Role Of Color In Sports Uniforms

Every sports team today – be it a national league or a high school one – is identified by its uniform. This outfit extends beyond the team members and is donned by the coaches, support staff and others associated with the team. In fact, team youth football jerseys are very popular with the fans who wear the colors with great pride and enjoyment.

But have you ever considered how the team chooses the colors for its uniform? These colors become the identity of the team and are repeated on the team flag, mascot, warm-ups, bags and other paraphernalia. This begs the question - Can the coaches afford to randomly pick any bright or contrasting colors and make them their own?

Well, the role of colors in team uniforms extends much beyond the differentiating factor while the game is underway. Yes, the colors do help the fans, the audience and the players themselves in identifying the members of a particular team while they are engaged with the opponent team.

Apart from this, the colors of the uniform carry a subconscious influence which envelopes the opponents, the onlookers and the players themselves.

What team colors can do?

Every color has a sensory effect associated with it. For instance, red is considered bold and aggressive whereas black carries powerful and malevolent connotations. On balance, dark colors are associated with negativity while lighter shades appear weak or timid.

That’s not all either. The psychological effect of a color changes depending on the color that is placed next to it. It follows that the combination of colors in a team uniform will also wield a nifty impact. Complementary colors on the color wheel – like green and red, blue and orange, yellow and purple – seem to vibrate with energy and also display a refined flair.

Now you know why the games you watch on television always have teams wearing bright and contrasting colors!

The impact of the colors is such that it draws the eye of the spectators and referees alike and exerts a subconscious effect on their opinions. The biased perception finds support in the comparison of records across various teams which reveal that - teams with black uniforms tend to be penalized more than teams with non-black uniforms!

Though the actual skill and capability of the players does supersede the colors worn by them, it does seem to have a subliminal impact on their behavior and ultimately, their performance on the field as well.

Therefore, every team needs to judiciously dress their players in uniforms that pair the right colors together. Even the tones and tints of the colors on the youth football jerseys matter here. However, they should be particularly careful as too dramatic or bizarre a choice can even end up winning them an award for the worst, ugliest or most shocking uniform!