What is the ruling on short clothing for athletes?

Question:
What is the ruling on the short clothing that some players wear, which reaches to the middle of the thigh?

Answer:
It is obligatory to cover the thigh. The scholars have two opinions regarding the thigh: is it part of the awrah (the part of the body that must be covered) for a man, or is it not?
The correct view, which is established by the Sunnah (the Prophet's way), is that the thigh is awrah and that it is obligatory to cover it. Several hadiths (reports of the Prophet's words or deeds) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) have come regarding this, indicating that the thigh is awrah. Therefore, it is obligatory for the player, and for anyone other than a player, that his clothing covers up to the knee and above, so that he does not expose anything of the thigh down to the knee. The minimum requirement is up to the knee. If he goes below the knee out of caution, that is better. The point is that the minimum requirement is: what is between the navel and the knee; this is the awrah.