NCAA BASKETBALL: IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER LEGAL ON A COLLEGE BASKETBALL JERSEY?

You are in the NCAA Tournament Championship Game, dribbling down the court with time running out and your team down by two points. It's all on your shoulders as you pull up just outside three point range, release the ball in a perfect arc towards the hoop, and you drain the three-pointer with a swish.  The crowd goes wild as your teammates hoist you on their shoulders to cut down the net.

Just out of curiosity, what number were you wearing on your jersey when you pulled up for that game winning shot? Did you know the NCAA has rules regarding what numbers are legal to be worn on a player's jersey?

To illustrate the rules, consider for a moment this imaginary conversation between a new freshman, about to choose his first jersey number, and the team equipment manager:

Equipment Manager:

"Ok kid, what number do you want for your jersey?"

Freshman:

 "I'll take my favorite number five (5)."

Equipment Manager:

"Sorry kid, the senior point guard already has that number, pick another one."

Freshman:

 "Hmm…ok then I will take old lucky number seven (7)."

Equipment Manager:

"You can't have that number kid, sorry."

Freshman:

 "Who has number seven on this team? I didn't see any sevens at practice?”

Equipment Manager:

 "No one has number seven but NCAA rules don't allow seven, it’s illegal.  Look, as long as no one has already picked it, you can have numbers 1-5, 10-15, 20-25, and so on…get it?

Freshman:

"Ok, let me go with a high number, I will take fifty-six (56), which is the most points I scored in a game in my high school career."

Equipment Manager:

"Sorry, that’s illegal too under NCAA Basketball Rules, the legal numbers only go up to fifty-five (55)."

Freshman:

"Ok, the heck with this, give me zero (0), I suppose the rules say that zero is an illegal number too?"

Equipment Manager:

 "No, zero (0) is a legal number under the rules, but um, you can't have it."

Freshman:

"What? Why, does someone have that number already?

Equipment Manager:

"No, no one has chosen zero (0) but the senior center has double zero (00) so you can't have zero (0)."

Freshman:                  

"Say what??  You just pick my number."

Ok, you understand what numbers are legal to be worn on jerseys in NCAA Basketball?  Are you as confused as this freshman?

Explanation of NCAA College Basketball Rules Regarding Legal Jersey Numbers

Rule 3, Section 5, Article 8 of the NCAA College Basketball Rules specifies which numbers shall be legal to be worn on player’s jerseys.  The numbers include 1-5, 10-15, 15-20 and so on, until the last legal number 55.  Further a team can have players with numbers zero (0) OR double zero (00) but NOT both.

Rule 3, Section 5, Article 9 of the Rules state that no members of the same squad shall wear identical numbers.

Lastly, Rule 3, Section 5, Article 9(A) states that if any two players of the same squad are caught using identical numbers the second listed squad member will be charged with an "administrative technical foul." Let us save what an "administrative technical foul" for another discussion, the freshman is already confused enough.

So when you dreamt of yourself making that game winning shot was the number on your jersey a legal one?  If yes, then you can dream again, and have that brief momentary thought, upon waking, that it actually happened.  If the number you envisioned was an illegal one, then pick different one, go to sleep, and dream again.  Then, just maybe, it actually could have happened.

Sparky Holden 2009

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Source:

2009 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules, http://www.ncaapublications.com/Uploads/PDF/Basketball_Rules_2008-09fb2fc956-7592-4877-993e-dae20a6f90ed.pdf