INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (February 7, 2020) – The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) approved an overhaul of the field hockey player uniform rule – Rule 1-5-1 through 1-5-8 – for the 2020 season. Changes by the field hockey rules committee reorganized the uniform rule and provided further clarity with the addition of language regarding uniform bottoms.
Changes to the player uniform rule reflect recent changes in high school volleyball rules. In field hockey, players are permitted to wear a single-colored short or long-sleeved shirt. If worn, home-team undershirts must be white. The visiting team’s undershirt must match the color of the jersey or be black or a dark color. All players choosing to wear an undershirt must wear the same color as her teammates.
Other uniform rules changes include like-colored uniform bottoms, which include styles such as shorts, skirts, kilts or pants, provided shin guards are visible. The home team must wear solid, knee-length white socks/sock guards, while the visiting team must have a dark, contrasting color. The committee’s actions also included defining the use of player numbers, which also must be a solid, contrasting color and feature no more than two digits (00-99).