# NFL jersey numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 16, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871 "2010-11-16T16:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/1 "2010-11-16T16:47:04Z")
I was listening to some sports talk radio and someone mentioned that this particular quarterback had the unusual number of 45, and that a fullback had a number of 69. What’s so unusual about it? Are NFL numbers usually dictated by position? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/2 "2010-11-16T16:51:02Z")
[Yes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_number#NFL). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/3 "2010-11-16T17:41:33Z")
The NFL’s pretty hardline about uniform numbers (note the bit about Reggie Bush in the Wiki article). Every once in a while, you’ll see a guy whose number doesn’t strictly adhere to the guidelines, but that’s usually the result of him changing positions, or playing multiple positions. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/4 "2010-11-16T18:11:50Z")
Thanks, ignorance fought! Follow-up question though. I’m fairly certain that least in the NBA (don’t watch other sports enough to know), players can pick any number they want. What’s the logic behind the NFL assigning numbers by position? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/5 "2010-11-16T18:16:27Z")
I wish they would allow 00 again (c.f. Ken Burrough & Jim Otto). The NFL does it mainly so they can tell who is eligible to receive a pass and who is not. Anyone with a number from 50-79 needs to report to the ref if he lines up as an eligible receiver. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/6 "2010-11-16T18:16:49Z")
Having numbers assigned by position makes reffing the game easier because different positions have different rules. For instance, under normal circumstances, linemen are inelligible, so if they are downfield, it’s easy to see and to throw a flag for it. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/7 "2010-11-16T18:46:41Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I wish they would allow 00 again (c.f. Ken Burrough & Jim Otto). Two of my favorite players, as well. I had a 00 jersey when I was in high school, partially to honor them. > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > The NFL does it mainly so they can tell who is eligible to receive a pass and who is not. Anyone with a number from 50-79 needs to report to the ref if he lines up as an eligible receiver. It’s mostly helpful on offense, for those reasons. I can’t think, offhand, of any rules-based reasons to limit uniform numbers by position on defense, though there might be something. BTW, you’ll note that the NFL extended the allowable range for receivers a few years ago (WRs can now wear 10-19, TEs can now wear 40-49), largely because teams started carrying more receivers on their rosters than they had available numbers. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/8 "2010-11-16T18:58:28Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Thanks, ignorance fought! > > Follow-up question though. I’m fairly certain that least in the NBA (don’t watch other sports enough to know), players can pick any number they want. What’s the logic behind the NFL assigning numbers by position? Lower levels of basketball, you can only use digits 0-5, so refs can indicate jersey numbers with their hands. In addition to offensive eligibility, football squads are very large compared to most other sports, so some organization can help, both the officiating crew and coaches. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/9 "2010-11-24T21:55:24Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I wish they would allow 00 again (c.f. Ken Burrough & Jim Otto). The only guy that should have ever been permitted to wear 00 in any sport is Jim Otto. wearing 0 or 00 has always rubbed me the wrong way. SFP (illogical number-hating fool) ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/10 "2010-11-26T00:47:56Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > The only guy that should have ever been permitted to wear 00 in any sport is Jim Otto. > > wearing 0 or 00 has always rubbed me the wrong way. > > SFP (illogical number-hating fool) Does the name Robert Parish mean anything to you? ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/11 "2010-12-05T03:58:04Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Does the name Robert Parish mean anything to you? Of course. The Chief. He looked like an idiot with that 00 on his uniform. The Celtics have so many uniform numbers retired, though, that maybe his favorite number wasn’t available and this was a protest choice. But I always hated Robert Parrish for wearing “00”. I didn’t say I was rational about this. It’s a gut feeling. And it always turned my stomach. I think the first 0 I remember seeing was when Al Oliver took the number 0 when he moved to the Texas Rangers. Wearing a 0 on your back because your name starts with an “O” is lame. It’s a stupid number. 0 and 00 should be wiped off of all sport uniforms. Even Washington’s “Agent 0” (Gilbert Arenas), which was mildly amusing, was still a bust. Roulette wheels should lose them. They suck. Jim Otto excepted. That man was born to wear 00. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/12 "2010-12-05T04:24:41Z")
Every now and then, you’ll hear the stadium announcer saying something like, “Number 68 is an eligible receiver.” That is, occasionally, an offense may have a play in which a guy who’s usually a guard or tackle lines up as if he were a tight end. Most likely, he’s NOT going to be a receiver (he’s probably going to be blocking from the tight end position), but in theory he COULD be. When that happens, the coaches have to notify the refs AND the opposing team. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/13 "2010-12-05T04:37:58Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > The Celtics have so many uniform numbers retired, though, that maybe his favorite number wasn’t available and this was a protest choice. Nah, he wore 00 when he first entered the NBA, with Golden State, where he played for four years before going to Boston. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/14 "2010-12-05T04:43:30Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > When that happens, the coaches have to notify the refs AND the opposing team. I think that it’s actually the player himself who reports to the referee that he’ll be acting as an eligible receiver on that play. Mike Vrabel (a linebacker with the Chiefs, though best known for his years with New England) comes in as an eligible receiver fairly often, for those multiple-TE formations, usually at the goal line…though he has also caught several passes from those formations. He has a total of 10 career receptions, for a total of 14 yards, and 10 touchdowns. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/15 "2010-12-08T15:57:59Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Nah, he wore 00 when he first entered the NBA, with Golden State, where he played for four years before going to Boston. Thanks! Did not know this. I think it’s probably safe to assume anyone wearing 0 or 00 is doing it because they requested the “number” Trivia question (I don’t know the answer) Has any team had both 0 and 00 issued at the same time? And for the NFL, could a QB wear 0? Would it be considered a single number, like 1? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/16 "2010-12-08T16:45:56Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Has any team had both 0 and 00 issued at the same time? I had a high-school teacher who had a big collection of player photos he’d gotten from various college and pro sports teams. He had a photo of [Ken Burrough](http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BurrKe00.htm) (a wide receiver who wore 00 when he played for the Houston Oilers in the 1970s) in college (Texas Southern)…Burrough wore 00 in college, as well, and he was posing with another player (I have no idea who), who was wearing 0. No idea if it’s ever happened in the pros. > [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > And for the NFL, could a QB wear 0? Would it be considered a single number, like 1? Not any more. The NFL stopped allowing teams to issue jersey numbers 0 and 00 in 1973, when they standardized the rules for jersey numbers. Players who were already in the league and wearing those numbers when those rules were issued – Jim Otto and Ken Burrough – were allowed to continue to wear their numbers. The only “player” I can think of offhand who wore 0 in the NFL was writer George Plimpton, who infamously was issued jersey number 0 when he went to training camp (and played in a preseason game) with the Lions in the 1960s. Plimpton, of course, wrote about his experiences in the book “Paper Lion”, which was also made into a film, with Alan Alda portraying Plimpton. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/17 "2010-12-09T20:58:14Z")
NCAA allows 2 more players to have the same number. They just cannot be on the field at the same time . It’s a penalty if they are both on . I’m not sure how many coaches allow multiple numbers because it means they have to be careful about who they put on the field. ---
**Author:** ![tiffanynave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@tiffanynave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiffanynave)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/18 "2012-01-08T17:09:10Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I wish they would allow 00 again (c.f. Ken Burrough & Jim Otto). Hi! I have read this whole thread, but still don’t understand what 00 means, other than in reference to a player’s last name. My husband claims it was only worn by “super jocks.” Is there significance in a player choosing this number? I see why they would give Plimpton 0 for his “special” status, but just wondering if, traditionally, choosing 0 or 00 makes some kind of statement. Thanks!! TRS PS - I wore 0 as a keeper in college. We had 2 keeper jerseys: one was 0 and the other was 1. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/19 "2012-01-08T18:23:42Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > NCAA allows 2 more players to have the same number. They just cannot be on the field at the same time . It’s a penalty if they are both on . I’m not sure how many coaches allow multiple numbers because it means they have to be careful about who they put on the field. Most times I’ve seen this the double issued numbers are split between offense and defense, so he should never have to worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871/20 "2012-01-08T18:51:55Z")
Slight hijack: Assuming “0” and “00” are considered two different numbers, would “05” and “5” be considered two different numbers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-jersey-numbers/560871.md?page=2)