NFL Position/Number Rules

[BlueSky]

...get to wear #44 as a tight end? The rule states that 20-49 are for running backs and defensive backs, and he's the only guy I'm aware of who appears to just flaunt the numbering standard. Even the Colts' website roster identifies him as a tight end:

44 Clark, Dallas TE 6-3 252

If this was answered during the "Reggie wants # 5" thing, I missed it. Anybody know how they get away with it?

[Luigi74]

Tight Ends can use 20 to 49 if the team has no 80 to 89 number available, which must have happened when he started with the Colts in 2003, once you get a overflow number you don't have to change it back once the regular ones become available.

[Don]

ya cuz Chris Cooley wears #47 for the Redskins and hes a tight end but when he came into the league he was a H-Back, a rb/fb/te hybrid so he could do that.

[Joshawaggie]

Jim Kleinsasser wears #40 for the Vikes, he's just listed as TE now, but he used to be a fb/te combo.

[sc49erfan15]

[Breakwood]

The NFL number rules are useless. Whatever happened to giving linement numbers 50-79 and having other positions have what they want?

[slapshot]

They're not useless. They're to make it easier for the officials to recognize eligible and ineligible receivers.

[Breakwood]

They're not useless. They're to make it easier for the officials to recognize eligible and ineligible receivers.

The officials seem to do a good enough job in college football with out all these rules.

[slapshot]

The same eligible rules apply in the NCAA as the NFL.

Unless you're talking about quarterbacks wearing numbers in the 20's and kickers wearing numbers in the 80's. Which doesn't look professional.

[Breakwood]

The same eligible rules apply in the NCAA as the NFL.

Unless you're talking about quarterbacks wearing numbers in the 20's and kickers wearing numbers in the 80's. Which doesn't look professional.

The only reason you think it's unprofessional is because of the rules the NFL has. What's wrong with a quarterback having 27 as his number? What if a reviever wants to wear 25? I understand that linemen have to wear certain numbers, but I think that's where the rule of numbers should end. I think the rest of the players should be able to chose what ever number they want from 00-49 and 70-99.

[nwtrailtrekker]

reggie williams wears 11, so why not?

its not the only case.

[slapshot]

The same eligible rules apply in the NCAA as the NFL.

Unless you're talking about quarterbacks wearing numbers in the 20's and kickers wearing numbers in the 80's. Which doesn't look professional.

The only reason you think it's unprofessional is because of the rules the NFL has. What's wrong with a quarterback having 27 as his number? What if a reviever wants to wear 25? I understand that linemen have to wear certain numbers, but I think that's where the rule of numbers should end. I think the rest of the players should be able to chose what ever number they want from 00-49 and 70-99.

It's the NFL. It's the top league. I like the fact that the top league has a numbering system, and doesn't let every player wear whatever they want. I think that as the topmost league, it has a right to expect its employees to wear specific uniforms based on their positions. I like the fact that the league wants its players to conform a certain way, and let their performance make them stand out instead of the number on their backs.

I think that having quarterbacks wear numbers in the 20s, receivers in the 90s and kickers in the 60s looks very bush/minor league. I like the fact that rules like this make the NFL stand out from every other league in the world.

It's not the NCAA. It's not the CFL. It's not semi-pro/minor league/high school/sandlot/Pop Warner football. It's the NFL.

[Breakwood]

reggie williams wears 11, so why not?

its not the only case.

If I remember correctly he had to petition the NFL to able to though, didn't he?

[slapshot]

reggie williams wears 11, so why not?

its not the only case.

If I remember correctly he had to petition the NFL to able to though, didn't he?

He might have. It's only been in the last few years that the NFL expanded the numbering rules for receivers due to availability.

[BlueSky]

Tight Ends can use 20 to 49 if the team has no 80 to 89 number available, which must have happened when he started with the Colts in 2003, once you get a overflow number you don't have to change it back once the regular ones become available.

As the Church Lady would say, "How con-veeeeenient!" Does that apply to preseason/training camp only, because of course 80-89 won't be available then. It would be unusual for those numbers to be taken once the regular season starts so that seems like an easy way to dodge the rule unless you're unfortunate enough to be a running back. Something between 20-49 will likely always be available.

[Luigi74]

Tight Ends can use 20 to 49 if the team has no 80 to 89 number available, which must have happened when he started with the Colts in 2003, once you get a overflow number you don't have to change it back once the regular ones become available.

As the Church Lady would say, "How con-veeeeenient!" Does that apply to preseason/training camp only, because of course 80-89 won't be available then. It would be unusual for those numbers to be taken once the regular season starts so that seems like an easy way to dodge the rule unless you're unfortunate enough to be a running back. Something between 20-49 will likely always be available.

That is where the rule gets shady since TE's and WR's seem to be able to hang onto non-80's numbers after pre-season while DB's and RB's stuck with an out of range number always switch to a legal one once the season starts.

[Guest]

It's the NFL. It's the top league. I like the fact that the top league has a numbering system, and doesn't let every player wear whatever they want. I think that as the topmost league, it has a right to expect its employees to wear specific uniforms based on their positions. I like the fact that the league wants its players to conform a certain way, and let their performance make them stand out instead of the number on their backs.

Maybe you just appreciate conformity more than I do. I think it's kind of silly.

I think that having quarterbacks wear numbers in the 20s, receivers in the 90s and kickers in the 60s looks very bush/minor league. I like the fact that rules like this make the NFL stand out from every other league in the world.

Why? They're just numbers. I think Chris Hovan slicing his jersey into a wifebeater with the pads falling out looks bush-league, not to mention the dangerous ramifications of having exposed pads. That's a bigger concern than whether the digit on the left is a 5 or a 6.

It's not the NCAA. It's not the CFL. It's not semi-pro/minor league/high school/sandlot/Pop Warner football. It's the NFL.

Punishing non-conformity and obsessing over inconequential details. THIS IS THE NFL. That should be an ad campaign.

[whitedawg22]

As the Church Lady would say, "How con-veeeeenient!" Does that apply to preseason/training camp only, because of course 80-89 won't be available then. It would be unusual for those numbers to be taken once the regular season starts so that seems like an easy way to dodge the rule unless you're unfortunate enough to be a running back. Something between 20-49 will likely always be available.

That is where the rule gets shady since TE's and WR's seem to be able to hang onto non-80's numbers after pre-season while DB's and RB's stuck with an out of range number always switch to a legal one once the season starts.

This might seem ridiculous, but couldn't the Saints have just signed 30 random guys (actually, probably around 15-20) to non-guaranteed contracts in the offseason to fill up the numbers from 20-49 right before they signed Reggie Bush, then assigned him number 5? It would be an obvious case of trying to circumvent the rules, but as long as they play by the book, the NFL's hands would be tied, wouldn't they? Or am I missing something?

In another scenario, what determines a player's official position? Could the Saints have said, "Reggie was a RB in college, but we're going to play him as a WR, so he could get #15 if he wants" even if they had no intention of switching him? And what about guys like former Miami Dolphins RB/WR/TE/QB Jim Jensen... where does he fit in?

[Luigi74]

As the Church Lady would say, "How con-veeeeenient!" Does that apply to preseason/training camp only, because of course 80-89 won't be available then. It would be unusual for those numbers to be taken once the regular season starts so that seems like an easy way to dodge the rule unless you're unfortunate enough to be a running back. Something between 20-49 will likely always be available.

That is where the rule gets shady since TE's and WR's seem to be able to hang onto non-80's numbers after pre-season while DB's and RB's stuck with an out of range number always switch to a legal one once the season starts.

This might seem ridiculous, but couldn't the Saints have just signed 30 random guys (actually, probably around 15-20) to non-guaranteed contracts in the offseason to fill up the numbers from 20-49 right before they signed Reggie Bush, then assigned him number 5? It would be an obvious case of trying to circumvent the rules, but as long as they play by the book, the NFL's hands would be tied, wouldn't they? Or am I missing something?

In another scenario, what determines a player's official position? Could the Saints have said, "Reggie was a RB in college, but we're going to play him as a WR, so he could get #15 if he wants" even if they had no intention of switching him? And what about guys like former Miami Dolphins RB/WR/TE/QB Jim Jensen... where does he fit in?

Why should the Saints or the NFL jump thru hoops for one player who acted like a baby because he couldnt get a number he wanted. Jim Jensen wore 11 because he was always listed as a QB first it's the same reason Kordell Stewart wore 10 during his slash days.

Also if I was a college coach the only player who would be allowed to wear #1 is the player with the highest GPA.

[BlueSky]

As the Church Lady would say, "How con-veeeeenient!" Does that apply to preseason/training camp only, because of course 80-89 won't be available then. It would be unusual for those numbers to be taken once the regular season starts so that seems like an easy way to dodge the rule unless you're unfortunate enough to be a running back. Something between 20-49 will likely always be available.

That is where the rule gets shady since TE's and WR's seem to be able to hang onto non-80's numbers after pre-season while DB's and RB's stuck with an out of range number always switch to a legal one once the season starts.

This might seem ridiculous, but couldn't the Saints have just signed 30 random guys (actually, probably around 15-20) to non-guaranteed contracts in the offseason to fill up the numbers from 20-49 right before they signed Reggie Bush, then assigned him number 5? It would be an obvious case of trying to circumvent the rules, but as long as they play by the book, the NFL's hands would be tied, wouldn't they? Or am I missing something?

In another scenario, what determines a player's official position? Could the Saints have said, "Reggie was a RB in college, but we're going to play him as a WR, so he could get #15 if he wants" even if they had no intention of switching him? And what about guys like former Miami Dolphins RB/WR/TE/QB Jim Jensen... where does he fit in?

Why should the Saints or the NFL jump thru hoops for one player who acted like a baby because he couldnt get a number he wanted. Jim Jensen wore 11 because he was always listed as a QB first it's the same reason Kordell Stewart wore 10 during his slash days.

Also if I was a college coach the only player who would be allowed to wear #1 is the player with the highest GPA.

How exactly did Bush "act like a baby"? He explored all the options for wearing #5, then took #25.