Law 4 - The Players' Equipment
Source - FIFA.com
Safety
A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery).
Basic equipment
The basic compulsory equipment of a player comprises the following separate items:
- a jersey or shirt with sleeves - if undergarments are worn, the colour of the sleeve must be the same main colour as the sleeve of the jersey or shirt
- shorts - if undershorts or tights are worn, they must be of the same main colour as the shorts
- stockings - if tape or similar material is applied externally it must be the same colour as that part of the stocking it is applied to
- shinguards
- footwear
Shinguards
- are covered entirely by the stockings
- are made of rubber, plastic or a similar suitable material
- provide a reasonable degree of protection
Colours
- The two teams must wear colours that distinguish them from each other and also the referee and the assistant referees
- Each goalkeeper must wear colours that distinguish him from the other players, the referee and the assistant referees
Infringements and sanctions
In the event of any infringement of this Law:
- play need not be stopped
- the player at fault is instructed by the referee to leave the field of play to correct his equipment
- the player leaves the field of play when the ball next ceases to be in play, unless he has already corrected his equipment
- any player required to leave the field of play to correct his equipment must not re-enter without the referee's permission
- the referee checks that the player's equipment is correct before allowing him to re-enter the field of play
- the player is only allowed to re-enter the field of play when the ball is out of play
A player who has been required to leave the field of play because of an infringement of this Law and who re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission must be cautioned.
Restart of play
If play is stopped by the referee to administer a caution:
- the match is restarted by an indirect free kick taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where the ball was located when the referee stopped the match (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)
Decisions of the International F.A. Board
Decision 1
Basic compulsory equipment
The basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.
The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or, statements or images will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA.
Undergarments
Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer logo.
A player/team of a player that reveals an undergarment that shows political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer logo will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA.