About the numbers in NFL

The NFL is the league of numbers. The amount of yards gained on a play or amount of penalty yards given, number of downs, types of points teams can score during one play, and even player's jersey numbers have some history and some restrictions. On this page we will break it down to help you better understand the game and enjoy it even more.

Jersey numbers

Players in the NFL wear uniform numbers between 0 and 99, with no two players on a team able to wear the same number outside of the offseason. Rules exist which tie a player's number to a specific range of numbers for their primary position.

The earliest numbering systems were significantly different from the modern variation. Until the 1920s, when the NFL limited its rosters to 22 players, it was rare to see player numbers much higher than 25, and numbers had little correlation with positions.

The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) of the 1940s, which later merged with the NFL, had a different numbering system with quarterback in the 60–69 range, fullbacks in the 70–79 range, halfbacks in the 80–89 and 90–99 range, ends in the 50–59 range, tackles in the 40–49 range, guards in the 30–39 range, and centers in the 20–29 range. When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, the AAFC players kept their old uniform numbers, which caused confusion and resulted in the NFL going to a standard numbering system in 1952.

The American Football League (AFL) of the 1960s, which also later merged with the NFL, used essentially the same numbering system as the NFL with some exceptions, mostly pertaining to wide receivers, who were allowed to wear numbers in the 10s and 20s. The AFL's numbering system also allowed for the use of a 00 as a number.

From 1973 to 2020, five major changes were made. In 1979, the NFL allowed defensive linemen to wear numbers 90–99 and centers 60–79. In 1984, the NFL allowed linebackers to wear jersey numbers in the 90–99 range, since more teams were making use of the 3–4 defense and thus were quickly exhausting numbers for linebackers, who previously were only allowed to wear numbers in the 50–59 range. Another change occurred in 2004, when the NFL allowed wide receivers to wear numbers 10–19 in addition to the previous 80–89 range; this was due to several NFL teams retiring 80-range numbers, as well as teams employing more receivers and tight ends in their offense. Since 2010, defensive linemen are allowed to wear numbers 50–59; this is in part because of the interchangeability of linebackers and defensive ends (a defensive end in a 4–3 defense would be an outside linebacker in a 3–4 defense). In 2015, the NFL Competition Committee allowed linebackers to wear numbers from 40–49.

In 2021, NFL owners passed a rule expanding available numbers and simplifying the numbering system. The changes included allowing running backs, tight ends, fullbacks, H-backs and wide receivers to wear numbers 1-49 and 80-89; defensive backs were permitted to choose from 1-49; linebackers 1-79 and 90-99; offensive linemen 50-79; and defensive linemen 50-79 and 90-99. QBs, kickers and punters remained from 1-19. In 2023, a playing rule was passed allowing players to wear the jersey number 0, and kickers and punters were given eligibility to use numbers 20–49 and 90–99.