Jersey number rules by sport

• ✓One number per player. No two players in a squad share a number.
• ✓Large on the back. Officials and scorers need to read it from a distance.
• ✓Contrast. A dark number on a light jersey or a light number on a dark one; avoid numbers that sit on a busy pattern.
• ✓Same style for the whole team. One font and one colour across the squad.
• ✓Check the rulebook. Leagues, schools and federations set their own sizes, positions and sponsor limits.

The Laws of the Game ask both teams to wear colours that tell them apart from each other and from the referees, and the goalkeeper to wear colours different from every other player. Numbers go on the back; many leagues also want them on the front or the shorts. Order goalkeeper jerseys in a contrast colour in the same order. See custom football jerseys and futsal jerseys.

Names and numbers on the back are standard on coloured limited-overs kits, and Test whites have carried them too since 2019. Club and corporate leagues usually leave the number range to the team. See custom cricket jerseys.

FIBA rules allow the numbers 0, 00 and 1 to 99, on the front and the back of the jersey. School and college leagues may set their own range, so check before you print. See custom basketball jerseys.

Numbers go on the chest and on the back, and the libero wears a jersey in a colour that contrasts with the rest of the team, with a number like everyone else. Competitions set minimum number heights. See custom volleyball jerseys and the volleyball jersey cost guide.

Goalkeepers wear a top in a colour different from the court or field players of both teams. Numbers go on the back, and in handball usually on the front too. See hockey jerseys and handball jerseys.

Every name and number is sublimated into the fabric, so it never cracks or peels, and it is free on every custom jersey. A designer places the numbers on your mockup in a contrast colour; check every player's number and spelling before you approve. For where logos and sponsors go, read where to put logos and numbers on a jersey.

Sending a squad list? Our team jersey order checklist covers names, numbers and sizes in one go.