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Players in the National Football League (NFL) wear uniform numbers between 0 and 99, with no two players on a team able to wear the same number outside of the offseason. Rules exist which tie a player's number to a specific range of numbers for their primary position. Additionally, rules exist which limit who may handle the ball on offense: generally players who are designated as offensive linemen, who wear numbers 50–79, are not allowed to handle the ball during a play from scrimmage, though they are allowed to do so if they report to the referee as playing out of position for a tackle-eligible play, if they pick up a fumble, or if they catch a deflected pass.
The earliest numbering systems were significantly different from the modern variation. Until the 1920s, when the NFL limited its rosters to 22 players, it was rare to see player numbers much higher than 25 (Red Grange was a notable exception, wearing 77 with the Chicago Bears while playing halfback, which would not be allowed under current NFL rules), and numbers had little correlation with positions (in 1929, the Orange Tornadoes subverted the system even further, experimenting with using letters instead of numbers).
The numbering system used today originated when all teams employed some variation of the single wing formation on offense. When teams switched to the T-formation in the 1930s and 1940s, the numbers were taken with them to whichever position evolved from the old single wing position. This numbering system originated in college football and was used only informally in the NFL until 1952; the backs were given numbers in the 10–49 range and the offensive line numbers in the 50–89 range. Earlier, defensive players wore numbers that reflected their offensive position, as many players played both offense and defense. For example, quarterbacks and halfbacks usually played in the defensive back field and so had numbers in the 10–49 range, defensive line numbers ranged from 50–89, while linebackers (who often played fullback or tight end on offense) could have just about any number. Split ends (precursors to modern wide receivers) had numbers in the 80s, and many would play cornerback (e.g., Night Train Lane, who wore 81 as a cornerback).[ citation needed ]
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) of the 1940s, which later merged with the NFL, had a different numbering system with quarterback in the 60-69 range (Otto Graham), fullbacks in the 70-79 range (Marion Motley), halfbacks in the 80-89 range, ends in the 50-59 range (Mac Speedie), tackles in the 40-49 range (Lou Groza), guards in the 30-39 range, and centers in the 20-29 range (Frank Gatski). 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 going to a standard numbering system in 1952. This resulted in many star players having to change their numbers mid-career. Examples are Otto Graham going from 60 to 14, Norm Van Brocklin going from 25 to 11, Marion Motley going from 76 to 36, and Tom Fears going from 55 to 80.[ citation needed ]
The American Football League (AFL) of the 1960s, which also later merged with the NFL, used essentially the same numbering system as the NFL with some exceptions, mostly pertaining to wide receivers, who were allowed to wear numbers in the teens and 20s (as the AFL had a greater priority toward offense, the league often made use of flankers, receivers positioned in the backfield). The AFL's numbering system also allowed for the use of a double-zero as a number, which was used by future Hall of Fame player Jim Otto, center for the Oakland Raiders; after wearing the number 50 in his rookie season, he switched to 00 (which was said as 'aught, oh', a homonym of Otto), which he wore for the remainder of his career.
The NFL imposed a more rigid numbering system in 1973. When it went into effect, players who had played in the league before the 1973 season were given a grandfather clause to continue wearing their now-prohibited numbers. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner was the last player covered by the clause, wearing number 18 through the 1986 NFL season, after which he retired (Under the current jersey system, Joiner's #18 would have been allowed for a Wide receiver to wear). Joiner was the last active player who began his career in the AFL. [1] The last player to be grandfathered who wore a number that would not have been allowed under the current jersey system was Julius Adams, who retired in 1985 wearing the number 85 as an Defensive End, although Adams did return to play in 1987 wearing the number #69.
From 1973 to 2020, five major changes were made. In 1979, the NFL allowed defensive linemen to wear numbers 90–99 and centers 60–79. [2] In 1984, the NFL allowed linebackers to wear jersey numbers in the 90–99 range, since more teams were making use of the 3–4 defense and thus were quickly exhausting numbers for linebackers, who previously were only allowed to wear numbers in the 50–59 range. [3] Another change occurred in 2004, when the NFL allowed wide receivers to wear numbers 10–19 in addition to the 80–89 range; this was due to several NFL teams retiring 80-range numbers, as well as teams employing more receivers and tight ends in their offense. [3] Since 2010, defensive linemen are allowed to wear numbers 50–59; this is in part because of the interchangeability of linebackers and defensive ends (a defensive end in a 4–3 defense would be an outside linebacker in a 3–4 defense). In 2015, the NFL Competition Committee allowed linebackers to wear numbers from 40–49. [4]
In 2021, NFL owners passed a rule expanding available numbers and simplifying the numbering system. The system had three different number groupings for offense and three for defense. The changes included the addition of numbers 1–19 and 80–89 for running backs, 1–9 and 20–49 for wide receivers, 1–39 for tight ends and linebackers, and 1–19 for defensive backs. [5] In 2023, a playing rule was passed allowing players to wear the jersey number 0, and kickers and punters were given eligibility to use numbers 20–49 and 90–99. [6]
Number range | QB | RB / WR / TE | OL | DL | LB | DB | K / P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–19 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
20–49 | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
50–59 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
60–79 | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
80–89 | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
90–99 | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
The numbers used relate to the player's primary position when they are first assigned a number. If they later change positions, they can keep their prior number, provided they have spent at least one season at their original position, unless it conflicts with the eligible receiver rule; that is, only players that change positions from an eligible position (such as receiver or back) to an ineligible position (such as an offensive lineman) are required to change numbers if they change position. An example of this is running back Ty Montgomery, who wore number 88 throughout his NFL career because he began his career as a wide receiver. [7] Devin Hester is another example; he was originally drafted as a cornerback and was allowed to keep his number 23 when he converted to a wide receiver. Some receivers have worn jersey numbers in the nineties such as Mike Ditka wearing 98 for the Philadelphia Eagles and Keith Ortego wearing 96 for the Chicago Bears.
Additionally, during a game a player may play out-of-position, but only after reporting in to the officials, who will announce to the stadium that a specific player number has reported in (for example, "Number 61 has reported as an eligible receiver") to alert the opposing team, other officials, and the audience that a player is legally out-of-position. A 2015 rule clarification made it illegal to use unusual formations (such as a tackle split wide in the slot position, but still "covered" by a wide receiver) to obscure who is and is not eligible based on uniform numbers without having to report ineligible numbers.
Long snappers typically will wear 40–59, with some exceptions. Long snappers, despite being an official roster position, do not have an official rule for their numbers in the rule book.
The rulebook also allows players to appeal for exemptions to the numbering rules directly to the commissioner's office, which may grant such exceptions on occasion.
Many NFL teams have retired some numbers in honor of the team's best players. Generally when a number is retired, future players for the team may not wear it. The NFL officially discourages (but does not prevent) teams from retiring numbers, as the limited number of uniform numbers available for each position can be depleted. Some teams will hold official "number retirement" ceremonies, others have "informally" retired numbers by simply not issuing them. For teams that do not retire uniform numbers, they often honor players in other ways, such as team halls of fame or the like.
Following the NFL number standardization of 1973, numbers 0 and 00 were no longer eligible to be issued by teams. But this has been recently changed in recent years. It was changed by the NFL in 2023 that made it so any player can wear any number they want from 0-99 if it hasn't already been taken. Prior to this, some players had made occasional use of both 0 and 00. Quarterback Johnny Clement, running back Johnny Olszewski, and safety Obert Logan all wore a single-0 jersey in the NFL. Author George Plimpton wore 0 during a brief preseason stint at quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Linebacker Bryan Cox wore 0 in the 2001 preseason with the New England Patriots; for the regular season, he switched to 51. [8] In addition to Jim Otto, wide receiver Ken Burrough of the Houston Oilers also wore "00" during his NFL career in the 1970s.
Starting with the 2023 season, number 0 was once again allowed to be issued to any player except offensive and defensive linemen. [9] Notable players who switched to number 0 include running back D'Andre Swift of the Philadelphia Eagles, wide receiver Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and linebacker Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens. In all, 12 players chose to don number 0 in 2023. [10]
In gridiron football, not all players on offense are entitled to receive a forward pass: only an eligible pass receiver may legally catch a forward pass, and only an eligible receiver may advance beyond the neutral zone if a forward pass crosses into the neutral zone. If the pass is received by a non-eligible receiver, it is "illegal touching". If an ineligible receiver is beyond the neutral zone when a forward pass crossing the neutral zone is thrown, a foul of "ineligible receiver downfield" is called. Each league has slightly different rules regarding who is considered an eligible receiver.
The quarterback, colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually considered the leader of the offense, and is often responsible for calling the play in the huddle. The quarterback also touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and is almost always the offensive player that throws forward passes. When the QB is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, it is called a sack.
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A number of NFL rules specifically address restrictions and requirements for the offensive line, whose job is to help protect the quarterback from getting sacked for a loss, or worse, fumbling. The defensive line is covered by the same rules that apply to all defensive players. Linemen are usually the largest players on the field in both height and weight, since their positions usually require less running and more strength than skill positions.
The tight end (TE) is an offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver. As part of the receiver corps, they play inside the flanks (tight), contrasted with the split end who plays outside the flanks (wide). Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be effective blockers. On the other hand, unlike offensive linemen, they are eligible receivers and potent weapons in a team's offensive schemes.
Strategy is a major part of American football.
Gameplay in American football consists of a series of downs, individual plays of short duration, outside of which the ball is or is not in play. These can be plays from scrimmage – passes, runs, punts or field goal attempts – or free kicks such as kickoffs and fair catch kicks. Substitutions can be made between downs, which allows for a great deal of specialization as coaches choose the players best suited for each particular situation. During a play, each team should have no more than 11 players on the field, and each of them has specific tasks assigned for that specific play.
In gridiron football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.
A formation in American football refers to the position players line up in before the start of a down. There are both offensive and defensive formations and there are many formations in both categories. Sometimes, formations are referred to as packages.
In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two expansion teams were slotted into the two remaining divisions that previously had only four teams : the AFC Central (Jaguars) and the NFC West (Panthers).
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana, before the season.
In football, the tackle-eligible play is a forward-pass play in which coaches will attempt to create mismatches against a defense by inserting an offensive tackle, into an offensive formation as an eligible receiver, usually as a tight end or as a fullback. This is done by changing the formation of the offensive line, via positioning two linemen on one side of the center and three linemen on the other.
In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player 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.
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitutions", meaning that they may change any number of players during any "dead ball" situation. This has resulted in the development of three task-specific "platoons" of players within any single team: the offense, the defense, and "special teams". Within these three separate "platoons", various positions exist depending on the jobs that the players are doing.
The New England Patriots generally run a modified Erhardt-Perkins offensive system and a Fairbanks-Bullough 3–4 defensive system, though they have also used a 4–3 defense and increased their use of the nickel defense.
The Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) sport a bear head logo, which the team has used as their primary since 2023. Since the team's inception in 1920, the Bears' uniforms have received very little changes, with minor changes and various patches added. The classic look of the club's uniforms has given it the title of one of the best uniform sets in the league. During its history, the Bears have worn uniforms manufactured by Nike, Reebok, and Champion.
In American football, uniform numbers are displayed on both the front and back of the jersey, and in many cases the sleeves, shoulder pad, or occasionally helmets. The numbers on the front and back are very large, covering most of the jersey. Certain numbers may only be worn by players in specific positions, thus assisting the officials in determining penalties.
The A-11 offense is an offensive scheme that has been used in some levels of amateur American football. In this offense, a loophole in the rules governing kicking formations is used to disguise which offensive players would be eligible to receive a pass for any given play. It was designed by Kurt Bryan and Steve Humphries of Piedmont High School in California.
The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see Glossary of Canadian football.