24 (number) - in Sports

In Sports

• The number of teams that participated in each FIFA World Cup finals tournament between 1982 and 1994. Also the number of teams that will participate in the finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup starting in 2015.
• Four-and-Twenty was an American racehorse.
• Under the basketball rules of FIBA, the NBA, and the WNBA, the offensive team has 24 seconds to attempt a shot.
• There are 24 players on the field at any given time in Canadian football (12 on each team).
• The jersey number 24 has been retired by several North American sports teams in honor of past playing greats or other key figures:
  • In Major League Baseball:
    • The Cincinnati Reds, for Hall of Famer Tony Pérez.
    • The Los Angeles Dodgers, for Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston.
    • The St. Louis Cardinals, for Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog.
    • The San Francisco Giants, for Hall of Famer Willie Mays.
    • The Seattle Mariners have yet to retire any numbers, but took #24 out of circulation when Ken Griffey, Jr. was traded from the team after the 1999 season. The number was reissued to Griffey when he rejoined the team in 2009, and taken out of circulation again after his retirement during the 2010 season.
  • In the NBA:
    • The Boston Celtics, for Hall of Famer Sam Jones.
    • The Golden State Warriors, for Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
    • The Houston Rockets, for Hall of Famer Moses Malone.
    • The New York Knicks, for Hall of Famer Bill Bradley.
    • The Philadelphia 76ers, for Bobby Jones.
    • The Phoenix Suns, for Tom Chambers.
    • The Seattle SuperSonics, for Spencer Haywood. The team has since relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Thunder has yet to issue any of the numbers retired by the franchise in Seattle.
  • In the NHL:
    • The Boston Bruins, for Terry O'Reilly.
    • The St. Louis Blues, for Hall of Famer Bernie Federko.
  • In the NFL:
    • The Baltimore Colts, for Hall of Famer Lenny Moore. The current Indianapolis Colts have yet to retire any numbers, but continue to honor all numbers retired by the franchise in Baltimore.
• The number of accepted runners in the Melbourne Cup
• The number of a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owned by Hendrick Motorsports. The car has been driven by Jeff Gordon since its introduction in 1992.