (i) a protective central pad for covering at least a portion of an athlete's forehead, (ii) a rear pad for covering at least a portion of an athlete's occipital bone, (iii) a sleeve interconnecting the central pad and the rear pad and covering at least a portion of the interior and exterior surfaces of the central and rear pads, and optionally (iv) an adjustment strap system interconnecting the rear pad and the central pad, (v) a packet of cooling material retained by the sleeve, and/or (vi) nubbins projecting from the interior surface of the central and/or rear pad.