Table of Contents
- Soccer position numbers: Quick list
- Where do soccer numbers come from?
- Do soccer players stick to their position numbers?
- Why do soccer players wear random numbers?
- How do you choose a soccer number?
- Recap: Soccer position numbers
Soccer position numbers – what’s the deal with the numbers that soccer players wear on their jerseys?!
Have you ever watched a soccer game and wondered why players wear certain numbers? If so, you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we explain what you need to know about soccer position numbers and explain where soccer numbers actually come from.
We also run through some examples of soccer players who wear unusual numbers and explain how soccer players arrive at specific numbers, to help you decide what number you should wear on the back of your soccer jersey this season!
Soccer position numbers: Quick list
#1 – Goalkeeper
#2 – Right Back
#3 – Left Back
#4 – Central Midfielder
#5 – Central Defender
#6 – Central Defender
#7 – Right Midfielder
#8 – Central Midfielder
#9 – Centre Forward
#10 – Centre Forward or Attacking Midfielder
#11 – Left Midfielder
The #13 jersey is often reserved for the substitute goalkeeper, but the remaining numbers are all available to substitutes, from #12 through to #99!
Where do soccer numbers come from?
Soccer numbers originally come from the position of players on the field, beginning at 1 and working through to 11. The substitutes’ numbers would run from 12-16, depending on how many subs were in the dugout for a game.
The ritual of soccer position numbers can be traced back to the 1960s when the numbering of jerseys correlated with the 2-3-5 formation that was popular during the decades. Originally, the following positions were matched to the respective jerseys:
#1 – Goalkeeper
#2 & #3 – Full Backs
#4, #5, & #6 – Half Backs
#7 – #11 – Forwards
As formations changed in the second half of the twentieth century, the numbers given to specific players on the field also changed. From the 1970s onwards, 4-4-2 became one of the most dominant soccer formations, which is what the current soccer position numbers correlate with.
Do soccer players stick to their position numbers?
Traditionally, soccer players would wear the number that corresponds to their position on the field. Before televised soccer became the norm, it was commonplace for players to wear different numbered jerseys throughout the season.
For instance, if one week a player was tasked with playing center forward, they would be given the number nine jersey. However, the following week, if they were named as a substitute, they would give the number nine jersey to the starting striker, opting for a shirt bearing number 14 or 15.
Soccer has changed a lot in recent times, and when a player joins a club, they are given a permanent shirt number. Whether they’re on the field, on the bench, or not included in the matchday squad, they remain with that number throughout the season.
Many soccer players like the tradition of soccer position numbers, and it’s common for goalkeepers to wear number one and for center forwards to opt for the number nine jersey, for example.
Why do soccer players wear random numbers?
But other players completely do away with tradition and choose numbers for completely different reasons.
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio famously wore #11 during his time at the club as his way of showing respect to Carl Ikeme, a former Wolves goalkeeper who had recently undergone cancer treatment.
Sometimes, players choose random jersey numbers for personal and family reasons. Take Newcastle United’s star central midfielder, Bruno Guimaraes, for instance. He wears #39 on his back because it is the number of his father’s taxi in Brazil!
These examples show that professional soccer players can choose their shirt numbers for a whole host of reasons, whether or not their reasoning is in keeping with tradition or not.
How do you choose a soccer number?
If you’ve recently started playing soccer, you might be in a position where you can choose your shirt number. But how do you decide which number to wear? What should you base your decision on? Here are some things to consider when choosing the ideal jersey to wear on the soccer field:
Tradition
As introduced at the start of this article, one of the easiest ways to choose a number is to base your choice on tradition. So, if you turn out for your team as a right midfielder, it makes sense to wear the number seven.
Selecting your number based on tradition takes a lot of the hassle out of picking a soccer number to wear on your jersey and means you can get on with the business of actually playing for your team!
Special date
Lots of professional soccer players select their shirt numbers based on their birthdays or based on the birthday of their children. So, for instance, you might choose #29 if you were born on March 29th.
Alternatively, if you welcomed your first child in 2018, you might want to wear #18 to reflect this special date. Some soccer players also choose their number based on a special date on their calendar, be it their wedding anniversary or something similar.
Personal significance
As Bruno Guimaraes has proven with his choice to wear Newcastle United’s number 39 to pay tribute to his father, soccer players can choose a number because it is personally significant to them.
If you’re like Bruno and there is a number in your life that means something special to you, then wearing that number on the back of your jersey is an excellent option.
Respect
Some players opt for (or sometimes avoid) a shirt number out of respect for a previous player. It’s also common for soccer teams to retire the jersey number that was once worn by an iconic player as a mark of respect. Some of the most iconic retired jerseys in history include:
- Brescia’s #10 – Roberto Baggio
- Barcelona’s #21 – Luis Enrique
- Sao Paolo’s #01 – Rogerio Ceni
- Inter Milan’s #3 – Giacinto Facchetti
- West Ham’s #6 – Sir Bobby Moore
- AC Milan’s #3 & #6 – Paolo Maldini & Franco Baresi
- Napoli’s #10 – Diego Armando Maradona
- Ajax’s #14 – Johan Cruyff
As you can see, the names on the list comprise some of the finest players ever to grace a soccer field, and their shirt numbers have justifiably been retired by their clubs as a mark of respect for their greatness. Therefore, present-day players don’t have the option of wearing certain iconic numbers from their club’s past, which influences their decision about which number to opt for.
Recap: Soccer position numbers
In soccer, soccer position numbers typically run from #1 to #11. However, the game has changed a lot over the years, and players now pick their shirt numbers for a whole host of reasons, not merely because of their position on the field.
The fact that the number stays with the player throughout their time at a specific club means that it’s a big part of a player’s branding – CR7, Cristiano Ronaldo – being a great example.
So, there are lots of ways to choose a soccer number to wear on the back of your jersey, and you don’t have to stick with tradition if you wish!
Keen to learn more about the number zero in soccer and why so few players wear it? Read our recent post in which we introduce the players who have worn the shirt and why it doesn’t make much of an appearance in modern-day soccer.