The vast majority of people who have at least some sort of association with the world of football will know all about the numerous different words and phrases that could appear to be entirely alien to an outsider.
The armband is one such word that might seem entirely unrelated to football, but in fact, it has numerous uses in the game.
If you have played, watched or been part of a football team at some point, you will be more than aware of pretty much any term that someone could use in relation to the game including the armband. For those that are new to it, however, it might seem a bit confusing, even if they appear to be intuitively understood upon first hearing. They can also have several connotations around them, too.
The Captain’s Armband
In the majority of football matches, the only person that will wear an armband is the captain. Typically speaking, these are white with a black border and the word ‘captain’ written on them, also in black. They are used to let the referee know who they need to speak to if they want to let the team know about an issue, such as their discipline or an explanation of why a certain decision has been made.
In some competitions, it is also only the captain that is allowed to speak to the referee after the likes of a foul being awarded or if there is something that they think is debatable and needs an understanding.
@anfieldaddicts A special moment – Virgil passes the captain’s armband to Wataru Endo 🔥 #viral #fypシ #fypppppppppppppp #ynwa #fyppp ♬ original sound – AnfieldAddicts
As well as the standard black and white armband, which can sometimes be different colours depending on the likes of the country that the game is being played in.
A rainbow armband has been used in the past, which was done in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Football is a game for everyone, with no place for homophobic, biphobic or transphobic attitudes from anyone. The rainbow armband was used to express that sentiment, largely because of the fact that a depressing number of supporters, and even some players, consider the game to be for no one other than straight men.
Black Armbands
Although the captain’s armband is the only one worn in the vast majority of the matches that are played in leagues around the world, there are occasions when a decision is taken to wear a black armband as well. This is often done when a tragedy has been suffered, at which time the players and the coaching staff will all wear a black armband to express their sorrow.
In previous seasons, anniversaries around tragedies such as the Hillsborough Disaster have also resulted in players wearing a black armband, but nowadays it is most commonly done to honour someone’s death.
#MUFC will wear black armbands during Saturday’s game v Huddersfield Town in remembrance of those who lost their lives in Munich 60 years ago. pic.twitter.com/D4LCL8FvMN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 2, 2018
Sometimes this can be the death of a former player or manager, who played for a club many years before and the team wants to honour their passing. Other times, this might be down to a worldwide event that has taken place, with players asked by the Football Association to wear armbands in order to pay respect to those no longer with us.
It is worth drawing attention to this phenomenon, on account of the fact that people who don’t know much about football might look out for the captain’s armband and then wonder why every player on the pitch seems to be taking the role of captain during a match.