page_title: Uniform number (American football)
section_title: NCAA
hierarchical_section_title: Uniform number (American football) / NCAA
caption_attribution_description: English: 2010 Alabama-Florida college-football game
context_page_description: Uniform numbers in American football are unusual compared to those in other sports. They are displayed in more locations on the uniform; they are universally worn on both the front and back of the jersey; and in many cases "TV numbers" are displayed on either the jersey sleeves, the shoulder pad, or occasionally on the helmets. The numbers on the front and back of the jersey also are very large, covering most of the jersey. More importantly, certain numbers may only be worn by players playing specific positions; thus, the jersey numbers assist the officials in determining possible rules infractions by players.
  Under current rules in all three of the most prominent levels of American football, all players must wear a number from 1 to 99, and no two players on the same team may wear the same number on the field at the same time. Players could formerly use the numbers 0 and 00, numbers that were phased out in the 1970s, and on two special occasions in the 1960s, placekickers wore the number 100. Use of the number 0 will again be allowed by the NCAA in American college football, starting with the 2020 season.
context_section_description: According to NCAA rule book, Rule 1 Section 4 Article 1 "strongly recommends" numbering as follows for offensive players:
  Backs 1-49
  Center 50–59
  Guard 60–69
  Tackle 70–79
  End 80–99
  Otherwise all players can be numbered 1–99; the NCAA makes no stipulation on defensive players. Two players may also share the same number, although they may not play during the same down.
  Starting in the 2020 NCAA football season, the use of duplicate numbers will be restricted to only two players on a team, and players will be allowed to wear No. 0.
  Two players, both placekickers, have worn No. 100 in NCAA history. Both did so as part of centennial celebrations in the 1960s, with special dispensation from the NCAA: West Virginia's Chuck Kinder (not the writer of the same name), who did so in 1963 to commemorate the state of West Virginia's 100th anniversary, and Kansas' Bill Bell, who did so in 1969 to commemorate 100 years since the first organized college football contest.
caption: Alabama Crimson Tide football players (in red) with uniform numbers visible on their helmets
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