Youth Basketball Uniforms, What to Order Before the Season Tips Off
A coach's guide to ordering youth basketball uniforms in the USA. Sizing, fabric, reversible vs game jerseys, ordering deadlines, and bulk pricing per player.
Most youth and middle school basketball seasons tip off in November. Travel and AAU programs start evaluations even earlier. If you're reading this in the fall, you are right on time, and if it's October, you're already tight.
Here's what to order, and when.
The ordering calendar
Delivery takes 14 to 21 days including shipping after artwork approval, so allow time for artwork revisions and transit when planning backward from the first game.
| You want jerseys by | Start the order by |
|---|---|
| Early November (rec/middle school) | Late September |
| December (holiday tournaments) | Mid-October |
| Spring AAU / club season | January |
If the standard timeline does not fit, contact us before payment. Rush service is subject to availability and confirmation.
What a youth basketball kit actually needs
Game jersey and shorts. The core of the order. Sublimated, so names, numbers, and sponsor logos are printed into the fabric and never crack or peel.
Reversible practice set. The best value in the whole order. One set covers scrimmage, practice, and shootaround for a program that would otherwise buy two.
Shooting shirt. Warm-ups matter more for team identity than performance, but a matching shooter shirt is what parents photograph.
Socks and headbands. Cheap, high-margin for a fundraiser, and they finish the look.
Fabric and fit for youth players
- double knit mesh is the standard for game jerseys, breathable, holds color, doesn't cling.
- Dazzle looks sharper on camera but runs warmer. Better for older teams.
- Body length matters more than chest for basketball. A jersey that rides up on every rebound is the number one complaint we get.
- Youth players grow 2–3" a year. If the kit needs to last two seasons, size up.
Our youth jersey size chart covers the youth-XL-vs-adult-small question in detail.
NFHS rules that catch teams out
- Front numbers must sit on a single color background area
- Minimum number height: 6" front, 8" back
- No duplicate numbers on the same roster
- Names on the back are optional, but must be sublimated or tackle twill, not heat pressed
Check your league's own rulebook too. Rec leagues often add restrictions on sponsor logo placement.
What it costs per player
Our bulk pricing runs on roster size, not on how many pieces each player orders:
| Roster size | Price per jersey |
|---|---|
| 1–10 | list price |
| 11–20 | 5% off |
| 21–50 | 10% off |
| 51+ | 15% off |
A basketball uniform starts at $40. A 12-player order receives 5% off, bringing the unit price to $38. Reversible uniforms start at $68 before the same quantity discount.
Full breakdown on our pricing page.
Before you place the order
- Collect names, numbers, and chest measurements, not guessed sizes
- Get school or league color codes (PMS or hex) so we can match exactly
- Decide on names-on-back now. Adding them later restarts the artwork
- Approve the mockup, free and unlimited revisions until you're happy
- Lock the roster. Sizes can't change once a sublimation run starts
Start your order
Browse custom basketball uniforms or run your full roster through the Team Kit Builder, it collects every player's name, number, and size in one form and prices the order as you go.