Football Kit & Soccer Shirts
Football Kit Footballers generally wear identifying numbers on the backs of their soccer shirts. Originally a team of players wore numbers from 1 to 11, corresponding roughly to their playing positions, but at the professional level this has generally been superseded by squad numbering, whereby each player in a squad is allocated a fixed number for the duration of a season. Professional clubs also usually display players’ surnames or nicknames on their shirts, abovetheir squad numbers.
The Laws of the Game set out the basic equipment which must be worn by all players in Law 4: The Players’ Equipment. Five separate items are specified: soccer shirt (also known as a jersey), shorts, socks, footwear and shin pads. Goalkeepers are allowed to wear tracksuit bottoms instead of shorts. While most players wear studded football shoes, the Laws do not specify that these are required. soccer shirts must have sleeves, and goalkeepers must wear shirts which are easily distinguishable from all other players and the match officials. Thermal undershorts may be worn, but must be the same colour as the shorts themselves. Shin pads must be covered entirely by the stockings, be made of rubber, plastic or a similar material, and “provide a reasonable degree of protection. The only other restriction on equipment defined in the Laws of the Game is the requirement that a player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player.
Most current players wear specialist football boots, which can be made either of leather or a synthetic material. Modern boots are cut slightly below the ankles, as opposed to the high-ankled boots used in former times, and have studs attached to the soles. Studs may be either moulded directly to the sole or be detachable, normally by means of a screw thread. Modern boots such as the Adidas Predator, originally designed by former Liverpool player Craig Johnston, feature increasingly intricate, scientifically aided designs and features such as air pockets in the soles and rubber blades on the sole rather than studs. The blades have been the subject of controversy as several top managers have blamed them for injuries both to opposition players and to the wearers themselves. Some players choose to deliberately wear boots which are slightly too small for them, as they feel this increases their ability to control the ball. However, this too has been blamed for injuries suffered by players.
Referees, assistant referees and fourth officials wear football kits of a similar style to that worn by players. Although not specified in the Laws of the Game, it is considered a principle of football that officials wear soccer shirts of a different colour to those worn by the two teams. In 1998 Premier League referee David Elleray was forced to change his shirt midway through a match between Aston Villa and Wimbledon as it was deemed too similar to that worn by the Wimbledon players. Black is the traditional colour worn by officials, and the man in black is widely used as an informal term for a referee, although increasingly other colours are being used in the modern era. The 1994 World Cup was the first in which FIFA allowed officials to wear colours other than black. Referees also sometimes have sponsors’ logos on their soccer shirts, although these are normally confined to the sleeves. If you want to find out more about soccer shirt, please visit Soccer shirts Website for more information.
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