Reference
Sports kit rules reference
What the governing bodies actually say about shirts, shorts, socks, numbers and colours, in plain words, with a link to the source for every rule.
- Sports covered
- 4: football, basketball, cricket, rugby
- Sources
- Governing-body documents only
- Format
- Paraphrased rules with clause and link
- Last checked
- 6 October 2026
About this reference
The short answer
This reference summarises what each sport's governing document says about team kit: IFAB for football, FIBA and NFHS for basketball, the ICC for cricket and World Rugby for rugby. Every rule links to its primary source and carries the date we last checked it, 6 October 2026. Always confirm your own league's current rules.
Rules change: always check your own league's current rules.
This page summarises the governing document named in each row, in our own words. It is not the official text and it is not legal advice. Leagues, unions, boards and school associations can add to or change these rules, and they publish new editions.
Choose a sport
Four sports, one page each
Each page has a rules table with the clause, the edition and a link to the source, plus notes on what it means when you order kit.
Method
How we check every rule
The rule is only on the page if we could read it in the source. Nothing is filled in from memory.
Open the primary document
We read the governing body's own publication, such as the IFAB Law, the FIBA rulebook or the ICC regulations. No second-hand summaries.
Say it in our own words
Each rule is paraphrased, with the clause number, the edition and a link, so you can read the original yourself.
Stamp the check date
Every row shows when it was last checked against the source. Today that date is 6 October 2026.
Leave out what we cannot confirm
If we could not verify a point, it is not on the page. We do not guess at numbers.
Kit order checklist
One printable page for your next order: roster and sizes, colours, numbers and names, sponsor logos, home and away, deadline, file formats and who approves the sample.
Where do the rules on these pages come from?
Each rule is taken from a primary document: the IFAB Laws of the Game for football, the FIBA Official Basketball Rules and an NFHS uniforms guide for basketball, the ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations for cricket, and World Rugby Law 4 and Regulation 12 for rugby. Every row links to the document it came from.
Do these rules apply to my club or school league?
They are the baseline set by the governing bodies, and some apply only at certain levels. The ICC document, for example, covers international cricket. Leagues, unions, boards and school associations can add to or change the rules for their own competitions, so check your own league's current rules before you finalise artwork.
How current is this reference?
Every page shows the date we last checked it against the sources, currently 6 October 2026, and the edition of each document. Rules do change: the FIBA 2026 rulebook, for example, took effect on 1 October 2026. If the edition you play under is different, the edition in force for your league wins.
Why only four sports?
We only publish rules we could read in a freely accessible primary document. Football, basketball, cricket and rugby passed that test. Other sports are left out rather than guessed at.
Can Nyxlete build to my league's rules?
Nyxlete manufactures to the buyer's specification. Send your league's kit rules with your brief and we will work from them. Rules differ between leagues, so the specification you send is what we follow.
Sources
Primary sources
The documents behind this page, all read directly from the publisher. Accessed 2026-10-06. Links open in a new tab.
- IFAB (International Football Association Board): Laws of the Game, Law 4: The Players' Equipment Latest edition on theifab.com (2026/27 season). Accessed 2026-10-06.
- FIBA (International Basketball Federation): Official Basketball Rules 2026, Article 4: Teams v1.1, approved 23 April 2026, valid from 1 October 2026. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations): NFHS Basketball Uniforms (illustrated guide) Undated NFHS guide; the current rules book is the 2026-27 edition. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- ICC (International Cricket Council): Clothing and Equipment Rules and Regulations Effective May 2023, as stated in the document. Accessed 2026-10-06.
- World Rugby: Laws of the Game, Law 4: Permitted clothing Current online version (World Rugby Passport). Accessed 2026-10-06.
- World Rugby: Regulation 12: Provisions relating to players' dress Page last updated 1 July 2019. Accessed 2026-10-06.
Published by Nyxlete. Summaries are our own words and are not the official text.
Ordering team kit?
Send your quantities, colours and your league's rules. We reply with pricing and a sample timeline.