How to take sizes for a whole team without mistakes
The flat-measure method, using a sample set and how to avoid the classic size swap.
The biggest headache when kitting out a club isn't the design: it's the sizes. A bad measurement means exchanges, delays, uncomfortable players and, when it comes to customised products, a problem that's hard to undo. Here's how to do it right, step by step.
Why sizes are critical with customised products
It's worth understanding this before you start: a shirt with a player's name and number is made exclusively for them. It can't go back to the warehouse or be resold. That's why customised products have no right of withdrawal (Article 16(c) of the EU Consumer Rights Directive; in Spain, Article 103(c) of the TRLGDCU). And the reason isn't a get-out clause: it's that you approve the design before paying, on the 3D render. Nothing gets made that you haven't seen on and said yes to. That's exactly why there's the 3D confirmation before the cart: “I confirm the design · Add to basket”.
What is always covered, customised products included: if it arrives faulty or doesn't match what you ordered, it's put right at no cost — repair, replacement or refund — with a 3-year legal guarantee. What isn't covered is a size exchange because of a badly taken measurement, and that's what this article is about.
Measure flat, not on the body
The most reliable way isn't to measure the player: it's to take a garment that already fits them well and measure it flat on a table. It's quicker, more accurate and avoids arguments.
- Width: from one side to the other, just below the armpits, with the garment laid out smooth but not stretched.
- Length: from the highest point of the shoulder, by the collar, down to the hem.
With those two numbers, compare with our size chart. No “I think it's an M”: one brand's M isn't another brand's M.
Use a sample set
For club orders, ideally try a set of samples in each size. Having each player try one on and write down their size eliminates most mistakes in one go.
This is where it helps that there's no minimum order: you can order a few sample units in the middle sizes (for example 10, 12, S and M) before placing the big order. It's the best-value investment of the whole season.
And the golden rule: if you're between two sizes, choose the larger. A slightly loose shirt can be played in; a tight one can't.
Youth football: measure twice
In the younger age groups there are two factors that don't exist in an adult team:
- Children grow. If you take sizes in June for a kit that will be worn from September to May, the child will shoot up along the way. Many coordinators choose to go up a size for those on the borderline.
- Parents have opinions. And sometimes they ask for a size up “so it lasts two years”. That's fair, but it's worth warning them that a very big shirt gets in the way when playing.
We work with 14 sizes, from kids' size 4 up to adult 4XL, precisely so that in youth football you don't have to make do with a small adult size.
Record every player in a single list
Write down name, number and size in one place. No scattered messages in the WhatsApp group, which is where data gets lost.
In our customisers you enter the whole list in one go. With “Paste a list” the one from the WhatsApp group works as it is (“GARCÍA 7 M”, “7 García”…), and with “Number them 1, 2, 3…” you number them in order. And before ordering you can see each player's shirt.
And that list is saved with the design: when you save the kit, all of it is saved — design, crest, sponsors, font, numbers and the player list with their sizes —, up to 3 designs. For the club to check it before ordering, show it on screen or send a screenshot: it's the best moment to catch an odd size. The share link carries the design, but not the player list. With an account, that list follows you from one device to another; without an account it stays only in that browser, so if you set it up on the club's computer you won't find it on your phone.
Before confirming, check two things that always go wrong:
- That the names are spelled correctly (accents and double-barrelled surnames slip through).
- That no numbers are repeated.
Load the list from Excel and forget about typing
If the team is large, there's the spreadsheet: in “Design your shirt”, “Load the list from a spreadsheet”, at step 3; in the catalogue, “Load squad list”, at the “Players” step. You download an .xlsx file generated with that specific product's sizes, so there's no way to enter a size that doesn't exist: they're in drop-down lists and you can only type in the right cells.
You fill it in with one row per player (name, number, shirt size and, if you need them, shorts and socks sizes). In the template itself you also choose whether the shorts are sublimated or basic, and the colour of the basic ones and of the socks. When you upload it you see a preview before anything is applied, which is the moment to catch the misspelled name or the repeated number.
If you already had the team list in another sheet, you don't even need to download the template: you can paste the data directly from any spreadsheet.
Watch out with basic garments
Basic shorts and socks use their own chart in cm. Check them separately: a shirt size doesn't always correspond to the same shorts size. It's a classic mistake to assume that someone who wears an M shirt wears M shorts.
When ordering, the shorts and socks sizes go on their card in “Complete your kit”. Each player already has their shirt size filled in, so you can change it if needed. “Same sizes as the shirt” matches them, and “No shorts” or “No socks” are for anyone who doesn't want them.
The ultimate trick: let everyone choose their own
If you want to get rid of the problem at the root, stop taking sizes yourself. With a Team Store, each family goes into the club store with its code, chooses its size and pays its own share. The coordinator is no longer responsible for data they don't control, and whoever gets it wrong is whoever chose it.
Quick summary
- Measure a garment that already fits, flat: width and length.
- Compare with the official chart, not with your gut feeling.
- Order samples of the middle sizes before the big order.
- If in doubt, the larger. For children, allow for growth.
- One single list with name, number and size; if the team is large, use the Excel template.
- Check names and numbers before approving the design.
With that, the day the box arrives at the changing room will be a joy and not an afternoon of complaints.
