Goalkeepers, Referees and Colour Clashes: The Soccer Jersey Decisions Clubs Forget
Most clubs choose jersey colours with their heart. The badge is blue, so the shirt is blue. That is a fine place to start, but a soccer match involves two teams, two goalkeepers and a referee, and all of them must be easy to tell apart. Clubs planning custom soccer jerseys can save themselves awkward match days by thinking about clashes before the design is approved.
Quick answer: Check which colours your regular opponents wear, choose a change kit that contrasts with your main kit in both colour and tone, give your goalkeeper two options that differ from every outfield kit, and avoid the colours your referees usually wear. A light kit and a dark kit cover most situations.
What counts as a colour clash?
A clash is any situation where players, officials or spectators struggle to tell the two teams apart. Two red teams is the obvious case. Less obvious clashes are just as troublesome: navy against black, red against orange, or two striped kits that share one colour.
Tone matters as much as colour. Two different colours of similar darkness can blur together on a dull day or under floodlights, and they are harder still for people with colour vision deficiency. A simple test is to view both kits in black and white. If they look alike in grey, they will cause problems.
How should a club choose its change kit?
The change kit, also called the away kit, exists to solve clashes. It should therefore be as different as possible from the main kit. If the main shirt is dark, make the change shirt light. If the main shirt is striped, consider a plain change shirt.
A common mistake is choosing a change kit that the committee likes but that clashes with the same opponents as the main kit. Before deciding, make a short list:
- The colours of every team in your league or division
- Which of them clash with your main kit
- Whether your proposed change kit is clearly different from each of those
- Whether the shorts and socks also need an alternative
- What your league rules say about who changes when kits clash
Shorts and socks are part of the picture. Referees use sock colour to judge close offside and foul decisions, so a change of shirt alone is not always enough.
What does the goalkeeper need?
The goalkeeper must be distinguishable from outfield players on both teams and from the match officials. One goalkeeper shirt is rarely enough across a season, because sooner or later an opponent turns up in that colour.
Two goalkeeper colours, chosen to differ from your own main and change kits, cover most fixtures. Bright colours that few outfield teams use are popular for this reason. Remember that the opposing goalkeeper should not match yours either, although in practice that is settled on the day.
Why think about the referee?
Referees traditionally wear black, and many have alternative shirts in bright colours. If your main kit is black or very dark navy, the referee has to change, and at grassroots level they may not have another shirt with them.
This does not mean a club can never wear black. It means the club should know the consequences and check local rules. Some competitions restrict outfield kits that are too close to the officials' colours.
How do pattern and sublimation affect clashes?
Sublimation gives designers great freedom, with fades, geometric patterns and multi-colour panels all possible at no extra weight. That freedom needs some discipline. A shirt that mixes four colours equally has no clear identity from a distance and can clash with almost anyone.
Pick one dominant colour that covers most of the shirt and treat the others as accents. Make sure the back of the shirt, where the number sits, is plain enough for the number to be read. On striped or hooped shirts, a solid panel behind the number is a neat solution.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to change when two kits clash?
It depends on the competition. In many leagues the away team changes, but check your own rules.
Can bibs be used instead of a change kit?
Some grassroots leagues accept bibs. A proper change kit is more comfortable and keeps numbers visible.
Does a youth team need a change kit?
If the league has many teams in similar colours, yes. Otherwise a set of contrasting bibs may be enough.
Key takeaways
- Clashes are about tone as well as colour, so test kits in greyscale
- Choose a change kit that contrasts with the main kit and with regular opponents
- Give the goalkeeper two colours that no outfield kit uses
- Keep one dominant shirt colour and a clear area behind the number
Final thoughts
Colour is the first thing anyone notices about a team, and a few minutes of clash planning protects that first impression all season. Map your opponents, pair a light kit with a dark one and look after your goalkeeper. Stitch Next, a sportswear manufacturer in Sialkot, Pakistan, produces sublimated match shirts to order, and its match jersey page shows custom soccer jerseys in the colourways a club needs.