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Indianapolis, Indiana (Feb. 15, 2018) – High school soccer teams will be reversing their home and visiting uniforms starting with the 2018-19 season. The home team will wear dark jerseys and socks and the visiting team will wear solid white jerseys and solid white socks, in a rule change recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Soccer Rules Committee at its Jan. 22-24 meeting, and approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
The home team was previously required to wear solid white jerseys and the visiting team dark-colored jerseys. The language defines dark as “any color which contrasts with white.”
“This change allows home teams to wear their school-color jerseys at home,” said Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials and liaison to the Soccer Rules Committee. “It could also provide the opportunity to use an alternative color uniform for special events.”
The Soccer Rules Committee also approved a change permitting a player to participate while wearing a head covering, if the player meets certain criteria and if the applicable state association approved the request.
If approved by the state high school association, players could participate with a head covering for medical/cosmetic reasons or for religious reasons. For medical/cosmetic reasons, a physician’s statement is required before the state association can approve a head covering. In all cases, the head covering cannot be abrasive, hard or dangerous to any other player and it must be attached in such a way that it is highly unlikely to come off during play.