Law 4 - The Players Equipment

Safety
A player must not use equipment or wear anything which is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery).

Basic equipment 
The basic compulsory equipment of a player is: 

• a jersey or shirt
• shorts - if thermal undershorts are worn, they are of the same main colour as the shorts
• stockings
• shinguards
• footwear

Shinguards 

• are covered entirely by the stockings
• are made of a suitable material (rubber, plastic, or similar substances)
• provide a reasonable degree of protection

Goalkeepers 

• each goalkeeper wears colours which distinguish him from the other players, the referee and the assistant referees.

Infringements/Sanctions
For 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 does 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 enters (or re-enters) the field of play without the referee’s permission is cautioned and shown the yellow card.

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 side, from the place where the ball was located when the referee stopped the match.

Decision of the International FA Board

• Players must not reveal undershirts which contain slogans or advertising. A player removing his jersey to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by the competition organiser.
• Jerseys must have sleeves.