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High school football uniform rules for 2026
High school football jerseys need numbers at least 8 inches tall on the front and 10 inches on the back. The numbers are one solid color that contrasts with the jersey. Visitors wear white jerseys. The home team wears a dark color. Each jersey and each pair of pants may show one maker's logo, up to 2.25 square inches and 2.25 inches in any direction. These are the 2026 rules of the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations).
- As of October 2026
- The NFHS jersey and pant rules
- Numbers, colors, logos and trim
The rules at a glance
The 2026 NFHS jersey and pant rules, in short.
| Part | The 2026 rule |
|---|---|
| Numbers | 0 to 99, at least 8 inches tall on the front and 10 inches on the back |
| Number color | One solid color that clearly contrasts with the jersey |
| Home and away | Visitors wear white. The home team wears dark jerseys |
| Trim | Collar, shoulder and side trim within set widths |
| Logos | One maker's logo on the jersey and one on the pants, up to 2.25 square inches |
| Flag | One American flag, up to 2 by 3 inches |
| Length | The jersey reaches the pants and covers the shoulder pads |
| Pants | Cover the knees, the thigh guards and the knee pads |
Jersey numbers
Numbers have the most detailed rules.
- Which numbers: 0 to 99. A single 0 is allowed. A number with a leading 0, such as 00 or 07, is not.
- Size: at least 8 inches tall on the front and 10 inches on the back, counting any border.
- Strokes: the bars of each number are about 1.5 inches wide, not counting the border.
- Color: one solid color that clearly contrasts with the jersey, the same color and style front and back.
Home and away colors, and trim
The visiting team wears white. The home team wears a dark color.
- Visitors: jerseys with a white body.
- Home team: dark jerseys, all the same, with no white in the body except what the rule allows.
- Raglan or yoke seam: a stripe up to 1 inch wide.
- Shoulders: stripes up to 1 inch each, and 3.5 inches in all.
- Collar: trim up to 1 inch.
- Side insert: up to 4 inches wide.
Logos and labels
One maker's logo outside, and every label inside.
- Maker's logo: one on the outside of the jersey and one on the pants.
- Its size: no more than 2.25 square inches, and no more than 2.25 inches in any direction.
- Labels: no size or care labels on the outside.
Length, pads, the flag and patches
How the jersey fits over the pads, and what else it may carry.
- Length: the jersey reaches the top of the pants, and is tucked in if it is longer.
- Pads: the jersey covers the shoulder pads.
- The flag: one American flag up to 2 by 3 inches on each item.
- Memorial patch: up to 4 square inches, only where the state allows it.
Game pants
The pants cover the knees and the pads.
- Length: the pants cover the knees, the thigh guards and the knee pads.
- Logo: one maker's logo, within the same size limits as the jersey's.
What the rules do not allow
A jersey with any of these cannot be worn in a game.
- Tear-away jerseys. Jerseys made to tear away are not allowed.
- Stripes below the elbow. No crosswise stripe on the sleeve below the elbow.
- The color of the ball. No jersey in the color of the ball.
- Grip. No jersey made to grip the ball or an opponent.
What changes in 2027, and gloves
Two rules for gear made to grip.
- Arm sleeves, from 2027: sleeves made to grip the ball or an opponent must carry the seal of the SFIA (Sports & Fitness Industry Association). We do not make grip sleeves.
- Gloves: NFHS Rule 1-5-2b asks that gloves meet a test standard and show its seal at the wrist.
- The seals: NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) or SFIA.
- Plain cloth: gloves of unaltered plain cloth need no seal.
- Our source: the glove rule as a state association quoted it in February 2022. The 2026 rules changes list no change to it.
How we use these rules when we make your uniforms
- We check the design. Before the sample, we check the numbers, colors, trim and logos against the 2026 rules.
- Numbers. We make them at least as big as the rule asks, front and back.
- Our logo. One bolt on the outside of each piece, within both logo limits.
- Labels. Every label goes inside.
- Your state. Tell us your state, so we can check its own notes, as in Texas and Illinois.
- Every June. We read the new NFHS rules and update this page.
Texas and the college rules
Texas public high schools play football under the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) rules, with changes from the UIL (University Interscholastic League).
- Visitors: the UIL suggests white jerseys for visitors. Light colors that clearly contrast with the home team are accepted.
- Home team in white: only with a written agreement made before the game.
- Numbers: they must be clearly visible on the field and from the press box.
- On the jersey: besides the number, the school name, the mascot, sleeve stripes, a C for a captain, and the American and state flags, among others.
- Our source: the UIL exceptions to the NCAA rules for 2026-27, dated May 26, 2026.
- Our part: tell us you are a Texas school, and we check your design against these rules before the sample.
Girls' flag football uniforms
Flag football has its own rules, adopted state by state.
- Shorts: one solid color that contrasts with the flags, with no pockets, belts, belt loops or exposed drawstrings, in the Tennessee and Alaska rules.
- Jerseys: long enough to stay tucked in, in the same rules.
- Visitors: white, under the NFHS flag rules.
- Illinois: teams may keep light visitor jerseys and striped bottoms until 2030. The IHSA (Illinois High School Association) asks that new visitor jerseys be white.
- Numbers: we found no NFHS size for flag numbers. Georgia's 2026 rules ask for at least 6 inches on the front and 8 on the back.
7v7 events
7v7 (seven on seven) events set their own uniform rules.
- Light and dark: one large series asks each team for a light and a dark jersey, with a number on the back.
- Tops: it accepts only T-shirts, compression shirts and sleeveless tops, and bans tackle jerseys.
- Headgear: most big events require soft headgear.
- Your event: read its rules before you order.
Where these rules come from
Read the rules themselves, and check your state association's notes before you order.
- Jerseys and pants. The NFHS jersey and pant rules for 2026, from June 2026. NFHS: 2026 football jersey and pant rules
- 2026 changes. The NFHS football rules changes for 2026. NFHS: 2026 football rules changes
- Arm sleeves. The 2027 arm sleeve rule, explained by a state association. DIAA: arm covering standard, September 19, 2025
- Gloves. NFHS Rule 1-5-2b, quoted by a state association. KHSAA: glove reminder, February 18, 2022
- Texas. The UIL exceptions to the NCAA football rules for 2026-27. UIL: 2026 exceptions to the NCAA football rules
- Illinois flag football. The IHSA adoptions to the NFHS flag rules. IHSA: adoptions to the NFHS flag rules
- Flag uniforms. Shorts and jerseys, from Tennessee's girls' flag football rules meeting. TSSAA: girls' flag football rules meeting
- Flag numbers. Number sizes, in Georgia's 2026 rules book. GHSA: 2026 girls' flag football rules
- 7v7. One series' 2026 rules for 7v7 passing events. 2026 rules of a 7v7 passing tournament series
Questions buyers ask
How big do football jersey numbers have to be?
At least 8 inches tall on the front and 10 inches on the back, counting any border, under the 2026 NFHS rules. The bars of each number are about 1.5 inches wide, not counting the border.
Can a high school player wear number 0 or 00?
A single 0 is allowed. A number with a leading 0, such as 00 or 07, is not.
Which team wears white?
The visiting team wears jerseys with a white body, and the home team wears dark jerseys. In Texas, under the UIL exceptions, visitors may wear light colors that clearly contrast.
How big can the maker's logo be?
One logo on the jersey and one on the pants, each no more than 2.25 square inches and no more than 2.25 inches in any direction.
Can jerseys carry the American flag?
Yes. One American flag up to 2 by 3 inches on each item. A memorial patch up to 4 square inches is allowed only where the state allows it.
What changes in 2027?
From 2027, arm sleeves made to grip the ball or an opponent must carry the SFIA seal. Gloves already have a seal rule.
Are Sharknits uniforms made to these rules?
We make game jerseys and pants to the 2026 NFHS jersey and pant rules, and we check each design against them before the sample. Tell us your state, and we check its own notes too.
Your request is ready
Send it to us on WhatsApp, or copy it into an email to contact@sharknits.com.
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What happens next
- We reply with questions and a quote.
- We make one sample for you to check.
- You approve it, and we make your order.
contact@sharknits.com · +1 647 501 5424
Sharknits is a custom clothing manufacturer for brands in the US, with factories in Lahore and Sialkot and a US corporate office near Chicago.