How Many Soccer Jerseys Should a Team Order for a Full Season?
Use a simple squad-based formula to plan player shirts, goalkeeper kits and practical spares without ordering too much.
How many soccer jerseys should a team order for a full season?
At first, the answer may seem easy. Count the players and order one shirt for each person. However, that plan can quickly fall apart when a jersey gets lost, a new player joins or two matches take place in the same week.
For most teams, a practical starting point is to order one jersey for every registered player, then add around 10% to 20% for spares. Goalkeeper shirts and a second color option should be counted separately.
Still, every team is different. Your match schedule, squad changes, laundry plan and printing choices can all affect the final number.
Start with the People Who May Actually Play
Do not begin with the starting eleven. Instead, count everyone who may need a shirt during the season.
Your list may include:
• Regular starting players
• Substitute players
• Reserve players
• Goalkeepers
• Trial or temporary players
• Players expected to join later
For example, an 11-a-side team may have 18 or 20 registered players. Therefore, ordering only 11 shirts would leave the substitutes without matching kit.
Likewise, a youth academy may move players between squads. In that case, a few unassigned shirts in common sizes can make the season much easier to manage.
Why One Jersey per Player May Not Be Enough
One shirt per player can work when the squad never changes and matches are far apart. In real life, though, things are rarely that simple.
A player may forget a shirt on match day. Another jersey may get damaged during a tackle. In addition, a printed number could peel, a shirt could shrink after incorrect washing or a new player might join halfway through the season.
Laundry also matters. If your team plays on Saturday and again on Sunday, there may not be enough time to wash and dry every shirt.
Therefore, a small number of spare soccer jerseys can prevent a minor problem from becoming a match-day problem.
Use This Simple Soccer Jersey Quantity Formula
You do not need a complex spreadsheet to plan a full season soccer kit order.
Start with this formula:
Total player jerseys = registered outfield players + spare shirts + expected new players
Then calculate goalkeeper jerseys separately.
For example, imagine your squad has:
• 18 outfield players
• 2 goalkeepers
• 3 spare outfield shirts
• 1 shirt reserved for a possible new player
• 1 spare goalkeeper jersey
In this case, the team could order:
• 22 outfield jerseys
• 3 goalkeeper jerseys
• 25 shirts in total
This gives the team enough coverage without creating too much unused stock.
Practical Jersey Quantities for Different Team Sizes
The following numbers are not fixed rules. However, they offer a useful starting point for team uniform quantity planning.
| Registered Players | Suggested Spare Shirts | Suggested Player Jerseys |
|---|---|---|
| 12 players | 2–3 spares | 14–15 jerseys |
| 15 players | 2–4 spares | 17–19 jerseys |
| 18 players | 3–5 spares | 21–23 jerseys |
| 20 players | 3–5 spares | 23–25 jerseys |
| 22 players | 4–6 spares | 26–28 jerseys |
Goalkeeper kits should be added after this calculation.
Also, these figures assume that the team needs one main color. If you need both home and away soccer kits, calculate each set based on how often the team will wear it.
How Many Spare Soccer Jerseys Should You Add?
The right number of spare shirts depends on how stable your squad is.
Casual and Sunday League Teams
A casual team may only need two or three extra shirts. However, these shirts should use common sizes such as medium, large and extra-large.
It can also help to keep the back plain or print only a number. That way, different players can use the shirt when needed.
School and Academy Teams
School and youth teams often experience more size changes and player movement. Therefore, adding around 15% extra can be more practical.
For instance, an academy with 20 players could order three or four additional shirts. A mix of common youth or adult sizes gives the club more flexibility.
Competitive Clubs
A competitive club may play league matches, cup games and weekend tournaments. As a result, shirts face more washing, wear and travel.
In this situation, 15% to 20% extra may be a safer starting point. Clubs with several squads may also keep a small shared stock of blank or number-only jerseys.
Does Your Team Need One Kit or Two?
Not every team needs two complete sets. However, relying on one color can create problems when both teams arrive in similar shirts.
Before ordering, ask three questions:
• Does your league ask teams to prepare a second color?
• Do many local opponents use colors similar to yours?
• Will the team play in tournaments with several opponents?
If color clashes are likely, a home and away kit can make planning easier. The two teams and the goalkeepers need colors that clearly distinguish them during a match.
Still, the two sets do not always need the same quantity.
For example, a team could order 22 main jerseys but only 18 change-color jerseys if the second set is used less often. However, check your competition rules before reducing the quantity.
Do Not Forget the Goalkeeper Jerseys
Goalkeeper shirts should not be included in the normal outfield jersey count.
First, confirm how many goalkeepers are registered. Then, decide whether each goalkeeper needs one or two shirts.
A team with two goalkeepers could start with:
• Two main goalkeeper jerseys
• One spare goalkeeper jersey
• An additional color if competition rules or likely clashes make it necessary
You should also confirm the sleeve preference. Some goalkeepers prefer long sleeves, while others feel more comfortable in short sleeves.
Most importantly, check goalkeeper sizes separately. A spare outfield shirt cannot always replace a goalkeeper jersey because the color and fit may not work.
Match Frequency Changes the Number You Need
A team that plays once every two weeks has different needs from a club that plays twice in one weekend.
If the team plays one match per week, one main shirt per player plus a few spares may be enough. On the other hand, tournament teams may need a larger backup stock.
Consider ordering more shirts when:
• The team plays on consecutive days
• Players take their own kits home
• The club has no central laundry service
• Matches take place in wet or muddy conditions
• The team travels often
• Replacement orders take time to arrange
By contrast, a club that collects, washes and stores every kit can control stock more easily.
Names and Numbers Can Affect Your Spare Plan
Personalized shirts look professional. However, fixed player names can make spare stock harder to use.
Suppose a player leaves halfway through the season. A shirt carrying that player’s name may not suit the replacement, even when the size is correct.
Number-only jerseys offer more flexibility. In addition, blank shirts can help during trials, training matches or emergency replacements.
A balanced order could include:
• Personalized jerseys for confirmed players
• Number-only jerseys for regular substitutes
• One or two blank shirts for unexpected changes
This approach keeps the main team identity while reducing waste.
Which Sizes Should You Choose for Spare Jerseys?
Do not order every spare in the same size.
Instead, review the size list for the full squad. Then, identify the most common sizes.
For example, if most adult players wear medium, large and extra-large, your spare stock might include:
• One medium
• Two large
• One extra-large
Youth teams should also consider growth. If several players sit between two sizes, choosing the larger size may allow them to use the jersey for longer.
However, avoid guessing from age alone. Actual chest and body measurements provide a more reliable guide.
Should You Order Extra Shirts Now or Reorder Later?
A small reorder may sound easy. However, the new shirts may not look exactly the same as the first batch.
Fabric lots can change slightly. In addition, printed colors, trims or small construction details may vary between production runs.
Therefore, ordering a reasonable spare quantity with the main order often gives the team better visual consistency.
That does not mean you should buy a large amount of unwanted stock. Instead, balance the risk of a later reorder against the cost of a few useful spares.
Common sizes and number-only designs usually carry less risk because the team can use them in several ways.
A Quick Soccer Team Kit Order Checklist
Before confirming the order, check the following details:
• Final number of registered players
• Outfield player sizes
• Goalkeeper sizes
• Home and change-color requirements
• Number of spare shirts
• Likely mid-season player additions
• Player names and numbers
• Most useful spare sizes
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• atch and tournament frequency
• Laundry and kit storage plan
Also, keep the final size and number list in one clear file. This reduces mistakes and makes future replacement orders easier.
So, How Many Jerseys Should Your Team Order?
For most teams, ordering 10% to 20% more outfield jerseys than the current squad size is a sensible starting point.
Therefore, an 18-player squad may order around 21 to 23 outfield shirts, plus separate goalkeeper jerseys. A stable casual team may need fewer spares, while an academy or tournament club may need more.
However, the best soccer jersey quantity for a team does not come from player numbers alone.
You should also consider match frequency, color clashes, laundry time, squad changes and whether the shirts carry fixed names. Once those details are clear, the final quantity becomes much easier to calculate.
A few carefully chosen spare jerseys can save the team from emergency reorders, mismatched shirts and avoidable stress later in the season.
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