Balls and kits · 1928
Numbers and colours
The facts
- In England, numbered shirts were first worn in league games in 1928 and became compulsory in 1939.
- Classic numbers followed positions: 1 the goalkeeper, 9 the striker, 10 the playmaker.
- The Laws say the two teams must wear colours that are different from each other and from the referees, and each goalkeeper wears a colour of their own.
The story
- On 25 August 1928, Arsenal and Chelsea were the first clubs to wear numbers in English league games.
- The numbers followed the 2-3-5 line-up of the time: 1 the goalkeeper, 2 and 3 the backs, 4 to 6 the halves, 7 to 11 the forwards.
- At the 1933 FA Cup final, Everton wore 1 to 11 and Manchester City wore 12 to 22.
- Law 4 says the two teams must wear colours that make them easy to tell apart from each other and from the referees.
Take it to your game
Scan for shirt colours before you get the ball: it tells you who is free.
Sources
- Wikipedia · Squad number (association football)
- IFAB Laws of the Game · Law 4 The Players’ Equipment