Jersey Numbers Explained: How Each Sport Numbers Its Players
An NFL receiver can wear 1 and a lineman cannot wear 0. How the 1973 system, the 2021 expansion and the return of zero in 2023 explain American football numbering, and how soccer, college football, the NBA and the NHL do it differently.
Quick answers
- NFL numbers are assigned by position, a system standardised in 1973 so officials could spot eligible receivers.
- NFL owners expanded the ranges in April 2021, and the number 0 returned in March 2023 — 00 is still banned.
- Offensive linemen are still locked into 50–79 because the eligible-receiver rule depends on that range.
- Soccer numbers were positional once — 1 to 11 — and became permanent squad numbers in the 1990s.
- The NBA retired number 6 across every team in 2022-23 to honour Bill Russell.
- In college football two players can wear the same number, as long as they are never on the field together.
The short answer. NFL numbers are assigned by position, a system standardised in 1973 and expanded on 21 April 2021. The number 0 returned on 28 March 2023 and 00 is still banned. Offensive linemen stay in 50–79 because the eligible-receiver rule depends on it, and in soccer numbers 1 to 11 were positional until squad numbers arrived in the 1990s.
Why numbers exist at all
In soccer a number is a choice. In American football it is closer to a job description. The NFL standardised its numbering by position in 1973, and the reason was officiating: referees had to identify eligible receivers instantly, and a number told them without a second look.
That is why the ranges survived so long, and why the one rule that has never moved is the one that matters most to the officials — offensive linemen wear 50 to 79 so the defence can see who is not allowed to catch a pass.
- NFL system — Introduced in 1973, by position group
- Biggest change — April 2021 — ranges expanded for skill positions, linebackers and defensive backs
- Number 0 — Returned in March 2023 — legal for every position except the offensive line
- Still banned — 00 — last worn by Raiders centre Jim Otto
- Immovable rule — Offensive linemen wear 50–79, because that is how officials see who is eligible
- Soccer — 1–11 by position until the 1990s, then permanent squad numbers
The NFL’s numbering, position by position
| Position | Eligible numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | 0–19 | The traditional QB range — #0 added in 2023 |
| Running back / fullback | 0–49, 80–89 | Opened up in 2021; previously 20–49 |
| Wide receiver / tight end | 0–49, 80–89 | Wide receivers were limited to 80–89 until 2004 |
| Defensive back | 0–49 | Previously stuck in the 20s to 40s |
| Linebacker | 0–59, 90–99 | Previously 50–59 only |
| Offensive lineman | 50–79 | Unchanged since 1973 |
| Defensive lineman | 50–79, 90–99 | Shared with the offensive line, plus the 90s |
| Kicker / punter | 0–49, 90–99 | Expanded in 2023 to ease the squeeze on single digits |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
What the 2021 change actually did
For 48 years the system barely moved. Then COVID-19 pushed practice squads from 12 players to 16, and teams began running out of legal numbers — Kansas City, with four retired numbers in the 20–49 range alone, was among the worst affected.
The Chiefs proposed an expansion, and on 21 April 2021 NFL owners approved it. Running backs, receivers, tight ends and defensive backs gained access to 0–49; linebackers to 0–59 and 90–99. Single digits — once reserved for quarterbacks and specialists — were suddenly available across the field, and the visual language of the sport changed in a single off-season.
Two years later, on 28 March 2023, the number 0 returned. It had been banned since 1973. It is now legal for every position except the offensive line, and in 2024 Marcus Mariota became the first quarterback to wear it. Double zero did not come back with it — the last player to wear 00 was Raiders centre Jim Otto, and it remains prohibited.
Not everyone welcomed either change. Tom Brady was publicly scathing about the expansion, arguing that a quarterback could no longer read a defence by the numbers on its shirts. He was outvoted.
How the other sports compare
| Sport | How numbers are assigned | Range | The distinctive rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Position-based, regulated by rule | 0–99, but not for every position | A linebacker can wear 0; a lineman cannot |
| NCAA football | Loose — only linemen are restricted | 0–99, duplicates allowed | Two players may share a number if never on the field together |
| Soccer | Squad numbers, chosen by the player | Usually 1–99, with 1 reserved for keepers | Positional 1–11 became permanent numbers in the 1990s |
| NBA | Free choice within 0–99 | 0–99, plus 00 in some eras | Number 6 retired league-wide in 2022-23 |
| NHL | Free choice | 1–99 | Number 99 retired league-wide for Wayne Gretzky |
| MLB | Free choice | 0–99 | Retired numbers are a club tradition, not a league rule |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
Soccer is the closest thing to the opposite of the NFL. Numbers were positional for a century — 1 for the goalkeeper, 9 for the centre-forward, 10 for the playmaker — and they changed shirt by shirt rather than player by player. English football moved to permanent squad numbers in the 1990s, and today the old positions survive as habits: a striker still reaches for 9, a playmaker for 10, and nobody argues when the goalkeeper takes 1.
College football sits in between. The NCAA allows any number from 0 to 99 except on the offensive line, and it permitted 0 in 2020 — a year before the NFL did. Because rosters run past 100 players, two players may wear the same number as long as they are never on the field at the same time.
Retiring a number is a club tradition in most sports, but twice it has happened league-wide: the NBA retired 6 across all 30 teams in 2022-23 to honour Bill Russell, the first time a league had done it for a player, and the NHL retired 99 for Wayne Gretzky.
What this means when you buy a shirt
If you are ordering a printed shirt, the number you want may not be legal on the shirt you want. NFL ranges change with a player’s position, and a number that was legal for a receiver in 2019 may not have been legal in 2018. For a throwback shirt, the period-correct number matters — a current single-digit on a shirt from the 90s football range is a mismatch anyone can spot.
The same logic applies to the print type. Our printing guide covers how names and numbers are applied and how to spot a print that was added later, and the fake jersey guide goes through the giveaways in detail.
Numbering rules reviewed 22 September 2026. NFL ranges reflect the 1973 standardisation as amended on 21 April 2021 and 28 March 2023; college, soccer and league-wide retirements are stated as at the same date.
Why do NFL players have numbers by position?
What changed in the NFL in 2021?
Can an NFL player wear number 0?
Can an NFL player wear 00?
Why can a lineman never wear a single-digit number?
How were soccer numbers decided before squad numbers?
Has any number been retired across a whole league?
Can two players wear the same number?
Does a player keep his number when he changes position?
Why do players pay to change numbers?
Related guides
- Jersey sizing guide — chest, S–5XL and the US to EU conversion
- Shipping and customs guide — what US, EU and UK buyers pay
- How jersey printing works — heat-pressed, stitched or sublimated
- Jersey care guide — how to wash, dry and store a shirt
- Jersey gift guide — sizing, personalisation and Christmas dates
- Jersey fabric technology — what each name actually does
Printing a number that has to be right
Check the period and the position before you order. On a throwback shirt the number is part of the accuracy, and printed shirts are made to order — so the spelling and the digits both have to be right the first time.
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