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In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, or uniform number is the number worn on a player's uniform. Team sport refers to Sports that are practiced between opposing teams where the players interact directly and simultaneously between them to achieve an objective Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively A number is an Abstract object, tokens of which are Symbols used in Counting and measuring. The number is typically displayed on the rear of the jersey, often accompanied by the surname. A jersey is an item of Knitted Clothing, traditionally in Wool or Cotton, with Sleeves worn as a Pullover; this is Sometimes it is displayed also on the front and/or sleeves. It is used to identify the player to officials, other players, and official scorers; in some sports, it is also indicative of the player's position.

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Association football

A football striker wearing the number 10 shirt, traditionally employed by players of his position.
A football striker wearing the number 10 shirt, traditionally employed by players of his position. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing

First use of numbers

In association football, the first advent of players wearing numbered shirts came in 1908 when the University of Pittsburgh started to numbers its backfield players according to The History Of American Football. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Others copied it August 25, 1928, when Arsenal and Chelsea wore numbered shirts in their left across each line the numbering was:

  1. Goalkeeper
  2. Right full back (right back)
  3. Left full back (left back)
  4. Right half back (right half)
  5. Centre half back (centre half)
  6. Left half back (left half)
  7. Outside right (right winger)
  8. Inside right
  9. Centre forward
  10. Inside left
  11. Outside left (left winger)

, e. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring In Association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries Outside forward is a position in football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside In Football (soccer, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing In Football (soccer, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries Outside forward is a position in football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside g. moving the centre half back to become a defender rather than a half back. Their numbers went with them, hence central defenders wearing number 5, and remnants of the system remain to this day. For example, in friendly and championship qualifying matches England, when playing the 4-4-2 formation, general number their players (using the standard right to left system of listing football teams) 4 defenders - 2,5,6,3; 4 midfielders - 7,4,8,11; 2 strikers - 9,10. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football This system of numbering can also be adapted to a midfield diamond with the holding midfielder wearing 4 and the attacking central midfielder wearing 8. Similarly the Swedish national team number their players: 4 defenders - 2,3,4,5; 4 midfielders - 7,6 (defensive),8 (attacking),9; 2 strikers - 10,11.

The 4-3-3 formation
The 4-3-3 formation

In Brazil, the 4-2-4 formation was developed independently from Europe, thus leading to a different numbering - here shown in the 4-3-3 formation to stress that in Brazil, number ten is midfield:

When in 4-2-4, number 10 passes to the Ponta de Lança (striker), and 4-4-2 formations get this configuration: 4 defenders - 2 (right wingback),3,4,6 (left wingback); 4 midfielders - 5 (defensive),8 ("segundo volante", kind of a central midfielder),7,10 (attacking); 2 strikers - 9, 11

When substitutions were introduced to the game in 1965, the substitute typically took the number 12; when a second substitute was allowed, they wore 14. A substitute is a player in Association football who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Players were not compelled to wear the number 13 if they were superstitious. Triskaidekaphobia (from Greek tris=three kai=and deka=ten is an irrational fear of the number 13; it is a Superstition and related to a specific fear Often the substitute goalkeeper will be assigned the number 13 shirt.

In international football

The move to a fixed number 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. The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the World Cup was held in Switzerland from June 16 to July 4. As a result, the numbers 12 to 22 were assigned to different squad players, with no resemblance to their on-field positions. This meant that a team could start a match not necessarily fielding players wearing numbers one to eleven. Although the numbers one to eleven tended to be given to those players deemed to be the "first choice line-up", this was not always the case for a variety of reasons - a famous example was Johan Cruyff, who insisted on wearing the number 14 shirt.

In the 1958 World Cup, the Brazilian Football Confederation forgot to send the player numbers list to the event organization. The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 29. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF or Confederação Brasileira de Futebol in Portuguese is the governing body of football in Brazil, However, the Uruguyan official Lorenzo Villizzio assigned random numbers to the players. The goalkeeper Gilmar received the number 3, while Pelé was randomly given the number 10 by which he would become famous for. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports [1]

Argentina defied conventions by numbering their squads for the 1978 and 1982 World Cups alphabetically, resulting in outfield players (not goalkeepers) wearing the number 1 shirt. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup was held in Argentina between June 1 and June 25. The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. England used a similar alphabetical scheme for the 1982 World Cup, but retained the traditional numbers for the goalkeepers and the team captain, Kevin Keegan. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th staging of the World Cup was held in Spain from June 13 to July 11. [2] More recently FIFA tournament regulations have stated number 1 must be issued to a goalkeeper. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) [3]

In club football

In 1993, the The Football Association switch to persistent squad numbers, abandoning the mandatory use of 1–11 for the starting line-up. The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey The first league event to feature this was the 1993 Football League Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday, and it became standard in the FA Premier League the following season, along with names printed above the numbers. The 1993 Football League Cup Final (sometimes known as the 1993 Coca Cola Cup Final for Sponsorship reasons took place on 18 April 1993 at The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Most European top leagues adopted the system over the next five years. Players may now wear any number (as long as it is unique within their squad) between 1 and 99.

To date, the highest number worn by a player in the Premier League is 51, by Chelsea's Sam Hutchinson in their match against Everton on May 13, 2007. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Samuel Edward "Sam" Hutchinson (born August 3 1989 in Slough, Berkshire, England) is an English footballer Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [4] It has been suggested the Swindon Town defender Brian Kilcline wore 62 during 1993-94,[5] but he actually wore 31. Swindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. Brian Kilcline (born May 7, 1962 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) is an English former centre-half with Coventry City [6] Both the Brazilian defender Juan[7] and Spanish midfielder Francesc Fàbregas[8] have both worn 57 for Arsenal, but only in Cup matches; in Fabregas' case he did not appear in league games that season and switched to #15, and more recently to #4. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Juan Maldonado Jaimez Junior (born February 06, 1982 in São Paulo) better known as Juan is a Brazilian Left Back who currently Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (born 4 May 1987 in Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Spain is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central In the Football League, the number 55 has been worn by Ade Akinbiyi (Crystal Palace),[9] Bruce Dyer (Millwall) and Dominik Werling (Barnsley). The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Adeola Peter Oluwatoyin "Ade" Akinbiyi (born 10 October 1974 in Hackney, London) is an English -born Nigerian footballer. Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. Bruce Antonio Dyer (born 13 April 1975 in Ilford, London) is an Montserratian professional footballer, who plays as a Millwall Football Club are an English professional football team based at The New Den, referred to by fans as The Den in Bermondsey, Dominik Werling (born December 13 1982 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany) is a German footballer that occupies the left Barnsley Football Club is an English football club based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and nicknamed the Tykes, with Toby Tyke [10]

When Sunderland signed Cameroon striker Patrick Mboma on loan in 2002, he wanted the number 70 (he was born in 1970), but the Premier League refused, stating that it would create a precedent. Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional Association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, which plays in Henri Patrick Mboma Dem (born November 15, 1970 in Douala, Cameroon) is a former Cameroonian football Striker, the Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He wore 7 instead. Similarly, Tottenham Hotspur's Mido requested 99 but the Premier League once again refused, and he instead wore 11. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. Ahmed Hossam Hussein Abdelhamid ( Arabic: احمد حسام حسين عبد الحميد, also known as Mido (born February 23 1983 in Cairo, Egypt

Players are not generally allowed to change their number during a season, although a player may change number if he changes clubs mid-season and there is an incumbent player wearing his old number. Players may change numbers between seasons - a move from a high number to a low one may be an indication that the player is likely to be a regular starter for the coming season. Some players, however, will opt to keep the number they start their career at a club with, such as Chelsea's John Terry, who has worn the number 26 since becoming part of the first-team squad. John George Terry (born 7 December 1980 in Barking, London is an English Professional footballer. On occasion players have moved numbers to accommodate a new player, for example Arsenal's Paul Merson moved from 10 to 9 to allow the incoming Dennis Bergkamp to take the number when he arrived in 1995. Paul Charles Merson (born Harlesden, 20 March 1968) is a retired English football player and former player-manager of Walsall Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch Professional footballer At club level When Alan Smith signed for Newcastle in 2007, the numbers 8, 12 and 15 were available, but he chose the 17 he had worn previously at Leeds United. Alan Smith (born 28 October 1980 in Rothwell, Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English professional footballer currently playing for Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football

Unusual or notable numbers

Shirts of special significance

Over the years certain shirt numbers have developed a significance for the supporters of some football clubs. This is usually because, as a coincidence, it was the number worn by particularly great players in different eras. (This is a different approach to the practice of retiring numbers. In team Sports the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, or uniform number is the Number ) Prominent examples of this are the number 6 shirt at Arsenal (worn by Tony Adams) the 9 shirt at Newcastle United (worn by Malcolm Macdonald and Alan Shearer) and Liverpool (worn by Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres), or the number 7 shirt at Manchester United (worn by George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo) and Liverpool (worn by Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish) or the number 7 shirt at Celtic (worn by Jimmy Johnstone and Henrik Larsson). Year 6 ( VI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Tony Alexander Adams MBE (born 10 October 1966 in Romford, Greater London) is a former English football player who is currently assistant Year 9 ( IX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon Malcolm Ian Macdonald (born 7 January 1950) is a former English footballer nicknamed "Supermac" famed for scoring goals for Alan Shearer, OBE (born 13 August 1970 is an English retired footballer who played as a Striker in the English Premier League for Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Ian James Rush, MBE (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a Striker and is best known for playing Robert Bernard 'Robbie' Fowler, (born 9 April 1975 in Toxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is an English footballer Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984 in Madrid, Spain nicknamed El Niño ("The Kid" is a Spanish footballer, who plays for Liverpool Year 7 ( VII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. George Best (22 May 1946 &ndash 25 November 2005 was a Northern Irish professional football player best known for his years with Manchester United. Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957 is an English former football manager and a former player Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born 24 May 1966 is a French former footballer of the late 1980s and 1990s David Robert Joseph Beckham, and is also a member of the England national team. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira) is a Portuguese footballer Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951 is a former footballer, and former England national team coach who has been manager of various Kenneth Mathieson 'Kenny' Dalglish MBE (born 4 March 1951 in Dalmarnock, Glasgow) is a former Scottish international football The Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the east end of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. James Connolly 'Jimmy' Johnstone ( 30 September, 1944 &ndash 13 March, 2006) was a Scottish footballer. Henrik Edward Larsson, MBE (ˈhɛnrɪk ˈlɑːʂɔn born September 20 1971 in Helsingborg, Scania) is a Swedish footballer, In Argentinean football the number 10 is held in high regard as this was the legendary Diego Maradona's shirt number. Football is the most popular sport in Argentina, it has more registered players than any other sport (54000 in 2002 equivalent to In Italian Football the number 10 has significance, and has been given to important players and captains such as Roberto Baggio,Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero, among others. Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the Football World Cup four times (1934 1938 Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967 in Caldogno, Veneto) is a retired Italian footballer among the most technically gifted Francesco Totti, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born September 27 1976 in Rome) is a World Cup -winning footballer who plays for Italian Alessandro Del Piero, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born November 9 1974 in Conegliano Veneto) is an Italian World Cup -winning footballer [13]

American football

Main article: Uniform number (American football)

NFL

A system of assignment of jersey numbers was initiated in American football's NFL in 1952;[14] it was updated and made more rigid in 1973. In American football, Uniform numbers are more unusual than in any other sport American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. [15] 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 that predated "TV numbers" without them, since as of 2008 "TV numbers" are not mandated under current NFL rules. The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 1980 NFL season was the 61st Regular season of the National Football League. Throwback uniforms and jerseys are one-time or limited-time variations on a sports team's uniforms styled to resemble uniforms from that team's past. The 2008 NFL Season is the 89th season of the National Football League, the major professional American football league in the United States (The same can't be said for players last names on the back of jerseys, which are required to be on all uniforms, even throwbacks that predated the last name rule. ) Most recently, the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Steelers wore throwbacks without "TV numbers". The 2007 season of the National Football League (NFL was the 88th season played by the major professional American football league in the United The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Many uniforms also feature numbers either on the front, back, or sides of the helmet (in pro football, these were most famously worn on the San Diego Chargers "powder-blue" uniforms). The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. Players have often asked the NFL for an exception to the rule. In 2006, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush requested to keep the number 5 he wore in college. The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans Louisiana. Reginald Alfred Bush II (born March 2 1985 in San Diego Ca) is an American football player who plays for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. His request was declined, and he was assigned number 25 by the team. [16]

Below is the numbering system established by the NFL, and in place since 1973:[17]

  • Since 2004,[18] Wide receivers are also allowed to wear numbers between 10 and 19 if they so choose, even if there's an 80-89 number available. A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football

It should be noted that this NFL numbering system is based on a player's primary position. Any player wearing any number may play at any position on the field 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 large lineman play at fullback or tight end in short yardage situations. Also, 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. In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation is any offensive formation having exactly one Wingback and one Tight end When teams switched to the T-formation in the 30s and 40s, the numbers were taken with them to whatever position evolved from the old single wing position. 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 This numbering system originated 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, left halfbacks or flankers (1-back) were given 10's, Blocking backs or quarterbacks (2 backs) were given numbers in the 20s, fullbacks or 3-backs) were given numbers in the 30s, and right halfbacks, what would become simple the halfback or running back (4-backs) in the 40's, centers in the 50's, guards in the 60's, tackles in the 70's, and ends in the 80's. 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 halfback would usually play in the defensive back field and so had numbers in the 10s, 20s and 40s. Fullbacks were linebackers and had numbers in the 30s; Centers and guards were linebackers as well and has 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 (e. g. Emlen Tunnell) would be cornerbacks and tight ends (e. Emlen Lewis Tunnell ( March 29, 1922 - July 22, 1975) was an American football player g. Fred Dryer, Buck Buchanan} would be defensive ends but all would have numbers in the 80s. John Frederick "Fred" Dryer (born July 6, 1946 in Hawthorne California) son of the late Charles F Junious "Buck" Buchanan ( September 10 1940 &ndash July 16 1992) was an American football Defensive tackle who The original numbering system was based on the single wing offense and went as follows: Tailback or left halfback (e. In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation is any offensive formation having exactly one Wingback and one Tight end g. Frank Gifford) had a number in the 10s. Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford (born August 16 1930) is a former American football player and one of the better-known American The blocking back, which evolved into the quarterback in the T formation, had a number in the 20s (e. 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 g. Bobby Layne and John Hadl, and Doug Flutie during his college career). Robert Lawrence Layne ( December 19 1926 &ndash December 1 1986) was born in Santa Anna Texas, USA John Willard Hadl (born February 15, 1940 in Lawrence Kansas) is a former professional American football player Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is a retired American football and Canadian football Quarterback. The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The fullback had a number in the 30s and the right halfback had a number in the 40s. One the line the center was in the 50s, the gurards were in the 60s, the tackles were in the 70s and the ends were in the 80s. The CFL had a very different number system with the ends in the 70s, making wide receivers up until recent times having 70s numbers. The Canadian Football League (CFL ( Ligue canadienne de football (LCF in The AAFC had a different numbering system with quarterback in the 60s (Otto Graham), fullbacks in the 70s (Marion Motley), halfbacks in the 80s, ends in the 50s (Mac Speedie), tackles in the 40s (Lou Groza), guards in the 30s and centers in the 20s. The All-America Football Conference (AAFC was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL from 1946 Otto Everett Graham Jr ( December 6, 1921 - December 17, 2003) was an American professional football and Basketball player Marion Motley ( June 5, 1920 - June 27, 1999) was a former American Football fullback who played for the Cleveland Mac Speedie ( January 12, 1920 – March 12, 1993) was a football player who starred as a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns Louis Roy Groza ( January 25, 1924 - November 29, 2000) was an American football Placekicker who played his entire 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 in mid-career. Examples are Otto Graham going from 60 to 14, Norm Van Brocklin going from 25 to 11 and Tom Fears going from 55 to 80. Otto Everett Graham Jr ( December 6, 1921 - December 17, 2003) was an American professional football and Basketball player Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin ( March 15, 1926 &ndash May 2, 1983) Thomas Jesse Fears ( December 3, 1923 - January 4, 2000) was an American football Wide receiver for the Los Angeles

NCAA and high school

In college football, 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 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, like at the University of Michigan. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research Perhaps most famously, Syracuse University historically reserved number "44" for its best running backs, including Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little,[19] finally retiring the number permanently in 2005. Syracuse University (SU is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American former professional football player who has also made Ernie Davis (December 14 1939 &ndash May 18 1963 was an American football Running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Floyd Douglas Little (born July 4, 1942 in New Haven Connecticut) was a three-time American football All-American Running back Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [20]

On high school and other lower youth teams, jerseys with different number ranges are different sizes, and since many of these teams don't reorder jerseys every year, players are often assigned numbers based more on jerseys that fit them rather than specific position (though the rules on numbering the offensive line still apply).

Rugby codes

See main articles: Rugby union positions and Rugby league positions. A Rugby union team is made up of 15 players eight forwards numbered from 1 to 8 and seven backs numbered from 9 to 15 A typical Rugby league team consists of thirteen players on the field plus four substitutes on the bench

When included in the starting lineup, a player's rugby shirt number determines their position rigidly in both codes of the game (except in the Super League, which uses unique squad numbering in the same way as the soccer examples cited above). Indeed, rugby union has a position named simply for 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. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short

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 Cup 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. The World Series Cup was the name of the One Day International Cricket tournament that took place in Australia every season between Australia Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969 is a former Australian international Cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian Football League club based in Melbourne Victoria Australia Other countries soon adopted the practice, although players would typically have different numbers from tournament to tournament, 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. Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December 1974 is a professional Australian Cricketer and current captain of the Australian cricket team in One Day International [21]

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 14. The Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International (ODI Cricket. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The captain of a Cricket team is a player who during the course of a match has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player 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. Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje (September 25 1969 - June 1 2002 was a South African Cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in Gary Kirsten (born 23 November 1967 in Cape Town) is a former South African Cricketer and opening batsman

Shirt numbers remains exclusive to the short forms of the game, and is not used in Test 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 Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations 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 #1 for England. He made his debut in the very first Test Match, against Australia, on March 15, 1877, and was first in alphabetical order amongst that England XI. Chris Tremlett is the most recent debutant for England, making his debut on July 19, 2007 against India. Christopher Timothy Tremlett (born 2 September 1981 in Southampton, Hampshire) is an English Cricketer who plays for Hampshire County Cricket Club He is Test player #636 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 basketball leagues at all levels traditionally use single and double digits between 0 and 5 (i. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m 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. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations 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 not both. The National Basketball Association has always allowed other numbers between 0 and 99, but numbers outside the traditional ranges are somewhat unusual. Customarily, especially at high school and lower levels, uniform numbers are higher on physically larger uniforms (except 0 and 00, which are usually worn by centers), so centers and power forwards, typically the tallest players on their teams, tend to wear higher uniform numbers, but this is by no means an infallible rule. Players in FIBA-sanctioned contests, including the Olympic Games wear numbers between 4 and 15, inclusive. The International Basketball Federation ( French: Fédération Internationale de Basketball) more commonly known by the French acronym FIBA The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Leagues that operate under FIBA rules but are not directly sanctioned by FIBA, such as the Euroleague, allow all numbers between 0 and 99. EuroLeague WomenThe Euroleague (EL is one of the professional Basketball competitions in Europe, with teams from thirteen different European countries

Baseball

Main article: Uniform number (Major League Baseball)

At one time, a baseball player's number was specifically related to his place in the batting lineup. Like in many sports, a Baseball player's (or coach's uniform number has the purpose of identifying the player Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The regular starting eight wore numbers 1 through 8, while the backup catcher wore number 9. Starting pitchers generally took numbers 10, 11, 12, and 14, (avoiding the superstitious #13, although some pitchers tried it, perhaps most notably the star-crossed pitcher Ralph Branca), while reserve pitchers and position players took the remaining numbers, 15 through 26. Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca (born January 6, 1926 in Mount Vernon New York) is a former Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball

Even to this day, low numbers are generally associated with being an everyday player, and many players try to get one, no matter what it is. This is also due to the fact that in Spring Training, minor league players unlikely to make the roster are usually given very high numbers, and many players feel that the higher the number, the less likely you are to make the team after Spring Training. In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. Minor leagues are professional Sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports

The notable exceptions to this rule are So Taguchi, the Philadelphia Phillies left fielder who wears #99. is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Former Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter, Cliff Johnson who wore #99 and former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Mitch Williams, who also wore number 99. In Baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6 Cliff Johnson may refer to Cliff Johnson (baseball, former Major League Baseball designated hitter Cliff Johnson (game designer, computer The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Mitch Williams redirects here For the fictional character please see Mitch Williams (General Hospital.

Other players have become attached to a specific number, for whatever reason (including superstition), try to acquire it as they go from club to club, sometimes needing to "bribe" the number's current owner on his new team, a practice Rickey Henderson often did to obtain his favoured 24. Rickey Henley Henderson (born as Rickey Nelson Henley, December 25 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball Outfielder Sometimes they will use a variant. Carlton Fisk wore number 27 when he was a catcher with the Boston Red Sox, and upon being traded to the Chicago White Sox, switched his number to the highly-unusual baseball uniform number 72. Carlton Ernest Fisk (born December 26 1947 in) is a former Major League Baseball Catcher who played for 24 years with the Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Former Red Sox pitcher Eric Gagné, who once wore #38, wore #83. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Éric Serge Gagné ( IPA:) (born January 7 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers The #38 is not available with the Red Sox because longtime pitcher Curt Schilling has it. Curtis Montague Schilling (born November 14 1966 in) is an American Major League Baseball Pitcher. Before joining Toronto, Roger Clemens had always worn #21 with the Red Sox, but Carlos Delgado used that same number with the Blue Jays, so The Rocket gave Delgado a $15,000 Rolex watch for it (Delgado then switched to #23). William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American Right-handed Pitcher in Major Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández (born June 25 1972 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball First baseman for the New York William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American Right-handed Pitcher in Major Rolex SA is a Swiss manufacturer of Wristwatches and accessories [22]

There are also several cases where a player seeks out a number in tribute to someone else. David Ortiz after leaving the Minnesota Twins as a free-agent to sign with the Boston Red Sox, chose #34 in honor of longtime Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett. David Américo Ortiz Arias (born November 18, 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball Designated The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the Outfielder in Baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball fielding position Kirby Puckett (March 14 1960 – March 6 2006 was a Center fielder In 2006, J.T. Snow wore #84 in tribute to his father, Jack (who wore #84 as an NFL player), who died in the previous off-season. Jack Thomas "J T" Snow Jr (born February 26, 1968 in) is a former Major League Baseball player

Many regular Yankees players now have higher than usual uniform numbers because the team has retired more numbers than any other. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York.

It is extremely rare for a pitcher to wear a single-digit number. The only active pitcher who currently does is starter Josh Towers of the Toronto Blue Jays, who wears #7. Joshua Eric Towers (born February 26, 1977 in Port Hueneme California) is a Right-handed Major League Baseball Starting The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 1997, Jeff Juden wore #7 when he was with the Cleveland Indians. Jeffrey Daniel Juden (born January 19, 1971 in Salem Massachusetts) is a former Major League Baseball player The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Juden wore conventional two-digit numbers with all other teams he was on during his career.

Lou Gehrig was the first player in Major League Baseball to have his number, 4, retired. Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American

Major League Baseball has not reissued number 42, because the number has been retired in honor of Jackie Robinson, although all players who currently had the number upon the mass retirement of #42, such as Mo Vaughn were allowed to keep the number under a grandfather clause, if they were wearing the number in honor of Jackie Robinson. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn (born December 15, 1967 in Norwalk, Connecticut) nicknamed "Hit Dog is a former Major League Baseball A grandfather clause is a term used in US English for an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations when a new rule will apply to all future situations Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. However, some players voluntarily switched to other numbers, others retired, and still others were denied the number when they switched teams. The only player left wearing number 42 is Mariano Rivera, a closer for the New York Yankees. Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969 in Panama City, Panama) is a Professional baseball player In Baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL) is a Relief pitcher who specializes in closing out The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York.

However, the number 42 would be worn by a number of players other than Rivera in 2007, which marked the 60th anniversary of Robinson's first appearance in Major League Baseball (the event that broke the sport's 20th-century color line). The 2007 Major League Baseball season was the 107th since the initial co-existence of the American and National Leagues It began on April 1 The baseball color line, sometimes called the " Gentleman's Agreement " was the policy unwritten for nearly its entire duration which excluded African Before the season, Cincinnati Reds star Ken Griffey, Jr. asked Robinson's widow Rachel Robinson and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to wear 42 on April 15, the anniversary date of Robinson's historic game. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey Jr (born November 21 1969 in Donora Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball Center fielder for the Chicago Rachel Robinson (born Rachel Annetta Isum on July 19, 1922) is a former nurse and the widow of the famous African-American baseball player Jackie Allan Huber "Bud" Selig Jr (born July 30, 1934 in Milwaukee Wisconsin) is the Commissioner of Major League Baseball and has Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Both gave their approval, and Selig later ruled that any player who wished to wear 42 on that date could do so. Three teams and several individual players on other teams wore #42 on that date; three other teams whose plans to wear #42 collectively were postponed due to rain on that date did so later in the month.

Ice hockey

Ice hockey does not have any formalized uniform numbering rules. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Historically, in the National Hockey League, starting goaltenders wore #1, the backup goalie wore #30, and the other players (the "skaters") wore low numbers (generally #2-#28). The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America This article is about the goaltender in Ice hockey. For the similar position in other sports see Goalkeeper. It is still traditional for goaltenders to wear either #1 or numbers near #30 (in a range from approximately #29 to #32. ) Some well-known goalies with non-traditional numbers include Jose Theodore (#60) and Ron Hextall (#27. José Nicholas Théodore (born September 13, 1976 in Laval, Quebec) is a Canadian Professional Ice hockey Ron Hextall (born May 3, 1964 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey Goaltender most often associated ) Evgeni Nabokov and Ed Belfour both wear #20 in honor of their mentor, the legendary Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak, who wore that number when he was a player. Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov (Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков (born July 25, 1975 in Ust-Kamenogorsk, U Edward John Belfour (born April 21, 1965 in Carman, Manitoba, Canada) is a former Canadian professional Ice hockey Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak MSM (Владисла́в Алекса́ндрович Третья́к born April 25, 1952 in the village Orudyevo

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 three single-digit numbers left un-retired). The Montreal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal are a professional Ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

A number of players have worn higher numbers up through #99 (though #99 itself is now retired in the NHL). Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26 1961 is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey player For example, Jaromir Jagr wears #68 in honor of the year of the Prague Spring and his grandfather's death; Alexander Mogilny wore #89 to honor the year he defected to the United States from the Soviet Union; and Sidney Crosby wears #87, as his birth date is August 7, 1987, written "8/7/87" in the U. Jaromír Jágr ( pronounced, born February 15 1972 in Kladno, Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic) is a professional Ice hockey The Prague Spring ( Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar) was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny (Александр Геннадиевич Могильный Aleksandr Gennadijevič Mogil'nyj) born on February 18, 1969 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS (born August 7 1987 is a Canadian professional Ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) S. date format. Doubling of a single digit number has occasionally been used for players whose numbers were unavailable. Phil Esposito switched to #77 when he moved to the New York Rangers where #7 was unavailable; Ray Bourque switched to #77 to allow the Boston Bruins to retire Esposito's original #7; the same season, Paul Coffey switched to #77 when he was traded from Edmonton to Pittsburgh. Philip Anthony "Espo" Esposito, OC (born February 20, 1942 is a retired professional hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque (born December 28 1960 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a district of Montreal) is a retired professional Ice hockey The Boston Bruins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Boston Massachusetts. Paul Douglas Coffey (born June 1 1961 in York, Ontario) is a retired professional Ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Wayne Gretzky wore #99 because #9, which he wore in tribute to Gordie Howe, was taken on his junior team. Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC (born March 31 1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan) is a former professional Ice hockey player from Canada Going the other way, Todd Bertuzzi, who wore #44 for many years, switched to #4 when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, since #44 was already in use by alternate captain Rob Niedermayer. Todd Bertuzzi (born 2 February, 1975 in Sudbury, Ontario) is a Canadian professional Ice hockey player for the Calgary The Anaheim Ducks are a professional Ice hockey team based in Anaheim California, USA. Robert W Niedermayer Jr (born December 28, 1974) is a Canadian Ice hockey centre with the Anaheim Ducks

#84 was the final number to have never been worn NHL, until Canadiens forward Guillaume Latendresse first wore the number on September 29, 2006. Guillaume Latendresse (born May 24, 1987 in Sainte-Catherine, Québec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The last player to wear a form of zero in the NHL was Martin Biron, who wore 00 with the Buffalo Sabres in three games in 1995-96. Martin Gaston Biron (born August 15, 1977) is a Canadian Professional Ice hockey Goaltender who currently plays for the The Buffalo Sabres are a professional Ice hockey team based in Buffalo New York. By the time he returned to the Sabres in 1998, the NHL had changed its rules to disallow the number and he was not allowed to grandfather his previous jersey number. He instead changed to 43, which he wears to this day.

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. Open-wheel car (Often single-seater car, in UK English describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and in most cases one seat Stock car racing is a form of Automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain ) Numbers are often synonymous with the drivers that carry them. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. will always be associated with the number 3, while Richard Petty is associated with #43, and Jeff Gordon to the #24. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr ( April 29, 1951 &ndash February 18, 2001) was an American race car driver best known for his career driving Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the Winston Cup Series Jeffery Michael Gordon

In NASCAR, numbers are assigned to owners and not specific drivers. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. 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. Jeffrey Brian Burton (born June 29, 1967 in South Boston Virginia) also sometimes referred to as "JB" is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series In 1994 and 1995 he raced the #8 car, then owned by the Stavola Brothers. From 1996 to mid-2004 he raced for Roush Racing, and drove the #99 car. Roush Fenway Racing (formerly Roush Racing) is a racing team competing in NASCAR racing After leaving Roush Racing for Richard Childress Racing, he changed to car #30 (for the rest of the 2004 season) and now races #31 (also an RCR car). RCR Enterprises LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team fielding Chevrolets for Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer The #99 car he used to drive for Roush is now driven by Carl Edwards. Carl Michael Edwards II (born August 15, 1979) is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series driver for

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. Numbers were reallocated occasionally as teams departed and joined the series, but this scheme persisted until the late 1990s.

Numbers are assigned annually now, first to the reigning World Champion (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 following is a list of constructors which have competed or plan to compete in the FIA World Championship. By season Triskaidekaphobia (from Greek tris=three kai=and deka=ten is an irrational fear of the number 13; it is a Superstition and related to a specific fear 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. The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE (born 17 September 1960 in London) is a retired World Championship winning British racing driver from England Arrows Grand Prix International was a Formula One team active from 1977 to 2002 The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship 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. Pre-season testing Pre-season testing began in November 2006 at the Circuit de Catalunya, with ten of the eleven teams participating in the test sessions Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Previously, teams had been assigned the same numbers from year-to-year, only exchanging for 1 and 2 when the championship was won. As a result Ferrari are infamous for having carried 27 and 28 for many years. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing

If the winning driver retires, car number 1 is traditionally not allocated; the winning constructor then receives numbers 0 and 2. Damon Hill received car number 0 in 1993 due to Nigel Mansell's move to the CART series in the U. Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE (born 17 September 1960 in London) is a retired World Championship winning British racing driver from England The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th FIA Formula One World Championship season Biography Mansell was born in Upton-upon-Severn, a small Town in the English county of Worcestershire. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis S. , and again in 1994, this time due to Alain Prost's retirement. The 1994 Formula One season was the 45th FIA Formula One World Championship season Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE (born 24 February 1955 is a French racing driver

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:

In water polo, players wear swim caps bearing a number. Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Lacrosse is a full contact Team sport played using a solid rubber ball and long handled racket called a crosse or Lacrosse stick. Water polo is a team water sport A team consists of six field players and one Goalkeeper. A swim cap, or bathing cap, is a Silicone, Latex or Lycra cap worn on the head by recreational and competitive swimmers. Under FINA rules, the starting goalkeeper wears #1, the substitute goalkeeper wears #13, and remaining players wear numbers 2 though 12.

Jackie Robinson in his now retired number 42 jersey.
Jackie Robinson in his now retired number 42 jersey. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 42 ( forty-two) is the Natural number following 41 and preceding 43.

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. In fact, with players changing teams more recently than in the past due to trades and free agency, many players and fans feel that having your number retired is an even greater honor than being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Their club or franchise will retire the shirt number that the player wore during their time there, meaning no other player is permitted to use that number in the future. The first number retired by a team in a major league sport was the number 4, retired by the New York Yankees for baseball player Lou Gehrig. [23] An NFL team followed suit the next year, with the New York Giants retiring Ray Flaherty's number 1. The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. Ray Flaherty ( September 1, 1903 - July 19, 1994) was a professional football player in the National Football League [24] In rare cases the number may be retired because of the player's endeavours in other fields; for instance, former college football star and U. S. President Gerald Ford's number 48 was retired by the University of Michigan football squad. Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (July 14 1913 December 26 2006 was the thirty-eighth President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 and the fortieth Vice President The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research [25]

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 issued the jersey numbers of several of their greatest players (most notably, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Joe Greene) since they retired. Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2 1948 is a former American football Quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League Franco Harris (born March 7 1950 is a former American football player best known for his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Charles Edward Greene, known as "Mean Joe" Greene, (born September 24, 1946) is a former all-pro American football Defensive tackle Although the Steelers have only retired one number in their history — Ernie Stautner's number 70 — it is generally understood that no Steeler will ever wear these numbers again. Ernest Alfred Stautner (April 20 1925 &ndash February 16 2006 was a German -born American football player and coach who starred as a Defensive Similarly, with the exception of a pair of quarterbacks in the mid 1980's, the Green Bay Packers have not issued Paul Hornung's number 5 since his departure from the team following the 1966 season. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Paul Vernon Hornung (born December 23, 1935 in Louisville Kentucky) is a former professional football player playing for the Green Bay In NASCAR numbers cannot be officially retired, however, it is generally understood that NASCAR will probably never issue the number 3 again in deference to Dale Earnhardt Sr. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr ( April 29, 1951 &ndash February 18, 2001) was an American race car driver best known for his career driving It is rumored that one day his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will want to drive a 3 car, but that is only speculation. Ralph Dale

Although the practice originated in and is still mostly restricted to North American sports, some football (soccer) clubs have started doing this as squad numbers have become common. A.S. Roma, A.C. Milan, Internazionale, Napoli, Manchester City, Lens and Lyon have all recently retired shirt numbers. Associazione Sportiva Roma, ( commonly referred to as simply Roma, is an Italian professional football club from Rome, and are currently amongst Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to by the abbreviation Milan, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as simply Napoli or the abbreviation SSC Napoli, is an Italian professional football club based TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club Racing Club de Lens is a French football club which plays in the northern city of Lens, in the Pas-de-Calais Département. Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. The last three of these clubs 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. Marc-Vivien Foé ( May 1, 1975 - June 26, 2003) was a Cameroonian international football player who played in midfield The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003 The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions, is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) FIFA also rejected an attempt by Argentina to retire the number of Diego Maradona. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA Some teams have also retired the number 12 in honor of their fans; see 12th Man (football).

Jackie Robinson, the first African American player in the modern era of Major League Baseball, had his number retired for every franchise 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 2007 season, Mariano Rivera is the only remaining active player wearing the number). Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Minor League Baseball Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969 in Panama City, Panama) is a Professional baseball player In 1999 Wayne Gretzky's number 99 was likewise retired league-wide by the National Hockey League on his retirement from the game (in this case, no other NHL player had worn #99 at the time). Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26 1961 is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey player The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America

In Finnish ice hockey, if a player's number is retired, his son can use the retired number if he plays for the same organization. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Timo Nummelin had his #3 retired by TPS, and later his son Petteri Nummelin wore the #3 on the team. Timo Nummelin (born September 7, 1948 in Turku, Finland) is a retired professional Football and Ice hockey player who played TPS is an Ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the Turkuhalli. Petteri Nummelin (born November 25, 1972 in Turku, Finland) is a Finnish professional Ice hockey defenceman

In Australian Rules Football, a player's number may be retired for the first season of their retirement before being used again. Australian (rules football, or simply known as football, footy or Aussie rules, is a Team sport played between two teams of 18 players Due to the high amount of players in a single season squad (44), it would be nearly impossible to permanently retire numbers.

See also:

References

  1. ^ MSN - Copa 2006 - Curiosidades / Copa de 1958
  2. ^ England in World Cup 1982 - Squad Records
  3. ^ Regulations of 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa (point 4 of Article 26)
  4. ^ Match: 13 May 2007 Chelsea v Everton
  5. ^ Knowledge Unlimited | News | Guardian Unlimited Football
  6. ^ Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk
  7. ^ Gunnermania - Seasons - 2001/02
  8. ^ Gunnermania - Seasons - 2003/04
  9. ^ Rivals
  10. ^ Who Ate All The Pies: Crazy squad number XI
  11. ^ A tale of strips, stripes and strops | News | Guardian Unlimited Football
  12. ^ Liverpool City Council 1630 Derby kings get shirty for 08
  13. ^ Special no.7
  14. ^ Packers.com » History » Record Book » Results And Rosters » All Time Jersey Numbers
  15. ^ Football 101 - Uniform Numbering System
  16. ^ ESPN - NFL won't change numbering system for Bush - NFL
  17. ^ Football 101 - Uniform Numbering System
  18. ^ NFL Rules Changes for the 2004 NFL Season
  19. ^ Syracuse University
  20. ^ The Legend of #44. Football clubs around the world sometimes retire Squad numbers to recognise players' loyal service or tragic death Major League baseball has retired various Uniform numbers in its history ensuring that they will always be associated with one player of note This is a complete list of National Hockey League (NHL retired numbers. Teams in the National Football League retire jersey numbers of players who are considered to have extraordinary talent and have made significant contributions to that team's success By team A player's position and years with the team are noted after his name Syracuse University Athletics. The Syracuse Orange is the Nickname used by the athletic teams of Syracuse University. Retrieved on February 19, 2007. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  21. ^ Cricinfo - Australian ODI shirt numbers
  22. ^ Playing the numbers game
  23. ^ Shea, Kevin. [1], Legends of Hockey, accessed November 16, 2007. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  24. ^ Brandt, Gil. Scouts reveal their sleepers, NFL. com, August 30, 2005, accessed June 4, 2007. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  25. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/12/27/ford.athletics.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

External links

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