What Are The NFL Team Colors
With 32 teams, each with a unique color scheme, the NFL is a visual spectacle beyond the thrilling on-field action. This blog post delves into the fascinating world of NFL team colors, their significance, and how they are chosen.
The NFL's rules stipulate that a team's home uniforms must be white or the official team color throughout the season. By July 1, each club declares to NFL Football Operations the jersey color it wishes to wear for its home games in the upcoming season. The visiting clubs must wear the opposite, based on the home team's choice.
The colors represent more than just the standard home and away jerseys; they also extend to alternate jerseys for each team. These colors are not merely aesthetic choices but are often deeply rooted in the team's state, city, and history. For instance, the most used colors of NFL teams - blue, black, and red - have been chosen because they frequently appear on state or city flags.
The NFL teams' colors range from the Baltimore Ravens' purple, black, and gold to the royal blue and white of the Indianapolis Colts. The most popular colors among NFL teams are blue, black, and red, with 13 teams each using blue and black and 12 using red. On the other end of the spectrum, the least used colors are charcoal, aqua, burgundy, brown, and teal, with only one team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, sporting teal.
Each NFL franchise has sole ownership and licensing rights regarding their team colors and logo. There are no restrictions on the number of colors a franchise can combine, leading to a diverse array of color schemes across the league. Some teams opt for a single extra color, like the New York Jets' green, while others, like the Philadelphia Eagles, incorporate up to four colors - green, silver, black, and charcoal.
In addition to primary home and secondary away colors, teams may develop a third jersey with alternate colors. These alternate jerseys can be throwbacks to older designs or entirely different colors from the primary team colors. For example, the Arizona Cardinals, whose primary colors are red and white, have an alternate jersey in black.
The NFL ensures fairness by sending a uniform inspector to enforce uniform rules for every player. This includes banning tear-away jerseys and modified kicking shoes and prohibiting players from wearing colors similar to the football.