Football (soccer) Shirt Numbering System

[Farmer Reil]

This just occured to me whilst wondering why the auto numbering thing in FM gave my leftback the number 5 shirt...

When/why/how did it come to be that left-backs are numbered 3 traditionally, and then it goes back to 4 and 5 for the centrebacks?

Similarly, why is the right winger 7 but the left winger 11, and the strikers 9 and 10?

Assuming you're playing 4-4-2, it would make more sense for the leftback to be 5, the right winger 6, left winger 9, and strikers 10 and 11...

I'm talking about the "traditional" way of doing things here, so no posts about how Vieira wears 4, etc

Along the same lines, why is the sub keeper usually 13 and not 12?

Edit: I guess the leftback makes sense if you write the teamsheet out:

GK:

RB:

LB:

CB:

CB:

etc. But then left wing would be 7, and right wing 6...

Edited May 29, 2005 by TheReilDeal

[The Slickman]

4 is usually a midfielder , with 5 and 6 being centre halfs .

[lanky316]

For years there used to be no number 13 vat all as it was deemed unlucky. The reason it now is 13 is because for years with only 3 subs available it was deemed unrequired.

A teams subns would on average look like this

12 - Sub D

14 - Sub M

15 - Sub S

When they went to the now standard 5 subs, the new goalkeeper was deemed unlucky since he was rarely going to be used, thus the 13 shirt was dumped on him, although some teams still refused to use the number 13 shirt.

[Hunter Hearst Hetfield]

GK= #1

DR= #2

DL= #3

DC=#5

DC=#6

MR=#7

ML=#11

MC=#6

MC=#8

ST=#9

ST=#10

[Farmer Reil]

Thanks for repeating my first post, but being unable to count You put two sixes in

Edited May 29, 2005 by TheReilDeal

[stokeriño]

The number 4 got away from him it seems.

You know, if you place all the numbered players in position and draw a line 1-2-3-4-etc...you end up with a pretty though entirely nonsensical pattern?

...

Edited May 29, 2005 by stokeriño

[pigeon]

At Liverpool #7 and #10 often used to play up front, with #9 in midfield. Having said that though, Ian Rush was number 9.

Like you say, no real sense to it.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Since they made it compulsory for players to have their names on the back of their shirts, the whole system has gone crazy. Other than the number 1 shirt being a goalkeeper's, any number can be any position. Yes, it's plenty stupid, but what can we do?

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

Outfield players can have the number one shirt aswell. I believe it was the late great Herbert Chapman that suggested the idea of numbering to the FA, praise him.

[lanky316]

That was mainly with the arrival of squad numbers me think. I remember Ardilles wearing #1 for Argentiana way back but that was because they were numbered in alphabetical order.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

I'm pretty sure since the Premier league started (and had assigned numbers) that 1 had to be a goalkeeper, or be vacant. Not sure on other leagues.

I hate bad squad numbering. Also, It seems silly in Italy with players having 99, 77, 65 etc. It just seems wrong.

[MDK]

I can't remember who it was, but they played in the Italian league, and because he lost his number 9 or whever it is to someone else he changed his number to 18 and put a little plus symbol inbetween them. Noice.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

That was Ivan Zamorano (sp?) Chillian, played for Inter, lost his number to Ronaldo.

[MDK]

Yeah, I couldnt remember who it was. Its happened a few times since, I believe.

[Dan]

Lizarazu for Bayern has 69 as his number.

[WS1]

Yeah I remember when Grimsby played man utd in the FA cup ages ago and one of the Grimsby outfield players was wearing number 1.

[Malenko]

The numbering is that way because it was the tactic that was mostly (as in 95% of the teams) used when the numbering system was created.

Tactic:

11 10 9 8 7

6 5

4

3 2

1

The numbers were attributed from back to front, from right to left.

1- Goalkeeper

2 - Right Defender

3 - Left Defender

4 - Anchor Man

5 - Right Midfielder

6 - Left Midfielder

7 - Right Winger

8 - Right Interior

9 - Centre Forward

10 - Left Interior

11 - Left Winger

With the evolution of tactics the 4, 5 or 6 numbers started to be used by defenders as the teams started playing with 3 and then 4 defenders. the left back and right back were pushed to the lines, and that's why there's usually a 4, 5 or 6 as central defender. Most countries adopted the 4 and 5 as CB and 6 as midfielder, but some started using the 5 and 6 as centre backs as the anchor man was still used in some countries so they left him with the "4".

The forward line remained more less the same, just with the wingers needing to go back a little so they kept the same numbers. The 8, 9, 10 change a lot because of different tactics adopted by different countries and teams stopped playing all alike. As a lot of great football players happened to play in the Left Interior position the "10" started to be used in most of the world as the "star" number, which usually matches the flair-based playmakers. The 8 was the remaining offensive position so depending on the tactic of the team he could be the second centre forward or a centre midfielder.

Nowadays, this doesn't matter much at all as a lot of players pick the numbers they like without caring much about this. Still, you can usually see the pattern, only with slight changes.

Also, there's no obligation of a player playing with the number 1 being a goalkeeper. Argentinian Ossie Ardiles won a world cup playing with the 1 on his back from the midfield. It wasn't the only outfield player who wore a 1, but the only one to won the cup. He used it because it defined the organizer, the one player the team played around, according to an interview i read from Argentina's Manager at the time.

Edited May 30, 2005 by Malenko

[lanky316]

The 13 on sub goalies in England (and almost nowhere else) comes from the time where substitions were introduced. Starting players got the numbers from 1 to 11, and the substitute was the 12. It was never a goalie. It was a guy who was there waiting for someone to get injured to get in there. When goalkeepers started to get injured or suspended they decided to add an extra bench spot for them, the next number was the 13 so there you go.

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[Malenko]

The 13 on sub goalies in England (and almost nowhere else) comes from the time where substitions were introduced. Starting players got the numbers from 1 to 11, and the substitute was the 12. It was never a goalie. It was a guy who was there waiting for someone to get injured to get in there. When goalkeepers started to get injured or suspended they decided to add an extra bench spot for them, the next number was the 13 so there you go.

←

This isn't true, I've already explained what happened with that previously. The rest seemed spot on though.

←

Edited May 30, 2005 by Malenko

[lanky316]

Initially I think we moved to two then three subs, most of my cleaerer memories come from the earlier 90s when we'd moved to three. When they first moved to 5 subs though they steered clear of 13 still. Although a few clubs weren't so bothered about it.

I'd never noticed that about Maradona well observed!