Jersey wore instead of a home outfit or an away outfit during games

Third jersey

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Third jersey

A third jersey, alternative jersey, third kit, third sweater or alternative uniform is a <a href="/en/Jersey_(clothing)" title="Jersey (clothing)" class="wl">jersey</a> or <a href="/en/Sports_uniform" title="Sports uniform" class="mw-redirect wl">uniform</a> that a <a href="/en/Team_sport" title="Team sport" class="wl">sports team</a> can wear instead of its <a href="/en/Home_(sports)" title="Home (sports)" class="wl">home</a> outfit or its <a href="/en/Away_colours" title="Away colours" class="wl">away outfit</a> during games, often when the colors of two competing teams' other uniforms are too similar to contrast easily.

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<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png/220px-CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="334" data-file-height="318" data-file-type="bitmap" height="209" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png/330px-CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png 2x" alt="CFL_Jersey_SSK_2003.png"></a><figcaption>The 2003 black alternative uniform of the <a href="/en/Saskatchewan_Roughriders" title="Saskatchewan Roughriders" class="wl">Saskatchewan Roughriders</a> of the <a href="/en/Canadian_Football_League" title="Canadian Football League" class="wl">Canadian Football League</a></figcaption></figure> 
Alternative jerseys are primarily a lucrative means for professional sports organizations to generate revenue, by sales to <a href="/en/Sports_fan" title="Sports fan" class="mw-redirect wl">fans</a>. Of North American sports leagues, the <a href="/en/National_Football_League" title="National Football League" class="wl">National Football League</a> generates $1.2 billion annually in jersey sales, with the <a href="/en/National_Basketball_Association" title="National Basketball Association" class="wl">National Basketball Association</a> second, selling $900 million annually.<a href="#cite_note-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a> Another use of the alternative uniform is for identifying with causes, like the <a href="/en/Central_Coast_Mariners_FC" title="Central Coast Mariners FC" class="wl">Central Coast Mariners</a> wear an alternative pink kit on <a href="/en/Pink_ribbon" title="Pink ribbon" class="wl">pink ribbon</a> day.<a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;">[2]</a><a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;">[3]</a>

Extra alternative uniforms or fourth and fifth kits are not commonly used, but are sometimes required when teams' other uniforms cause color clashes, or the uniforms are unavailable to use. In cases where teams have worn more than three kits in the same season, the extra kits were usually recycled from previous seasons.

Third-choice jerseys or uniforms are used in all four <a href="/en/Major_professional_sports_leagues_in_the_United_States_and_Canada" title="Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada" class="wl">major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada</a>.

Third <a href="/en/Kit_(association_football)" title="Kit (association football)" class="wl">kits</a> are commonplace in professional European <a href="/en/Association_football" title="Association football" class="wl">association football</a> and in some professional European <a href="/en/Rugby_union" title="Rugby union" class="wl">rugby union</a> clubs. Alternative jerseys are common in <a href="/en/Australia" title="Australia" class="wl">Australia</a>'s two biggest domestic leagues, the <a href="/en/Australian_Football_League" title="Australian Football League" class="wl">Australian Football League</a> (<a href="/en/Australian_rules_football" title="Australian rules football" class="wl">Aussie rules</a>) and <a href="/en/National_Rugby_League" title="National Rugby League" class="wl">National Rugby League</a> (<a href="/en/Rugby_league" title="Rugby league" class="wl">rugby league</a>).

A third jersey, alternative jersey, third kit, third sweater or alternative uniform is a jersey or uniform that a sports team  can wear instead of its home outfit or its away outfit during games, often when the colors of two competing teams' other uniforms are too similar to contrast easily. Alternative jerseys are primarily a lucrative means for professional sports organizations to generate revenue, by sales to fans. Of North American sports leagues, the National Football League generates $1.2 billion annually in jersey sales, with the National Basketball Association second, selling $900 million annually. Extra alternative uniforms or fourth and fifth kits are not commonly used, but are sometimes required when teams' other uniforms cause color clashes, or the uniforms are unavailable to use. In cases where teams have worn more than three kits in the same season, the extra kits were usually recycled from previous seasons. 