Squad number
Encyclopedia
In team
sport
s, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number
worn on a player's uniform
, to identify and distinguish each player (and sometimes others, such as officials) from others wearing the same or similar uniforms. The number is typically displayed on the rear of the jersey
, often accompanied by the surname. Sometimes it is also displayed on the front and/or sleeves, or on the player's shorts or headgear. It is used to identify the player to officials, other players, official scorers, and spectators; in some sports, it is also indicative of the player's position.
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an organization of association football historians, traces the origin of squad numbers to a 1911 Australian football match in Sydney
.
In association football, numbers were traditionally assigned based on a player's position on the field, with the starting 11 players wearing 1-11, and the substitutes wearing higher numbers. The goalkeeper would generally wear number 1, then defenders, midfield players and forwards in ascending order.
Numbers being assigned to each player in a squad was initiated for the 1954 World Cup
, where each man in a country's 22-man squad wore a specific number for the duration of the tournament.
In 1993, England's Football Association
switched to persistent squad numbers, abandoning the mandatory use of 1–11 for the starting line-up. It became standard in the FA Premier League in the 1993-94 season, with names printed above the numbers. Most European top leagues adopted the system over the next five years.
Very high numbers, the most common being 88, are often reserved and used as a placeholder, when a new player has been signed and played by the manager prior to having a formal squad number.
, players traditionally wear numbers on the backs of their guernseys, although some competitions (the WAFL
is one example) may feature teams who wear smaller numbers on the front, usually on one side of the chest. The number being worn is usually not relevant to the player's position on the ground, although occasionally a club will allocate the Number 1 guernsey or an otherwise prestigious number to the team captain (such as the Richmond
football club, which allocates Number 17 to its team captain in honor of Jack Dyer
, who wore that number with distinction). Port Adelaide
assigns Number 1 to the team captain. In these situations, it is usually customary for players who reliquish the captaincy to switch to another.
AFL
clubs generally do not retire numbers (although Geelong
temporarily retired the Number 5 between 1998 and 2005 after the retirement of Gary Ablett Sr.), but instead will often choose to give their more prestigious numbers to highly-touted draftees or young up-and-coming players who are shown to have promise and may share certain traits with the previous wearer, such as position or playing style. For example, as of 2010, Michael Hurley
inherited the Number 18 jumper left vacant by the retired Matthew Lloyd
, effectively keeping the No.18 guernsey in Essendon's
goalsquare for another era.
Sons of famous players will often take on their father's number, especially if they play at the same club. Sergio Silvagni
and his son Stephen
, for example, both wore Number 1 for Carlton
. Matthew Scarlett
wears his father John's
Number 30 at Geelong
. In contrast, some sons of famous players also prefer to take on other numbers in the hopes that it will reduce the burden of having to fulfill high expectations. Notable examples of this are Gary Ablett Jr.
at Geelong (who wore Number 29 instead of his father's Number 5) and Jobe Watson
at Essendon, who passed up Tim's
Number 32 in favour of Number 4.
Clubs will often feature retiring champions "passing on" their famous guernsey numbers to the chosen successors, usually in ceremonial fashion, such as a club function or press conference.
's NFL
in 1952; it was updated and made more rigid in 1973, and has been modified slightly since then. Numbers are always worn on the front and back of a player's jersey, and so-called "TV numbers" are worn on the sleeve or shoulder. The Cincinnati Bengals
were the last NFL team to wear jerseys without TV numbers on a regular basis in 1980
, though since then several NFL teams have worn throwback uniforms without them, as their jersey designs predated the introduction of TV numbers. Players' last names, however, are required on all uniforms, even throwbacks which predate the last name rule. Since 2008
, TV numbers have not been mandatory under NFL rules.
Some uniforms also feature numbers either on the front, back, or sides of the helmet (in pro football, these were most prominently worn on the San Diego Chargers
"powder-blue" uniforms). Players have often asked the NFL for an exception to the numbering rule. In 2006, for example, New Orleans Saints
running back Reggie Bush
requested to keep the number 5 he wore in college. His request was declined, and he was assigned number 25 by the team.
Below is the numbering system established by the NFL, and in place since 1973:
Numbers 0 and 00 are no longer allowed, but they were issued in the NFL before the number standardization in 1973. George Plimpton
wore 0 during a brief preseason stint at quarterback
for the Detroit Lions
. Jim Otto
("aught-oh") wore number "00" during most of his career with the Oakland Raiders
. Wide receiver Ken Burrough
of the Houston Oilers also wore "00" during his NFL career in the 1970s.
This NFL numbering system is based on a player's primary position. Any player wearing any number may play at any position at any time (though players wearing numbers 50–79 must let the referee know that they are playing out of position by reporting as an "ineligible number in an eligible position"). It is not uncommon for running backs to line up at wide receiver on certain plays, or to have a lineman or linebacker play at fullback or tight end in short yardage situations. In preseason games, when teams have expanded rosters, players may wear numbers that are outside of the above rules. When the final 53-player roster is established, they are reissued numbers within the above guidelines.
This numbering system originated in football's past when all teams were using some variation of the single wing formation on offense. When teams switched to the T-formation in the 1930s and 40s, the numbers were taken with them to whatever position evolved from the old single wing position. The system was first used in college football and was used only informally in the NFL until 1952; under the original, somewhat informal system, the backs were numbered 1–4, and the line 5–8.
Tailbacks or left halfbacks therefore had a number in the 10s. The blocking back, which evolved into the quarterback in the T formation
, had a number in the 20s. The fullback had a number in the 30s and the right halfback had a number in the 40s. On the offensive line, the center was in the 50s, the guards were in the 60s, the tackles were in the 70s and the ends were in the 80s.
In earlier times, defensive players would wear a number that reflected their offensive position, as many players played both offense and defense. For example, quarterbacks and halfbacks would usually play in the defensive backfield and so had numbers in the 10s, 20s and 40s. Fullbacks were often linebackers and had numbers in the 30s. Centers and guards were linebackers as well and had numbers in the 50s and 60s respectively. Guards and tackles played the defensive guard and tackle positions and had numbers in the 60s and 70s respectively. Ends had numbers in the 80s: split ends would be cornerbacks and tight ends would be defensive ends.
The All-America Football Conference
(AAFC) had a different numbering system with quarterbacks in the 60s, fullbacks in the 70s, halfbacks in the 80s, ends in the 50s, tackles in the 40s, guards in the 30s and centers in the 20s. When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, the AAFC players kept their old uniform numbers which caused confusion and resulted in the NFL moving to a standard numbering system in 1952. This resulted in many established players having to change their numbers in mid-career. Most notably, Cleveland Browns
quarterback Otto Graham
had to switch from number 60 to number 14. Though the Hall of Famer
was more well-known with number 60, the Browns ironically retired the number 14 in his honor while number 60 remains in circulation. His fellow Hall of Fame teammate, Lou Groza
, was allowed to keep number 76 (also retired by the Browns) despite playing kicker until his retirement in 1967 since he was also an offensive tackle.
, a less rigid numbering system is employed. The only rule is that members of the offensive line (centers, guards, and tackles) that play in ineligible positions (those that may not receive forward passes) must wear numbers between 50-79. Informally, certain conventions still hold, and players often wear numbers in the ranges similar to their NFL counterparts; though the lowest numbers are often the highest prestige, and thus are often worn by players at any position. Kickers and punters are frequently numbered in the 40's or 90's, which are the least in-demand numbers on a college roster. The increased flexibility in numbering of NCAA rosters is needed since NCAA rules allow 85-player rosters; thus teams would frequently exhaust the available numbers for a position under the NFL rules.
Individual schools often have superstitions or traditions involving certain numbers. It may be a great honor to be given the number "1" uniform, for example, at the University of Michigan
(worn by Anthony Carter, Derrick Alexander, David Terrell, and Braylon Edwards
), or to be linebacker Number 55 at the University of Southern California. Perhaps most famously, Syracuse University
historically reserved number "44" for its best running backs, including Jim Brown
, Ernie Davis
, and Floyd Little
, finally retiring the number permanently in 2005.
One oddity of college football is that the same squad number can be shared by two (or more) players, e.g., an offensive and a defensive player. Usually one of the players is a reserve who rarely plays but there are exceptions: for example on the 2009 USC Trojans
squad, the #2 is shared by All-American defensive back
Taylor Mays
and starting running back
C.J. Gable
. In the 2008 season #2 was worn by Ohio State
quarterback
Terrelle Pryor
and by cornerback
Malcolm Jenkins
. In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, the #5 is worn by South Carolina
starting Quarterback
Stephen Garcia
and starting Cornerback
Stephon Gilmore
. Gilmore was also used as a Wildcat quarterback in games against Clemson
in 2009 and Southern Miss
in 2010. The player change, since both players wore the same number, caused some confusion among opposing defenses, but was legal, since both players weren't on the field at the same time.
One of the more unusual football uniform numbering anamolies took place in what has become perhaps one of college football's most iconic games, the 1984 matchup between University of Miami and Boston College. In this game, BC quarterback Doug Flutie bested the highly-ranked Hurricanes and their quarterback, Bernie Kosar, on the final play of the game, when he found his roommate, Gerard Phelan, in the end zone to steal the win for the Eagles. While that play, and the game, may be etched in the memories of every American football fan, what is little remembered is the unusual fact that both quarterbacks wore numbers higher than the standard 1-19; Kosar wore the number 20, and Flutie wore the number 22.
follows the same general rules as American football, with some minor exceptions. In the original numbering system, offensive linemen wore numbers from 40-69 and numbers 70-79 were allocated to receivers. A rules change in 2008 switched numbers 40-49 from offensive linemen to eligible receivers. Any eligible player, whether he is a quarterback, running back, receiver, or a kicker, can wear any eligible number. Doug Flutie
wore his Boston College number of 22 when he played quarterback for the BC Lions
and No. 20 for the Calgary Stampeders
. Currently, numbers 1-49 and 70-89 are eligible while 50-69 are not. Numbers 90-99 are generally worn on defense although in the early days of the Canadian Football League
, 90s were common on offense. The number 0 is also allowed in the CFL. A defensive player can wear any number he chooses, regardless of the position he plays.
each of the thirteen positions on the field traditionally has an assigned shirt number, for example fullback is "1". In recent times squad numbering has been used for marketing purposes in the Super League
competition. In Super League each player is given a squad number for the whole season, the first choice starting line-up at the beginning of the season will usually be given shirts 1-13 but as interchanges (substitutions) occur during the game and injuries etcetera occur during the season, it is less likely that the number a player wears will match the position they are playing.
even has a position named simply after the shirt normally worn by that player, the "Number 8", although it is not necessary for the player in the "Number 8" position to be wearing the number eight on his shirt. Several clubs (Leicester and Bristol particularly) used letters instead of numbers on shirts, although have now fallen into line with the rest of the clubs.
in Australia saw the first use of shirt numbers in international cricket
, with most players assigned their number and some players getting to choose their number, most notably Shane Warne
wearing 23 as it was his number when he played junior Aussie Rules for St Kilda Football Club. Other countries soon adopted the practice, although players would typically have different numbers from tournament to tourna, and it wasn't until several years later that players would consistently wear the same number year-round. Ricky Ponting
(14) still uses the same number as in that initial season.
Player numbering was first used in the Cricket World Cup
in 1999, where the captains
wore the number 1 jersey and the rest of the squad was numbered between 2 and 15. An exception was that South African captain Hansie Cronje
retained his usual number 5 with opener Gary Kirsten
wearing the number 1 which he had also done previously.
Shirt numbers no longer remain exclusive to the short forms of the game
, and navy blue numbers are now used on the playing whites in the Sheffield Shield to aid spectators in distinguishing players, but this innovation is unlikely to be used in Test cricket
in the next few years. However, a recent fashion that has been taken up by several nations is the process of giving a player making his Test debut an appearance number, along with his Test cap, for reasons of historical continuity. The number is in the order a player makes his Test debut. If two or more players make their debut in the same match, they are given numbers alphabetically based on surname. For example, Thomas Armitage is Test player Number 1 for England. He made his debut in the very first Test Match, against Australia, on 15 March 1877, and was first in alphabetical order amongst that England XI. Ajmal Shahzad
is the most recent test debutant for England, making his debut on 5 June 2010 against Bangladesh. He is Test player Number 650 for England. These numbers can be found on a player's Test uniform, but it is always in discreet small type on the front, and never displayed prominently.
leagues at all levels traditionally use single and double digits between 0 and 5 (i.e. 0, 00, 1-5, 10-15, 20-25, 30-35, 40-45, and 50-55). The NCAA and most amateur competitions mandate that only these numbers be used. This eases non-verbal communication between referees, who use fingers to denote a player's number, and the official scorer. In college basketball, single-digit players' numbers are officially recorded as having a leading zero
. Teams can have either a "0" or "00", but they cannot have both.
The National Basketball Association
has always allowed other numbers between 0 and 99, but use of digits 6 through 9 is less common than 0 through 5 since most players tend to keep the numbers that they had previously worn in college. However, with the increase in the number of international players, and other players who have been on national (FIBA) teams who change NBA teams and cannot keep their number with the previous team because another player has worn it or is retired, players have adopted such higher numbers (Patrick Ewing
with #6 in Orlando). When Michael Jordan
retired in 1993, the Chicago Bulls
retired his 23; when he came out of retirement he had to wear 45 until they unretired his 23.
Players in FIBA-organized competitions for national teams, including the Olympic Games
and World Championships, must wear numbers from 4 to 15. Under FIBA rules, national federations can also allow any numbers with a maximum of 2 digits for their own competitions; this rule also applies in transnational club competitions, most notably the Euroleague.
does not have any formalized uniform numbering rules. Historically, in the National Hockey League
, starting goaltender
s wore Number 1, the backup goalie wore Number 30, and the other players (the "skaters") wore low numbers (generally Number 2 to Number 29). It is still traditional for goaltenders to wear either Number 1 or numbers near Number 30 (in a range from approximately Number 29 to Number 50). Some well-known goalies with non-traditional numbers include José Théodore
(Number 60), Braden Holtby
(Number 70), Kevin Weekes
(Number 80), and Ron Hextall
(Number 27; Number 72 when Number 27 was unavailable). Evgeni Nabokov
and Ed Belfour
have both worn Number 20 in honor of their mentor (and in Belfour's case, a position coach at one time in his career), legendary Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak
. Tretiak wore number 20 because in Soviet Union
it was a tradition that starting goalie wore number 1, all skaters wore numbers 2-19 and back-up goalie wore the biggest number, 20, in Soviet system.
In recent years, it has become more common for players to wear numbers in the 30s and above. This is due in part to many teams having retired lower numbers. The Montreal Canadiens
, for example, have only two single-digit numbers left un-retired (6 and 8) and the Boston Bruins
also have two single-digit numbers left un-retired (1 and 6).
A number of players have worn higher numbers up through Number 99 (though Number 99 itself is now retired league-wide in the NHL to honor Wayne Gretzky
). For example, Jaromír Jágr
wore Number 68 in honor of the year of the Prague Spring
and his grandfather's death; Alexander Mogilny
wore Number 89 to honor the year he defected to the United States
from the Soviet Union
; Sidney Crosby
wears Number 87 because his birth date is August 7, 1987, written "8/7/87" in the U.S. date format; Patrick Kane
of the Chicago Blackhawks
wears number 88 because of his birth year, 1988; and Wojtek Wolski
chose 86, representing his birth year of 1986, when he joined the Phoenix Coyotes
, as the number 8 he wore with Colorado
wasn't available.
Doubling of a single-digit number has occasionally been used for players whose numbers were unavailable. For example, Phil Esposito
switched to Number 77 when he joined the New York Rangers
where Number 7 was worn by Rod Gilbert
; and Ray Bourque
, who succeeded Esposito in wearing Number 7 for the Boston Bruins
, switched to Number 77 to allow the Bruins to retire Esposito's original Number 7. That same season, Paul Coffey
switched to Number 77 when he was traded from Edmonton
to Pittsburgh
. In addition, Gretzky wore Number 99 because Number 9, which he wore in tribute to Gordie Howe
, was taken on his junior team. Going the other way, Todd Bertuzzi
, who wore Number 44 for many years, switched to Number 4 when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks
in 2007, since Number 44 was already in use by alternate captain Rob Niedermayer
. Jordin Tootoo
wears number 22, as the numbers "two two" are pronounced the same as his last name. In a similar vein, Mike Commodore
attempted to wear number 64, a reference to the famed computer
when he was acquired by Detroit
, but ended up wearing the more traditional 22. Sometimes numbers are even reversed. Scott Gomez wore the number 19 when he played for the NY Rangers (he wore 23 during his tenure with the NJ Devils) until he joined the Montreal Canadiens, who had retired that number in honor of Larry Robinson
. Instead of changing to a completely different number, he chose 91 and finally switched to 11 for season 2010-11.
Number 84 was the final number to have never been worn in the NHL, until Canadiens forward Guillaume Latendresse
first wore the number on September 29, 2006, although he has reversed the number (48) since joining the Minnesota Wild
. The least-used number is 69, worn for two games in 2003-04 by Mel Angelstad
of the Washington Capitals
. The last player to wear a form of zero in the NHL was Martin Biron
, who wore Number 00 with the Buffalo Sabres
in three games in 1995-96. By the time he returned to the Sabres in 1998, the number zero, single digit or double digit, was not allowed anymore, forcing him to wear Number 43. Only three other NHL players have worn number 0 or 00: Paul Bibeault
(0), John Davidson (00), and Neil Sheehy
(0).
is associated with the number 3 (although that number is actually associated more with its owner, Richard Childress
, who has decided to take #3 out of reserve in the Camping World Truck Series when his grandson Austin Dillon races), while Richard Petty
is associated with Number 43, Wood Brothers Racing with Number 21, and Jeff Gordon
to the Number 24.
In NASCAR
, numbers are assigned to owners and not specific drivers. Drivers that spend a long time on a single race team often keep their numbers as long as they drive for the same owners. When drivers change teams, however, they take a new number that is owned by that team. Jeff Burton
, for example, has raced for 3 different teams, and had 4 different numbers in that time. In 1994 and 1995 he raced the Number 8 car, then owned by the Stavola Brothers. From 1996 to mid-2004 he raced for Roush Racing
, and drove the Number 99 car. After leaving Roush Racing for Richard Childress Racing
, he changed to car Number 30 (for the rest of the 2004 season) and now races Number 31 (also an RCR car). The Number 99 car he used to drive for Roush is now driven by Carl Edwards
. When Dale Earnhardt Jr, having raced under #8 at Cup-level moved from DEI to Hendrick Motorsports
he attempted to take the number with him. When that failed Hendricks was able to secure the #88 from Robert Yates Racing.
Formula One
car numbers started to be permanently allocated for the whole season in 1974. Prior to this numbers were allocated on a race-by-race basis by individual organisers. From 1974 to the mid 1990s, the numbers 1 and 2 would be allocated to the reigning world champion and his team mate, swapping with the previous year's champions. Once numbers had been allocated, teams retained the same numbers from year to year, only exchanging for 1 and 2 when the drivers' World Championship was won. As a result Ferrari
are infamous for having carried 27 and 28 for many years (every season from 1980 to 1989, and then again from 1991 to 1995), these numbers having originally been allocated to new entrant Williams
in 1977 and passed to Ferrari when Alan Jones replaced Jody Scheckter
as World Champion after the 1980 season. Numbers were reallocated occasionally as teams departed and joined the series, but this scheme persisted until the late 1990s; one team, Tyrrell, kept the same numbers (3 and 4) throughout this period for every season between 1974 and 1995.
The system was changed again in 1996. Numbers are now assigned annually, first to the reigning World Champion driver (who receives number 1) and then his team-mate (who receives number 2); after that the numbers are assigned to constructors sequentially according to their position in the previous season's Constructors' Championship, so that numbers are allocated (if the reigning champion is not driving for the reigning constructor's champion team) from 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and so on (skipping 13
with the seventh-placed team using 14 and 15). The only stipulation is that the World Drivers' Champion is entitled to the number 1 car regardless of the constructor's results; this is relevant when the winning driver's team failed to win the Constructors Championship, or if the winning driver changes teams after winning the championship for example, when Damon Hill
moved to the Arrows
team for the 1997 season
. This situation happened again in 2007
when 2006 champion Fernando Alonso
left Renault to join McLaren, earning him and his rookie teammate, Lewis Hamilton
, the numbers 1 and 2; and again in 2010 when Jenson Button
moved to McLaren from Brawn GP
.
If a driver wins the World Championship but does not defend his title the following season, tradition dictates that the racing number 1 is not allocated; the reigning World Champion constructor then receives numbers 0 and 2. Damon Hill
received car number 0 in 1993
due to Nigel Mansell
's move to the CART PPG Indy Car World Series in the U.S., and again in 1994
, this time due to Alain Prost
's retirement. This tradition has not always been in place; Ronnie Peterson
received number 1 in the 1974
; although he didn't win the championship the previous year
, due to Jackie Stewart
's retirement, his Lotus
team was allowed to keep Number 1 as they had won the constructors' title.
A similar system is used in many European-style championships at national and international level; the Champion receives number 1, and others are allocated by either by a driver's placing in the previous season (3rd place the year before equates to race number 3) or by the team's placing in the Team/Constructor championship. If the Championship driver does not return, the Championship team will be allowed to use #1.
While it is also the rule in the Indy Racing League that #1 can be used by the Champion Team (Rule 4.4B) from the previous season, the majority of champions since 1998 have ignored the tradition because of team or sponsor requests to keep their normal numbers in order to keep their team identity, similar to NASCAR. After the 1998 IRL season, Kenny Brack
, who won the title driving for A. J. Foyt
, did not carry #1, mainly out of deference to the tradition and identity of Foyt's #14. Buddy Lazier
, who won the 2000 championship for Hemelgarn Racing, kept #91 after fans voted to keep the traditional Helmegarn identity of #91. Sam Hornish, Jr.
never wore the #1 after any of his three championships — after the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Panther Racing kept its #4, which is associated both with its sponsor Pennzoil (the late 1970s Pennzoil Chaparral of Jim Hall carried #4) and Panther co-owner Jim Harbaugh
(who wore #4 for most of his NFL career except with Carolina
, where John Kasay
had #4, so he wore #14 in honor of Foyt), and after the 2006 season, the Penske Racing #6 remained. In 2004, Tony Kanaan
, driver for Andretti Green Racing
's #11 7-Eleven
sponsored car, won the championship and kept the #11 to keep the sponsor's identity with the #11. An exception to this was Scott Dixon
, who opted to take up the #1 following his championship victory in 2003, only to suffer after the title, as the team never recovered from an offseason tire testing crash that killed his rookie teammate. When he won the championship again in 2008 he chose not to take up the #1 for 2009, citing the events of 2004 as his reason. Dario Franchitti
, who won in 2009 and is competing in 2010, is not using #1, but instead keeping the Ganassi #10.
In water polo
, players wear swim cap
s bearing a number. Under FINA
rules, the starting goalkeeper wears Number 1, the substitute goalkeeper wears Number 13, and remaining players wear numbers 2 though 12. In road bicycle racing
, numbers are assigned to cycling team
s by race officials, meaning they change from race to race. Each team has numbers in the same group of ten, excluding multiples of ten, for example 11 through 19 or 21 through 29. If a race has squads of smaller than nine, each still uses numbers from the same group of ten, perhaps 31 through 36 where the next squad will have 41 through 46. Usually, but not always, the rider who wears a number ending in 1 is the squad's leader and the one who will try for a high overall placing. If the race's defending champion is in the field, he or she wears number 1.
In floorball
all players are required to have number between 1-99 on their jersey, but goalies are only players who can play with number 1.
in 1934 in honor of Ace Bailey
.
If a jersey is retired and an active player is still wearing it, the player is usually permitted to wear the number for his entire career. For instance, when the Boston Bruins
retired Phil Esposito
's #7 in 1987, it was being worn by then-captain Ray Bourque
. However, during the retirement ceremony, Bourque approached Esposito and pulled off his jersey to reveal a new #77 jersey underneath--"surrendering" his old number in Esposito's favor.
In rare cases, a number may be retired because of the player's endeavors in other fields. For example, former college football star Gerald Ford
's number 48 was retired by the University of Michigan
football squad by virtue of his future career as the 38th President of the United States
.
It is also a common practice for teams to take certain numbers out of circulation without formally retiring them. However, it is generally understood in these cases that these numbers will not be worn again. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers
have not reissued the jersey numbers of several of their greatest players--most notably Terry Bradshaw
's #12, Franco Harris
' #32, and Joe Greene
's #75. Although the Steelers have only formally retired one number in their history - Ernie Stautner
's number 70 - it is generally understood that no Steeler will ever wear 12, 32 or 75 again. Similarly, with the exception of a pair of quarterbacks in the mid-1980s, the Green Bay Packers
have not re-issued Paul Hornung
's number 5 since his departure from the team following the 1966 season. The Dallas Cowboys
do not officially retire numbers, but it is generally understood that Roger Staubach
's #12, Bob Lilly
's #74, Troy Aikman
's #8, and Emmitt Smith
's #22 will never be worn again in the regular season (though the Cowboys have occasionally used Lilly's 74 in the preseason).
In NASCAR
, only once has a number been officially retired; that is in the Whelen Modified Tour
, where number 61 is retired for Richie Evans
after his death in 1985. NASCAR unofficially retired the number 3 in honor of the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
after his death on the track
at the 2001 Daytona 500
. Earnhardt's old team changed to the number 29, and the replacement driver (Kevin Harvick
) has driven the 29 car ever since. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
made two special appearances in a number 3 car in the Busch Series in 2002 and again in the renamed Nationwide Series on July 2, 2010 at Daytona, but otherwise the number 3 was absent from all three national touring series until 2009, when Austin Dillon
drove a number 3 in the Camping World Truck Series. Dillon is the grandson of Earnhardt's longtime friend and car owner Richard Childress
, and he drives for Richard Childress Racing
.
Although the practice originated in, and is still mostly restricted to North American sports, some Association football clubs have started doing this as squad numbers have become common. AS Roma
, AC Milan
, Internazionale, Napoli
, Manchester City
, Lens
, Lyon
and Swansea City
have all recently retired shirt numbers. The Swans retired the shirt number of Besian Idrizaj
after he died in his sleep, of a suspected heart attack, at his family home in Linz
, Austria
. Manchester City, Lens and Lyon all retired the shirt number of Marc-Vivien Foé
after his death on the field in the 2003 Confederations Cup; the Cameroon national team
also attempted to retire Foé's number, but FIFA
prevented them from doing so. FIFA also rejected an attempt by Argentina
to retire the number of Diego Maradona
. Some teams have also retired number 12 in honor of their fans, or the "Twelfth Man
".
Jackie Robinson
, the first African American
player in the modern era of Major League Baseball
, had his number 42 retired league-wide in 1997 (although those players who were wearing the number at the time were permitted to retain it for the duration of their careers — as of the , Mariano Rivera
is the only remaining active player wearing the number). In 1999, Wayne Gretzky
's number 99 was likewise retired league-wide by the National Hockey League
upon his retirement from the game.
In Finnish
ice hockey, if a player's number is retired, family members (most notably his son, or son-in-law) can use the retired number if he plays for the same organization. Timo Nummelin
had his number 3 retired by TPS
, and later his son, Petteri Nummelin
, wore number 3 for the team. Similarly, Italian AC Milan has promised to retire Paolo Maldini
's number 3 once he retires, but with a provision that it could be used by his sons if either of them makes the club's first team squad.
Following the death of Wouter Weylandt
in the 2011 Giro d'Italia
cycle race, organizers decided that they would not re-assign Weylandt's bib number of 108 in future editions of the race.
Team sport
A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number
Number
A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and complex numbers....
worn on a player's uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
, to identify and distinguish each player (and sometimes others, such as officials) from others wearing the same or similar uniforms. The number is typically displayed on the rear of the jersey
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
, often accompanied by the surname. Sometimes it is also displayed on the front and/or sleeves, or on the player's shorts or headgear. It is used to identify the player to officials, other players, official scorers, and spectators; in some sports, it is also indicative of the player's position.
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an organization of association football historians, traces the origin of squad numbers to a 1911 Australian football match in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Association football
Numbers being assigned to each player in a squad was initiated for the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
, where each man in a country's 22-man squad wore a specific number for the duration of the tournament.
In 1993, England's Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
switched to persistent squad numbers, abandoning the mandatory use of 1–11 for the starting line-up. It became standard in the FA Premier League in the 1993-94 season, with names printed above the numbers. Most European top leagues adopted the system over the next five years.
Very high numbers, the most common being 88, are often reserved and used as a placeholder, when a new player has been signed and played by the manager prior to having a formal squad number.
Australian rules football
In Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, players traditionally wear numbers on the backs of their guernseys, although some competitions (the WAFL
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
is one example) may feature teams who wear smaller numbers on the front, usually on one side of the chest. The number being worn is usually not relevant to the player's position on the ground, although occasionally a club will allocate the Number 1 guernsey or an otherwise prestigious number to the team captain (such as the Richmond
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
football club, which allocates Number 17 to its team captain in honor of Jack Dyer
Jack Dyer
John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM , always known as Jack Dyer, was one of the colossal figures of Australian rules football during two distinct careers, firstly as a player and coach of the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1931 and 1952, and later in the broadcast media for...
, who wore that number with distinction). Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
assigns Number 1 to the team captain. In these situations, it is usually customary for players who reliquish the captaincy to switch to another.
AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
clubs generally do not retire numbers (although Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
temporarily retired the Number 5 between 1998 and 2005 after the retirement of Gary Ablett Sr.), but instead will often choose to give their more prestigious numbers to highly-touted draftees or young up-and-coming players who are shown to have promise and may share certain traits with the previous wearer, such as position or playing style. For example, as of 2010, Michael Hurley
Michael Hurley (Australian rules footballer)
Michael Hurley is an Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League . A key position utility, 1.93m tall and weighing , Hurley predominately played in the forward and backline in his AFL career to date.-Junior career:A good junior cricketer and...
inherited the Number 18 jumper left vacant by the retired Matthew Lloyd
Matthew Lloyd
Matthew James Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and was the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
, effectively keeping the No.18 guernsey in Essendon's
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
goalsquare for another era.
Sons of famous players will often take on their father's number, especially if they play at the same club. Sergio Silvagni
Sergio Silvagni
Sergio 'Serge' Silvagni is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League .Silvagni made his debut for the Carlton Football Club in Round 7, 1958...
and his son Stephen
Stephen Silvagni
Stephen Silvagni is a former Australian rules footballer for the Carlton Football Club.During his long VFL/AFL career, from his debut in 1985, until his retirement in 2001, he gained the reputation as one of the greatest ever full-backs to play the game and was named as full-back in the AFL Team...
, for example, both wore Number 1 for Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
. Matthew Scarlett
Matthew Scarlett
Matthew Scarlett is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A fullback, tall and weighing , Scarlett is the eldest son of former Geelong footballer John Scarlett....
wears his father John's
John Scarlett (footballer)
John Scarlett is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong and South Melbourne. Scarlett was a fullback and his son Matthew plays in that same position for Geelong.-External links:*...
Number 30 at Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
. In contrast, some sons of famous players also prefer to take on other numbers in the hopes that it will reduce the burden of having to fulfill high expectations. Notable examples of this are Gary Ablett Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
at Geelong (who wore Number 29 instead of his father's Number 5) and Jobe Watson
Jobe Watson
Jobe Watson is the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League . He is the son of former Essendon player Tim Watson.-Early life:...
at Essendon, who passed up Tim's
Tim Watson
Timothy Michael "Tim" Watson is a former Australian rules footballer and coach, sports journalist and media personality.He is notable for his long career at the Essendon Football Club as a player where he participated in several premiership teams...
Number 32 in favour of Number 4.
Clubs will often feature retiring champions "passing on" their famous guernsey numbers to the chosen successors, usually in ceremonial fashion, such as a club function or press conference.
NFL
A system of assignment of jersey numbers was initiated in American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
's NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in 1952; it was updated and made more rigid in 1973, and has been modified slightly since then. Numbers are always worn on the front and back of a player's jersey, and so-called "TV numbers" are worn on the sleeve or shoulder. The Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
were the last NFL team to wear jerseys without TV numbers on a regular basis in 1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
, though since then several NFL teams have worn throwback uniforms without them, as their jersey designs predated the introduction of TV numbers. Players' last names, however, are required on all uniforms, even throwbacks which predate the last name rule. Since 2008
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, TV numbers have not been mandatory under NFL rules.
Some uniforms also feature numbers either on the front, back, or sides of the helmet (in pro football, these were most prominently worn on the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
"powder-blue" uniforms). Players have often asked the NFL for an exception to the numbering rule. In 2006, for example, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
running back Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
requested to keep the number 5 he wore in college. His request was declined, and he was assigned number 25 by the team.
Below is the numbering system established by the NFL, and in place since 1973:
- 1–9: Quarterbacks, kickersPlacekickerPlacekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
, and puntersPunter (football position)A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
. - 10–19: Same as 1–9, plus (since 2004) wide receiversWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
only . - 20–39: Running backsRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, fullbacksFullback (American football)A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, cornerbacks, and safeties . - 40-49: Same as 20–39, plus (on occasion) tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s. - 50–59: LinebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s and centerCenter (American football)Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
s. - 60–79: Offensive linemen and defensive linemen.
- 80–89: Wide receivers and tight ends.
- 90–99: Linebackers and defensive linemen.
Numbers 0 and 00 are no longer allowed, but they were issued in the NFL before the number standardization in 1973. George Plimpton
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.-Early life:...
wore 0 during a brief preseason stint at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Jim Otto
Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto is a former Professional Football center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.-Wausau High School and University of Miami:...
("aught-oh") wore number "00" during most of his career with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Wide receiver Ken Burrough
Ken Burrough
Kenneth Othell Burrough is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft. A 6'4", wide receiver from William M...
of the Houston Oilers also wore "00" during his NFL career in the 1970s.
This NFL numbering system is based on a player's primary position. Any player wearing any number may play at any position at any time (though players wearing numbers 50–79 must let the referee know that they are playing out of position by reporting as an "ineligible number in an eligible position"). It is not uncommon for running backs to line up at wide receiver on certain plays, or to have a lineman or linebacker play at fullback or tight end in short yardage situations. In preseason games, when teams have expanded rosters, players may wear numbers that are outside of the above rules. When the final 53-player roster is established, they are reissued numbers within the above guidelines.
This numbering system originated in football's past when all teams were using some variation of the single wing formation on offense. When teams switched to the T-formation in the 1930s and 40s, the numbers were taken with them to whatever position evolved from the old single wing position. The system was first used in college football and was used only informally in the NFL until 1952; under the original, somewhat informal system, the backs were numbered 1–4, and the line 5–8.
Tailbacks or left halfbacks therefore had a number in the 10s. The blocking back, which evolved into the quarterback in the T formation
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
, had a number in the 20s. The fullback had a number in the 30s and the right halfback had a number in the 40s. On the offensive line, the center was in the 50s, the guards were in the 60s, the tackles were in the 70s and the ends were in the 80s.
In earlier times, defensive players would wear a number that reflected their offensive position, as many players played both offense and defense. For example, quarterbacks and halfbacks would usually play in the defensive backfield and so had numbers in the 10s, 20s and 40s. Fullbacks were often linebackers and had numbers in the 30s. Centers and guards were linebackers as well and had numbers in the 50s and 60s respectively. Guards and tackles played the defensive guard and tackle positions and had numbers in the 60s and 70s respectively. Ends had numbers in the 80s: split ends would be cornerbacks and tight ends would be defensive ends.
The All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
(AAFC) had a different numbering system with quarterbacks in the 60s, fullbacks in the 70s, halfbacks in the 80s, ends in the 50s, tackles in the 40s, guards in the 30s and centers in the 20s. When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, the AAFC players kept their old uniform numbers which caused confusion and resulted in the NFL moving to a standard numbering system in 1952. This resulted in many established players having to change their numbers in mid-career. Most notably, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
had to switch from number 60 to number 14. Though the Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
was more well-known with number 60, the Browns ironically retired the number 14 in his honor while number 60 remains in circulation. His fellow Hall of Fame teammate, Lou Groza
Lou Groza
Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
, was allowed to keep number 76 (also retired by the Browns) despite playing kicker until his retirement in 1967 since he was also an offensive tackle.
College and high school
In college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, a less rigid numbering system is employed. The only rule is that members of the offensive line (centers, guards, and tackles) that play in ineligible positions (those that may not receive forward passes) must wear numbers between 50-79. Informally, certain conventions still hold, and players often wear numbers in the ranges similar to their NFL counterparts; though the lowest numbers are often the highest prestige, and thus are often worn by players at any position. Kickers and punters are frequently numbered in the 40's or 90's, which are the least in-demand numbers on a college roster. The increased flexibility in numbering of NCAA rosters is needed since NCAA rules allow 85-player rosters; thus teams would frequently exhaust the available numbers for a position under the NFL rules.
Individual schools often have superstitions or traditions involving certain numbers. It may be a great honor to be given the number "1" uniform, for example, at the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
(worn by Anthony Carter, Derrick Alexander, David Terrell, and Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
), or to be linebacker Number 55 at the University of Southern California. Perhaps most famously, Syracuse University
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
historically reserved number "44" for its best running backs, including Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
, Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis
Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...
, and Floyd Little
Floyd Little
Floyd Douglas Little is a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, and was a three-time American football All-American running back at Syracuse University. In 1967 he was the 6th selection of the first common AFL-NFL draft...
, finally retiring the number permanently in 2005.
One oddity of college football is that the same squad number can be shared by two (or more) players, e.g., an offensive and a defensive player. Usually one of the players is a reserve who rarely plays but there are exceptions: for example on the 2009 USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
squad, the #2 is shared by All-American defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Taylor Mays
Taylor Mays
Taylor Mays is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League.He played college football at USC...
and starting running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
C.J. Gable
C.J. Gable
C. J. Gable is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
. In the 2008 season #2 was worn by Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008−2010...
and by cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Malcolm Jenkins
Malcolm Jenkins
-New Orleans Saints:Jenkins was the first cornerback to be taken by the Saints in the first round since Oregon's Alex Molden went at No. 11 in the 1996 NFL Draft. On August 9, 2009 the Saints agreed to terms with Jenkins on a five-year, $19 million contract....
. In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, the #5 is worn by South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
starting Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Stephen Garcia
Stephen Garcia
Stephen Garcia is an American football quarterback formerly of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference. He is from Lutz, Florida and attended Thomas Jefferson High School where he had 8,000 yards passing and 83 touchdowns as well as 1,345 yards rushing and 17...
and starting Cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore is an American football cornerback. He currently attends the University of South Carolina. Gilmore is regarded as one of the best cornerback prospects of his class.-High school career:...
. Gilmore was also used as a Wildcat quarterback in games against Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 2009 and Southern Miss
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....
in 2010. The player change, since both players wore the same number, caused some confusion among opposing defenses, but was legal, since both players weren't on the field at the same time.
One of the more unusual football uniform numbering anamolies took place in what has become perhaps one of college football's most iconic games, the 1984 matchup between University of Miami and Boston College. In this game, BC quarterback Doug Flutie bested the highly-ranked Hurricanes and their quarterback, Bernie Kosar, on the final play of the game, when he found his roommate, Gerard Phelan, in the end zone to steal the win for the Eagles. While that play, and the game, may be etched in the memories of every American football fan, what is little remembered is the unusual fact that both quarterbacks wore numbers higher than the standard 1-19; Kosar wore the number 20, and Flutie wore the number 22.
Canadian football
Canadian footballCanadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
follows the same general rules as American football, with some minor exceptions. In the original numbering system, offensive linemen wore numbers from 40-69 and numbers 70-79 were allocated to receivers. A rules change in 2008 switched numbers 40-49 from offensive linemen to eligible receivers. Any eligible player, whether he is a quarterback, running back, receiver, or a kicker, can wear any eligible number. Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
wore his Boston College number of 22 when he played quarterback for the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
and No. 20 for the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. Currently, numbers 1-49 and 70-89 are eligible while 50-69 are not. Numbers 90-99 are generally worn on defense although in the early days of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, 90s were common on offense. The number 0 is also allowed in the CFL. A defensive player can wear any number he chooses, regardless of the position he plays.
Rugby league
In rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
each of the thirteen positions on the field traditionally has an assigned shirt number, for example fullback is "1". In recent times squad numbering has been used for marketing purposes in the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
competition. In Super League each player is given a squad number for the whole season, the first choice starting line-up at the beginning of the season will usually be given shirts 1-13 but as interchanges (substitutions) occur during the game and injuries etcetera occur during the season, it is less likely that the number a player wears will match the position they are playing.
Rugby union
When included in the starting line-up, a player's rugby shirt number usually determines their position (or the other way round). Numbers 1-8 are the 'forwards', and 9-15 the 'backs'. Rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
even has a position named simply after the shirt normally worn by that player, the "Number 8", although it is not necessary for the player in the "Number 8" position to be wearing the number eight on his shirt. Several clubs (Leicester and Bristol particularly) used letters instead of numbers on shirts, although have now fallen into line with the rest of the clubs.
Cricket
The 1995-96 World Series CupWorld Series Cup
The World Series Cup was the name of the One Day International cricket tournament that took place in Australia every season between Australia and two touring teams from 1979-80 to 1995-96. The tournament was renamed the World Series from 1990-1. This was the very first of the One Day International ...
in Australia saw the first use of shirt numbers in international cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, with most players assigned their number and some players getting to choose their number, most notably Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
wearing 23 as it was his number when he played junior Aussie Rules for St Kilda Football Club. Other countries soon adopted the practice, although players would typically have different numbers from tournament to tourna, and it wasn't until several years later that players would consistently wear the same number year-round. Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Thomas Ponting , nicknamed Punter, is an Australian cricketer, a former captain of the Australian cricket team between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 2011 in One Day International cricket. He is a specialist right-handed batsman, slips and close catching fielder, as well as a very...
(14) still uses the same number as in that initial season.
Player numbering was first used in the Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
in 1999, where the captains
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
wore the number 1 jersey and the rest of the squad was numbered between 2 and 15. An exception was that South African captain Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje
Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s...
retained his usual number 5 with opener Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten
Gary Kirsten is a former South African cricketer, and the World Cup winning coach of the Indian cricket team. He played 101 Test matches and 185 One-day internationals for South Africa between 1993 and 2004, mainly as an opening batsman...
wearing the number 1 which he had also done previously.
Shirt numbers no longer remain exclusive to the short forms of the game
Short form cricket
Short form cricket is a collective term for several modified forms of the sport of cricket, with playing times significantly shorter than more traditional forms of the game....
, and navy blue numbers are now used on the playing whites in the Sheffield Shield to aid spectators in distinguishing players, but this innovation is unlikely to be used in Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in the next few years. However, a recent fashion that has been taken up by several nations is the process of giving a player making his Test debut an appearance number, along with his Test cap, for reasons of historical continuity. The number is in the order a player makes his Test debut. If two or more players make their debut in the same match, they are given numbers alphabetically based on surname. For example, Thomas Armitage is Test player Number 1 for England. He made his debut in the very first Test Match, against Australia, on 15 March 1877, and was first in alphabetical order amongst that England XI. Ajmal Shahzad
Ajmal Shahzad
Ajmal Shahzad is an English cricketer who plays for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he made his international debut in a Twenty20 International for England in February 2010...
is the most recent test debutant for England, making his debut on 5 June 2010 against Bangladesh. He is Test player Number 650 for England. These numbers can be found on a player's Test uniform, but it is always in discreet small type on the front, and never displayed prominently.
Basketball
American basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
leagues at all levels traditionally use single and double digits between 0 and 5 (i.e. 0, 00, 1-5, 10-15, 20-25, 30-35, 40-45, and 50-55). The NCAA and most amateur competitions mandate that only these numbers be used. This eases non-verbal communication between referees, who use fingers to denote a player's number, and the official scorer. In college basketball, single-digit players' numbers are officially recorded as having a leading zero
Leading zero
A leading zero is any 0 digits, that lead a number string in a positional notation. For example, James Bond's famous identifier, 007, has two leading zeros. Leading zeros occupy most significant digits, which could be left blank or omitted for the same numeric value...
. Teams can have either a "0" or "00", but they cannot have both.
The National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
has always allowed other numbers between 0 and 99, but use of digits 6 through 9 is less common than 0 through 5 since most players tend to keep the numbers that they had previously worn in college. However, with the increase in the number of international players, and other players who have been on national (FIBA) teams who change NBA teams and cannot keep their number with the previous team because another player has worn it or is retired, players have adopted such higher numbers (Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
with #6 in Orlando). When Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
retired in 1993, the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
retired his 23; when he came out of retirement he had to wear 45 until they unretired his 23.
Players in FIBA-organized competitions for national teams, including the Olympic Games
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
and World Championships, must wear numbers from 4 to 15. Under FIBA rules, national federations can also allow any numbers with a maximum of 2 digits for their own competitions; this rule also applies in transnational club competitions, most notably the Euroleague.
Ice hockey
Ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
does not have any formalized uniform numbering rules. Historically, in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, starting goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
s wore Number 1, the backup goalie wore Number 30, and the other players (the "skaters") wore low numbers (generally Number 2 to Number 29). It is still traditional for goaltenders to wear either Number 1 or numbers near Number 30 (in a range from approximately Number 29 to Number 50). Some well-known goalies with non-traditional numbers include José Théodore
José Théodore
José Théodore is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
(Number 60), Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender from Marshall Saskatchewan who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
(Number 70), Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He is now a color commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, and a studio analyst for NHL on the Fly.- Player :Weekes' career began with the Owen...
(Number 80), and Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
(Number 27; Number 72 when Number 27 was unavailable). Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender who is playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
and Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
have both worn Number 20 in honor of their mentor (and in Belfour's case, a position coach at one time in his career), legendary Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...
. Tretiak wore number 20 because in Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
it was a tradition that starting goalie wore number 1, all skaters wore numbers 2-19 and back-up goalie wore the biggest number, 20, in Soviet system.
In recent years, it has become more common for players to wear numbers in the 30s and above. This is due in part to many teams having retired lower numbers. The Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, for example, have only two single-digit numbers left un-retired (6 and 8) and the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
also have two single-digit numbers left un-retired (1 and 6).
A number of players have worn higher numbers up through Number 99 (though Number 99 itself is now retired league-wide in the NHL to honor Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
). For example, Jaromír Jágr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
wore Number 68 in honor of the year of the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
and his grandfather's death; Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
wore Number 89 to honor the year he defected to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
; Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
wears Number 87 because his birth date is August 7, 1987, written "8/7/87" in the U.S. date format; Patrick Kane
Patrick Kane
Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
of the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
wears number 88 because of his birth year, 1988; and Wojtek Wolski
Wojtek Wolski
Wojciech "Wojtek” Wolski is a Polish-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger, currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He previously played for the Colorado Avalanche and the Phoenix Coyotes.-Junior:...
chose 86, representing his birth year of 1986, when he joined the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, as the number 8 he wore with Colorado
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
wasn't available.
Doubling of a single-digit number has occasionally been used for players whose numbers were unavailable. For example, Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
switched to Number 77 when he joined the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
where Number 7 was worn by Rod Gilbert
Rod Gilbert
Rodrigue Gabriel Gilbert is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. He played right wing on the GAG line that also featured Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle...
; and Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
, who succeeded Esposito in wearing Number 7 for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, switched to Number 77 to allow the Bruins to retire Esposito's original Number 7. That same season, Paul Coffey
Paul Coffey
Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
switched to Number 77 when he was traded from Edmonton
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. In addition, Gretzky wore Number 99 because Number 9, which he wore in tribute to Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, was taken on his junior team. Going the other way, Todd Bertuzzi
Todd Bertuzzi
Todd Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
, who wore Number 44 for many years, switched to Number 4 when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 2007, since Number 44 was already in use by alternate captain Rob Niedermayer
Rob Niedermayer
Robert W. Niedermayer, Jr. is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for HC Lugano of the National League A in Switzerland. He also played for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres...
. Jordin Tootoo
Jordin Tootoo
Jordin John Kudluk Tootoo is a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League . He is both the first Inuk player and the first player who grew up in Nunavut to participate in an NHL game....
wears number 22, as the numbers "two two" are pronounced the same as his last name. In a similar vein, Mike Commodore
Mike Commodore
Michael Commodore is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
attempted to wear number 64, a reference to the famed computer
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
when he was acquired by Detroit
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, but ended up wearing the more traditional 22. Sometimes numbers are even reversed. Scott Gomez wore the number 19 when he played for the NY Rangers (he wore 23 during his tenure with the NJ Devils) until he joined the Montreal Canadiens, who had retired that number in honor of Larry Robinson
Larry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
. Instead of changing to a completely different number, he chose 91 and finally switched to 11 for season 2010-11.
Number 84 was the final number to have never been worn in the NHL, until Canadiens forward Guillaume Latendresse
Guillaume Latendresse
-International:-Personal life:His older brother, Olivier, plays for the Abbotsford Heat and was signed by the Phoenix Coyotes. On February 18, 2008, Olivier was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens.-External links:...
first wore the number on September 29, 2006, although he has reversed the number (48) since joining the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. The least-used number is 69, worn for two games in 2003-04 by Mel Angelstad
Mel Angelstad
"Mad" Mel Angelstad is a former professional ice hockey player. He played two games in the NHL, both coming in the 2003–04 NHL Season with the Washington Capitals during which he became the first player to wear #69 in a regular season game. Throughout his career he was known as a feared enforcer,...
of the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
. The last player to wear a form of zero in the NHL was Martin Biron
Martin Biron
Martin Gaston Biron is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders...
, who wore Number 00 with the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in three games in 1995-96. By the time he returned to the Sabres in 1998, the number zero, single digit or double digit, was not allowed anymore, forcing him to wear Number 43. Only three other NHL players have worn number 0 or 00: Paul Bibeault
Paul Bibeault
Paul-Emile "Babe" Bibeault was an ice hockey goaltender.Bibeault started his National Hockey League career in 1940 with the Montreal Canadiens. He would also play for the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. He was a member of the NHL All-Star Team in 1944.-External links:*...
(0), John Davidson (00), and Neil Sheehy
Neil Sheehy
Neil Kane Sheehy is a retired American ice hockey player with dual citizenship. He grew up in International Falls, Minnesota....
(0).
Auto racing
In most auto racing leagues, cars are assigned numbers. The configuration of stock cars, however, makes the numbers much more prominent. (Aerodynamic open-wheel cars don't have nearly the amount of flat surface that a stock car has.) Numbers are often synonymous with the drivers that carry them. Dale Earnhardt, Sr.Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
is associated with the number 3 (although that number is actually associated more with its owner, Richard Childress
Richard Childress
Richard Childress is a former NASCAR driver and the current team owner of Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As a business entrepreneur, Childress became one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina...
, who has decided to take #3 out of reserve in the Camping World Truck Series when his grandson Austin Dillon races), while Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
is associated with Number 43, Wood Brothers Racing with Number 21, and Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
to the Number 24.
In NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, numbers are assigned to owners and not specific drivers. Drivers that spend a long time on a single race team often keep their numbers as long as they drive for the same owners. When drivers change teams, however, they take a new number that is owned by that team. Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton
Jeffrey Brian "Jeff" Burton , also referred to as JB or The Mayor, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver who drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing. Burton is the younger brother of Ward Burton, who is a former Sprint Cup driver...
, for example, has raced for 3 different teams, and had 4 different numbers in that time. In 1994 and 1995 he raced the Number 8 car, then owned by the Stavola Brothers. From 1996 to mid-2004 he raced for Roush Racing
Roush Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is a racing team competing in NASCAR racing. As one of NASCAR's largest premier racing teams, Roush runs teams in the Sprint and Nationwide Series, and formerly in the Camping World Truck Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series.Roush first entered NASCAR competition in 1988, but had...
, and drove the Number 99 car. After leaving Roush Racing for Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
, he changed to car Number 30 (for the rest of the 2004 season) and now races Number 31 (also an RCR car). The Number 99 car he used to drive for Roush is now driven by Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards
Carl Michael Edwards, II is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #99 Fastenal/Aflac Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series and the #60 Ford in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
. When Dale Earnhardt Jr, having raced under #8 at Cup-level moved from DEI to Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
he attempted to take the number with him. When that failed Hendricks was able to secure the #88 from Robert Yates Racing.
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
car numbers started to be permanently allocated for the whole season in 1974. Prior to this numbers were allocated on a race-by-race basis by individual organisers. From 1974 to the mid 1990s, the numbers 1 and 2 would be allocated to the reigning world champion and his team mate, swapping with the previous year's champions. Once numbers had been allocated, teams retained the same numbers from year to year, only exchanging for 1 and 2 when the drivers' World Championship was won. As a result Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
are infamous for having carried 27 and 28 for many years (every season from 1980 to 1989, and then again from 1991 to 1995), these numbers having originally been allocated to new entrant Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
in 1977 and passed to Ferrari when Alan Jones replaced Jody Scheckter
Jody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former auto racing driver, the Formula One World Drivers Champion.-Career:Scheckter was born in East London, South Africa and educated at Selborne College.-Formula One:...
as World Champion after the 1980 season. Numbers were reallocated occasionally as teams departed and joined the series, but this scheme persisted until the late 1990s; one team, Tyrrell, kept the same numbers (3 and 4) throughout this period for every season between 1974 and 1995.
The system was changed again in 1996. Numbers are now assigned annually, first to the reigning World Champion driver (who receives number 1) and then his team-mate (who receives number 2); after that the numbers are assigned to constructors sequentially according to their position in the previous season's Constructors' Championship, so that numbers are allocated (if the reigning champion is not driving for the reigning constructor's champion team) from 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and so on (skipping 13
Triskaidekaphobia
Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number ; it is a superstition and related to a specific fear of Friday the 13th, called paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.The term was first used by Isador Coriat in Abnormal...
with the seventh-placed team using 14 and 15). The only stipulation is that the World Drivers' Champion is entitled to the number 1 car regardless of the constructor's results; this is relevant when the winning driver's team failed to win the Constructors Championship, or if the winning driver changes teams after winning the championship for example, when Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
moved to the Arrows
Arrows
Arrows Grand Prix International was a British Formula One team active from to . For a period of time, it was also known as Footwork.-Origins :...
team for the 1997 season
1997 Formula One season
The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 9, 1997, and ended on October 26 after seventeen races.-Season summary:...
. This situation happened again in 2007
2007 Formula One season
The 2007 Formula One season was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen events. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the...
when 2006 champion Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, who is currently racing for Ferrari....
left Renault to join McLaren, earning him and his rookie teammate, Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...
, the numbers 1 and 2; and again in 2010 when Jenson Button
Jenson Button
Jenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...
moved to McLaren from Brawn GP
Brawn GP
Brawn GP Formula One Team, the trading name of Brawn GP Limited, was a Formula One motor racing team and constructor, created by a management buyout of Honda Racing F1 Team. It only competed in the 2009 Formula One World Championship, with drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The team...
.
If a driver wins the World Championship but does not defend his title the following season, tradition dictates that the racing number 1 is not allocated; the reigning World Champion constructor then receives numbers 0 and 2. Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
received car number 0 in 1993
1993 Formula One season
The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1993 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 14, 1993 and ended on November 7 after sixteen races...
due to Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
's move to the CART PPG Indy Car World Series in the U.S., and again in 1994
1994 Formula One season
The 1994 Formula One season was the 45th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1994 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 27, 1994, and ended on November 13 after sixteen races. The season is remembered as one of the most tragic and controversial seasons in...
, this time due to Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
's retirement. This tradition has not always been in place; Ronnie Peterson
Ronnie Peterson
Bengt Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver. He was a two-time runner-up in the FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.Peterson began his motor racing career in kart racing, traditionally the discipline where the majority of race drivers begin their careers in open-wheel racing...
received number 1 in the 1974
1974 Formula One season
The 1974 Formula One season was the 25th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1974 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1974 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, contested concurrently over a fifteen race series which commenced on 13 January and ended on 6 October...
; although he didn't win the championship the previous year
1973 Formula One season
The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on October 7 after fifteen races.-Season summary:...
, due to Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
's retirement, his Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
team was allowed to keep Number 1 as they had won the constructors' title.
A similar system is used in many European-style championships at national and international level; the Champion receives number 1, and others are allocated by either by a driver's placing in the previous season (3rd place the year before equates to race number 3) or by the team's placing in the Team/Constructor championship. If the Championship driver does not return, the Championship team will be allowed to use #1.
While it is also the rule in the Indy Racing League that #1 can be used by the Champion Team (Rule 4.4B) from the previous season, the majority of champions since 1998 have ignored the tradition because of team or sponsor requests to keep their normal numbers in order to keep their team identity, similar to NASCAR. After the 1998 IRL season, Kenny Brack
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
, who won the title driving for A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won...
, did not carry #1, mainly out of deference to the tradition and identity of Foyt's #14. Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...
, who won the 2000 championship for Hemelgarn Racing, kept #91 after fans voted to keep the traditional Helmegarn identity of #91. Sam Hornish, Jr.
Sam Hornish, Jr.
Racing League]] championships. He currently drives the #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger for Penske Racing part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He also drives the #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford when Travis Kvapil is unable to drive the car....
never wore the #1 after any of his three championships — after the 2001 and 2002 seasons, Panther Racing kept its #4, which is associated both with its sponsor Pennzoil (the late 1970s Pennzoil Chaparral of Jim Hall carried #4) and Panther co-owner Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
(who wore #4 for most of his NFL career except with Carolina
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, where John Kasay
John Kasay
John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
had #4, so he wore #14 in honor of Foyt), and after the 2006 season, the Penske Racing #6 remained. In 2004, Tony Kanaan
Tony Kanaan
Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho, commonly known as Tony Kanaan is a Brazilian race car driver of Lebanese heritage. Kanaan won the 2004 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series championship driving Andretti Green Racing's 7-Eleven sponsored car, winning three times in his Honda-powered Dallara...
, driver for Andretti Green Racing
Andretti Green Racing
Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship, and U.S. F2000 National Championship.-Current IndyCar Drivers and Cars:*7 Danica Patrick, GoDaddy.com*26 Marco Andretti...
's #11 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
sponsored car, won the championship and kept the #11 to keep the sponsor's identity with the #11. An exception to this was Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon
Scott Ronald Dixon, MNZM is a New Zealand motor racer who became the most successful all-time driver in the Indy Racing League championship in the United States when he won the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in August 2009. This took his total to 21 wins...
, who opted to take up the #1 following his championship victory in 2003, only to suffer after the title, as the team never recovered from an offseason tire testing crash that killed his rookie teammate. When he won the championship again in 2008 he chose not to take up the #1 for 2009, citing the events of 2004 as his reason. Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti
George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scottish racing driver. He formerly competed in the CART series before switching to the IndyCar Series where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is also a former NASCAR driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, competing...
, who won in 2009 and is competing in 2010, is not using #1, but instead keeping the Ganassi #10.
Other sports
Other sports which feature players with numbered shirts, but where the number that may be worn is not relevant to the player's position and role are:- BaseballUniform number (Major League Baseball)As in many sports, a baseball player's uniform number has the purpose of identifying the player. However, it has come over time to have a much more significant meaning to the player and fans. A number can be symbolic of a player's legacy, and has resulted in all kinds of superstition...
- Field hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- Team handballTeam handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
In water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
, players wear swim cap
Swim cap
A swim cap, swimming cap or bathing cap, is a silicone, latex or lycra cap worn on the head by recreational and competitive swimmers....
s bearing a number. Under FINA
International Swimming Federation
Fédération Internationale de Natation is the International Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in the aquatic sports...
rules, the starting goalkeeper wears Number 1, the substitute goalkeeper wears Number 13, and remaining players wear numbers 2 though 12. In road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
, numbers are assigned to cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
s by race officials, meaning they change from race to race. Each team has numbers in the same group of ten, excluding multiples of ten, for example 11 through 19 or 21 through 29. If a race has squads of smaller than nine, each still uses numbers from the same group of ten, perhaps 31 through 36 where the next squad will have 41 through 46. Usually, but not always, the rider who wears a number ending in 1 is the squad's leader and the one who will try for a high overall placing. If the race's defending champion is in the field, he or she wears number 1.
In floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
all players are required to have number between 1-99 on their jersey, but goalies are only players who can play with number 1.
Retired numbers
Retiring a player's number is an honor bestowed on a successful player, usually after the player has left the team or retires from the game. His team will stop issuing the number that the player wore, and no other player from the team is permitted to use that number in the future (unless the honored player permits it). It is also bestowed on players who have either died or had their careers ended by serious injury. The first number retired by a team in a professional sport was number 6, retired by the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1934 in honor of Ace Bailey
Ace Bailey
Irvine Wallace "Ace" Bailey was an ice hockey player who competed for the Toronto Maple Leafs during eight seasons, from 1926–1933.-Playing career:...
.
If a jersey is retired and an active player is still wearing it, the player is usually permitted to wear the number for his entire career. For instance, when the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
retired Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
's #7 in 1987, it was being worn by then-captain Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
. However, during the retirement ceremony, Bourque approached Esposito and pulled off his jersey to reveal a new #77 jersey underneath--"surrendering" his old number in Esposito's favor.
In rare cases, a number may be retired because of the player's endeavors in other fields. For example, former college football star Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
's number 48 was retired by the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
football squad by virtue of his future career as the 38th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
It is also a common practice for teams to take certain numbers out of circulation without formally retiring them. However, it is generally understood in these cases that these numbers will not be worn again. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
have not reissued the jersey numbers of several of their greatest players--most notably Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
's #12, Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
' #32, and Joe Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
's #75. Although the Steelers have only formally retired one number in their history - Ernie Stautner
Ernie Stautner
-References:* * *-External links:*...
's number 70 - it is generally understood that no Steeler will ever wear 12, 32 or 75 again. Similarly, with the exception of a pair of quarterbacks in the mid-1980s, the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
have not re-issued Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
's number 5 since his departure from the team following the 1966 season. The Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
do not officially retire numbers, but it is generally understood that Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
's #12, Bob Lilly
Bob Lilly
Robert Lewis Lilly is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League and photographer. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.-College career:...
's #74, Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
's #8, and Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
's #22 will never be worn again in the regular season (though the Cowboys have occasionally used Lilly's 74 in the preseason).
In NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, only once has a number been officially retired; that is in the Whelen Modified Tour
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
, where number 61 is retired for Richie Evans
Richie Evans
Richard Ernest Evans , was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports"...
after his death in 1985. NASCAR unofficially retired the number 3 in honor of the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
after his death on the track
Death of Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt was an American race car driver who gained fame driving stock cars for NASCAR and winning seven championships. He was involved in a car accident during the last lap of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2001. He was taken to Halifax Medical Center,...
at the 2001 Daytona 500
2001 Daytona 500
The 2001 Daytona 500, the 43rd running of the event, was held on February 18, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida over 200 laps on the 2.5 mile asphalt tri-oval. Bill Elliott won the pole. The race will be forever remembered for the final lap...
. Earnhardt's old team changed to the number 29, and the replacement driver (Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
) has driven the 29 car ever since. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
* NOTE: References to "Earnhardt", "he", and "him" refer to the subject of this article, unless otherwise specified. References to his father will include "Sr."...
made two special appearances in a number 3 car in the Busch Series in 2002 and again in the renamed Nationwide Series on July 2, 2010 at Daytona, but otherwise the number 3 was absent from all three national touring series until 2009, when Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon is an American stock car racing driver. He is the son of former driver and RCR general manager Mike Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress....
drove a number 3 in the Camping World Truck Series. Dillon is the grandson of Earnhardt's longtime friend and car owner Richard Childress
Richard Childress
Richard Childress is a former NASCAR driver and the current team owner of Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As a business entrepreneur, Childress became one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina...
, and he drives for Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
.
Although the practice originated in, and is still mostly restricted to North American sports, some Association football clubs have started doing this as squad numbers have become common. AS Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, Internazionale, Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
, Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
and Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
have all recently retired shirt numbers. The Swans retired the shirt number of Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj was an Austrian professional football player who last played as a striker for Swansea City. He was ethnic Albanian.He died of a suspected heart attack on 15 May 2010 at the age of 22.-Liverpool:...
after he died in his sleep, of a suspected heart attack, at his family home in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Manchester City, Lens and Lyon all retired the shirt number of Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé
Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian international footballer, who played in midfield for both club and country. With success in the French League, and stints in the English Premier League, his sudden death, while in the middle of an international competitive fixture, came as a shock to the worldwide...
after his death on the field in the 2003 Confederations Cup; the Cameroon national team
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
also attempted to retire Foé's number, but FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
prevented them from doing so. FIFA also rejected an attempt by Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
to retire the number of Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
. Some teams have also retired number 12 in honor of their fans, or the "Twelfth Man
12th Man (football)
The 12th man or 12th player is a term used to describe the fans within a stadium during association football or American football games. This term has a different meaning in cricket, referring to the first substitute player who fields when a member of the fielding side is injured...
".
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
, the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
player in the modern era of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, had his number 42 retired league-wide in 1997 (although those players who were wearing the number at the time were permitted to retain it for the duration of their careers — as of the , Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
is the only remaining active player wearing the number). In 1999, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's number 99 was likewise retired league-wide by the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
upon his retirement from the game.
In Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
ice hockey, if a player's number is retired, family members (most notably his son, or son-in-law) can use the retired number if he plays for the same organization. Timo Nummelin
Timo Nummelin
Timo Nummelin is a retired professional football and ice hockey player who played in SM-liiga and the predecessor of Veikkausliiga ....
had his number 3 retired by TPS
TPS (ice hockey)
TPS or Turun Palloseura is an ice hockey team and 11-time champion of SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the HK Arena. In terms of championships, TPS is the most successful team in SM-liiga history.-Team history:...
, and later his son, Petteri Nummelin
Petteri Nummelin
Petteri Nummelin is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman, and a former NHL defenceman for the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. He currently plays for HC Lugano of the Swiss Nationalliga A. He was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets as their fifth-round pick, #133 overall, in the...
, wore number 3 for the team. Similarly, Italian AC Milan has promised to retire Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
's number 3 once he retires, but with a provision that it could be used by his sons if either of them makes the club's first team squad.
Following the death of Wouter Weylandt
Wouter Weylandt
Wouter Weylandt was a Belgian professional cyclist for UCI ProTeam and later for . His first major win was the 17th stage of the 2008 Vuelta a España. He also won the 3rd stage of the 2010 Giro d'Italia...
in the 2011 Giro d'Italia
2011 Giro d'Italia
The 2011 Giro d'Italia was the 94th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started on 7 May with a team time trial in Turin to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, when the city served as the first capital of the single state.The route was...
cycle race, organizers decided that they would not re-assign Weylandt's bib number of 108 in future editions of the race.
See also
- Competition numberCompetition numberIn many sports, a competition number is used to identify and differentiate the competitors taking part in the competitive endeavour. For example, runners in a race will wear a prominent competition number so that they may be clearly identified from a distance....
in individual sports - Retired numbers in association football
- List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
- List of NHL retired numbers
- List of National Football League retired numbers
- List of National Basketball Association retired jersey numbers
External links
- English football's experiments with numbering
- Article in The Guardian about the Number 1 goalkeeper jersey
- Overcompetitive.com - tongue-in-cheek look at the traditions behind numbers 1 to 11 in football
- Baseball Hall of Fame, with uniform numbers
- Retired numbers for NFL franchises
- More than just a number? The importance of a squad number.