The typical July kit panic starts with a single email asking who needs a shirt this season. Half the squad replies, even though the first competitive fixture is just three weeks away. Grassroots football kit decisions usually happen under these exact conditions, combining incomplete information with a tight window and a volunteer administrator balancing a full-time job.
The same five errors appear at clubs across every level during pre-season. Addressing them early saves time and protects the club budget.
1. Ordering Before the Squad Is Confirmed
Submitting a kit order before pre-season finishes guarantees sizing issues. Two players drop out, a new signing arrives needing a large, and the club ends up with four smalls that nobody wears while a queue forms for mediums. The fix involves setting a hard internal deadline for squad confirmation at least two weeks before the final supplier order date.
Collect player sizes alongside squad confirmation forms rather than treating it as a separate task. Capturing both details on one sheet cuts the administrative chasing in half.
Junior squads require one or two buffer sizes at the larger end of the range, since measurements change between August and the following May. Ordering strictly to current dimensions leaves younger players with shirts they will outgrow by February.
2. Choosing Fabric on Unit Price Alone
A kit chosen purely for its cheap unit price might look fine in August. By November, the printed numbers start cracking, and players will ask for replacements a third of the way through the season. Selecting the lowest number on the quote sheet frequently becomes the most expensive administrative decision of the entire pre-season.
Always ask suppliers about their print method relative to the underlying fabric. Sublimation printing holds colour and number integrity better on polyester blends compared to heat-press vinyl applied to lower-weight materials.
Transparent suppliers, like those offering custom soccer team uniforms from Sports Gear Swag, will typically list fabric specifications and print capabilities upfront. Request a full kit breakdown as a standard part of any quote to verify the fabric weight and wash rating. Calculate the total-season cost rather than the initial purchase price, since a robust kit lasting two years costs significantly less per match than a fragile alternative.
| Key Insight: Calculate total-season cost rather than purchase price. A kit that holds up for two seasons costs less per match than one that needs replacing in January. Request fabric weight, print method, and wash rating before committing. |
3. Leaving Sponsor Artwork Until After the Order Goes In
Late sponsor confirmations routinely derail delivery schedules. A sponsor might send a low-resolution image file the week after you submit the order, leaving the club to choose between an expensive reprint or wearing distorted logos all year. Treating sponsor artwork sign-off as a mandatory prerequisite for order submission prevents this scenario.
Specify artwork requirements to your sponsors upfront and in writing. Request vector file formats like AI, EPS, or a high-resolution PDF at a minimum of 300 DPI, while clearly outlining the exact placement dimensions and colour breakdowns.
Build a one-week buffer between the artwork deadline and order submission to protect the club from inevitable delays. Confirm the logo placement, scale, and colour approval via email before the final purchase to eliminate any ambiguity.
4. Not Thinking Carefully About Where the Order Goes
Many clubs default to last year’s supplier without comparing alternatives, or they chase the lowest headline price without checking what is actually included. Lead times, numbering, design support, and artwork handling vary significantly between vendors. The difference between a smooth administrative process and a stressful one usually becomes visible in those operational details before the order is placed.
Two sourcing routes demand equal consideration. A local printer serves as the right answer for clubs with an existing relationship, a short turnaround window, or a committee member who can approve a physical proof. This physical proximity carries value that a basic unit-price comparison ignores.
Alternatively, online suppliers handle design, sizing, numbering, and artwork within a single consolidated digital workflow. Both routes require proper evaluation, because the correct choice depends entirely on what your specific order demands.
Map the specific requirements of your purchase before deciding. Outline the design complexity, numbering requirements, sponsor artwork handling, print method, and total turnaround time.
Match the supplier to your required workflow rather than forcing your club to adapt to theirs. Allow a minimum of six to eight weeks from the confirmed order to delivery.
Sublimation kits that include integrated numbering and sponsor artwork realistically require eight to twelve weeks to process. Build that lead time into the pre-season calendar from the start rather than trying to fit it around an existing fixture list.
| Pro Tip: Map design complexity, numbering, sponsor artwork, print method, and turnaround time before choosing a supplier. Match the supplier to that workflow, then allow six to eight weeks minimum from confirmed order to delivery. |
5. Not Budgeting for Mid-Season Replacements
Clubs frequently exhaust their entire kit budget on the opening order. A shirt gets torn in an October tackle, lost on a November away trip, or outgrown by a junior player by January. Without a reserve fund or a backup plan, the committee ends up chasing new quotes in the middle of the season when volunteer bandwidth sits at its lowest point.
Build a small replacement reserve into the financial budget right at the start. Covering just two or three extra shirts changes the operational position significantly when the inevitable damage happens.
Confirm whether the supplier can fulfil small repeat orders without a minimum quantity threshold before placing the original order. Needing a single replacement shirt from a vendor that demands a twelve-piece minimum creates a recurring headache for grassroots teams.
Keep a dedicated record of the exact kit specifications to ensure consistency. Log the fabric weight, print method, number font, and specific colour codes so mid-season replacements match the original batch. A replacement shirt arriving in a slightly different shade of blue draws immediate attention, making the team look disjointed on the pitch.
| Important: Confirm whether the supplier can fulfil small repeat orders without a minimum quantity threshold before placing the original order. A single replacement shirt from a supplier with a 12-piece minimum is a recurring grassroots problem. |
The Bottom Line
These sourcing mistakes happen across every level of grassroots football due to structural time pressures and stretched volunteer bandwidth. The solutions simply require starting earlier than feels necessary and maintaining strict specifications. Locking the squad list down early prevents mismatched sizing, while demanding exact fabric weights and printing methods protects the long-term investment in your custom uniforms.
Managing kit orders requires treating artwork sign-offs as rigid deadlines. Pricing both local and consolidated online routes ensures the club gets the correct workflow for its operational needs. Securing a supplier that allows single-shirt replacements keeps the squad looking unified without forcing massive minimum orders mid-season.
| Author Profile: Sports Gear Swag is an online retailer of custom sports apparel and gear for teams, schools, and organisations of all sizes. Specialising in team jerseys, uniforms and athletic apparel with a wide range of customisation options. |
