The Strange Case of Rangers' 26-27 Home Kit Having a Solid Back Panel
- Rangers' 26-27 Home Kit Design: The Rangers 26-27 home kit features a curious solid blue back panel that interrupts the vertical pinstripes, drawing attention from shirt enthusiasts upon its release.
- UEFA Kit Regulations Mandate: This design choice is attributed to UEFA kit rules, specifically Article 8.06 (the "2mm rule") and Article 54, which mandate a single-color patch for number legibility on striped shirts if pinstripes exceed 2mm or color contrast is too high.
- Debate on Strictness: The case has reignited discussion over whether UEFA should loosen its strict plain kit back rules, especially when compared to leagues like Brazil's Brasileirão that permit continuous stripes with bold, outlined fonts.
The release of the Rangers 26-27 home kit by Umbro highlighted a curious detail for shirt enthusiasts: a large solid blue back panel that interrupts the vertical pinstripes running down the shirt. But why? Apparently because of UEFA kit rules.
The 2mm Rule & UEFA Regulations
While fine pinstripes might not look like traditional broad stripes, European kit governance rules apparently triggered the requirement for a solid background block.
Under Article 8.06 of the UEFA Equipment Regulations, shirts featuring thin vertical or horizontal lines are exempt from striped shirt restrictions only if the pinstripes do not exceed 2mm in width and are spaced at least 5cm apart. Because the pinstripes on the Rangers 26-27 third shirt presumably measure more than 2 mm, UEFA officially classifies the design as a striped shirt. Under Article 54, if the contrast between fabric colors in the number area exceeds a Delta L value of 25, a single-color patch is mandated for number legibility.
This case has reignited discussion over whether UEFA should loosen its strict plain kit back rules. In contrast to UEFA, leagues like Brazil's Brasileirão permit continuous stripes across the back by utilizing bold, outlined fonts to maintain name and number legibility. UEFA's strict insistence on single-color number zones means even a fraction of a millimeter in stripe width can drastically alter a kit's overall design
Meanwhile, the black and red Rangers 26-27 third kit does not have a panel, despite the all-over pattern - at least not by default.
Do you think the reason for the panel is UEFA's kit rules? Comment below.