When choosing uniforms for the team, there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind. From the fit to the designs, there are several factors that go into creating the right end results for the team. When it comes to the matter of uniform color, there are a few things worth noting. Do uniform colors matter? Let's take a look at two major ways colors matter in sports uniforms.

Colors and Heat

When looking at the question of whether or not color matters in sports uniforms, heat is one of the most obvious factors worth noting. It is common sense we are taught at a young age that darker colors absorb heat whereas lighter colors reflect heat. Why does this matter for sports players? If your players are playing an outdoor game, such as sports like baseball, football, or soccer, the sun hitting their dark uniform will be absorbed rather than deflected and therefore make the players feel hotter in an already hot environment. This increase in heat can take players off their top game performance-wise and lead to them being more physically uncomfortable. This is why people are told to wear light colors when spending time outdoors on a hot day as a means to keep cooler.

Colors and Psychology

There is also something to be said about the color of the uniform and psychology, both that of the player and the fan. There have been studies that show a correlation between players playing more aggressively when wearing black uniforms instead of white. There are also studies that report this perception of aggressiveness as perceived by non-players or spectators when looking at black uniforms. Before you suit up your team in all-black uniforms, it should be noted that a similar study found that referees gave more penalties to players in black uniforms than lighter colors. This could be because the players truly were more aggressive, the referees saw them as more aggressive because of the color connection, or a bit of both factors.

The color red has also been studied in terms of sports psychology. The color red has been said to bring out a more competitive side in a player without as many repercussions from the referees. When players were given red or blue uniforms at random in the study, the players in red uniforms came out on top over their opponents in blue uniforms. So, does this mean you should outfit your team in only red and black uniforms from here on out? No, but the research does point to some interesting connections between competitiveness and colors. It does mean that perhaps adding a little bit of red or black to the uniform is worth considering. While you would want to stay away from all black or all red to avoid the issues with the referees and penalties, you could easily incorporate some of these two aggressive colors into the design of the uniform with a lighter color acting as the base color.

What are the best colors?

While there is no definitive answer to the question of the best color for a sports uniform, it is worth noting that in the world of basketball, the color combination with the most team wins is white and blue followed by gold and blue. The combination of red and black came in third place overall for wins. While this is just one sport and there isn't a ton of evidence to support the claim, those colors winning more games than other colors are certainly worth noting when ordering uniforms for your team.

You want to keep in mind where your team plays as mentioned above. While basketball is mostly indoors and dark colors won't make the players hotter, any outside sports should consider the impact of dark colors to be safe. The heart of any team is its ability to play and compete with passion. The color of the uniform, while it could be linked to a certain level of aggressive playing, is still only one part of the dynamics of the team. When it comes to choosing the right colors for your team, there are plenty of factors that go into consideration such as budget, original style to keep with tradition, and the colors of any rival teams to avoid confusion on the field. The bottom line is to carefully consider the colors to ensure the right outcome for the needs of your particular team.

Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/attitude-check/201610/do-uniform-colors-matter-in-sports