Ordering a soccer kit for a club is not the same as buying shirts. You are managing a squad with mixed sizes, a season deadline that cannot move, sponsors who confirm late, and a committee that wants the price locked before anyone commits. This guide walks through the decisions in the order you will actually face them.
What a full kit includes
“Kit” means different things to different suppliers, so define it before comparing quotes:
- Jersey — the only item every quote includes
- Shorts — usually paired, sometimes priced separately
- Socks — often excluded from a headline set price
- Goalkeeper kit — must be a contrasting colour, and is a different design
- Away or alternate strip — required by many leagues for colour clashes
- Training wear — training tops, bibs, tracksuits, jackets
Two quotes can differ by 30% purely because one includes socks and a goalkeeper set and the other does not. Ask every supplier to itemise.
Sizing a squad you do not fully control
Squad sizing is where club orders most often go wrong. Practical measures that work:
- Always request a size set or sizing samples. Asian, European and North American sizing conventions differ enough that a nominal “L” is not a reliable unit. Have players try physical garments rather than reading a chart.
- Collect sizes in writing, per player. A shared spreadsheet with name, number and size prevents the verbal confusion that produces reorders.
- Order spares. A handful of extra pieces in the most common sizes covers mid-season signings, damage and the player who reports the wrong size. Buying five spares now is far cheaper than a five-piece reorder in three months.
- Check the youth-to-adult break. Junior clubs frequently need both, which means two pattern sets. Flag this at quotation stage, not after.
Working backwards from the season
Set your date as when the kit must be in players’ hands, then work backwards through every stage. Each of the following consumes real time:
- Design finalisation and sponsor sign-off
- Artwork preparation and layout by the factory
- Sample production
- Your review and approval — the stage clubs consistently underestimate, because it requires a committee to agree
- Bulk production
- Pre-shipment inspection and packing
- International freight and customs clearance
The two stages most likely to slip are sponsor sign-off and committee approval, both of which are on your side rather than the factory’s. Fix your internal decision deadline first.
Decoration and sponsors
Most modern soccer kits are fully sublimated, because it allows edge-to-edge design, unlimited colours and individual player names and numbers at no additional per-piece decoration cost. It also leaves no raised layer on a garment worn in a high-sweat sport. Our comparison of sublimation, screen printing and embroidery covers the alternatives.
On sponsors, the practical rule is to lock logos before artwork is finalised. A sponsor added into the sublimation layout costs nothing extra. A sponsor added after production means heat transfer applied on top, which costs more per piece and is less durable. If a sponsorship deal is still being negotiated, tell your factory to leave clear space in the design.
Intellectual property: the risk clubs overlook
Professional club crests, league marks and player names are protected trademarks. A supplier who will happily reproduce them without authorisation is exposing you, not themselves, since as the importer you are the party goods are seized from. Use your own club crest and your own design. A legitimate factory will decline unauthorised branding, and that refusal is a positive signal about the supplier.
Fabric: what to specify
Rather than accepting “quick-dry polyester” as a specification, discuss:
- Weight. Lighter fabric suits hot climates; heavier fabric holds shape and lasts longer under contact.
- Knit structure. Mesh panels aid ventilation; flat knit gives a cleaner print surface.
- Stretch. Four-way stretch improves fit on athletic cuts but changes how the pattern must be graded.
- Climate. A kit for a Northern European winter and one for a South African summer should not be the same fabric.
Ask for physical fabric swatches. Fabric is a tactile decision that cannot be made from a photograph.
Small first order, larger repeat order
Many clubs do not need hundreds of sets, and that is workable. A sensible structure is to sample first, confirm fit and print quality on a physical garment, then place your squad quantity. Because pattern and artwork already exist after the first run, repeat orders of the same design are typically faster and priced better. Clubs running multi-year kit cycles should ask the factory to retain patterns and artwork files for exactly this reason.
What to send with your enquiry
- Items required: jersey only, jersey and shorts, or full kit with socks and goalkeeper set
- Total quantity, plus a size breakdown if available
- Design file, sketch or reference photo
- Whether you need player names, numbers and sponsor logos
- The date the kit must arrive
- Destination country and city
Frequently asked questions
How many kits do I need to order as a minimum?
This varies by factory and by design. Instead of screening suppliers on a published MOQ, state your real quantity and ask whether they can support it and at what price. Many factories that advertise high minimums will quote a club-sized run when asked directly.
Can each player have their own name and number?
Yes. With sublimation the names and numbers are part of the printed layout, so each piece is produced individually. Send the roster as a spreadsheet with name, number and size.
What if a player changes size or a new player joins?
This is what spares are for. Ask your factory to keep your artwork and patterns on file so a small reorder does not restart the setup process.
Should the goalkeeper kit be ordered at the same time?
Yes. It is a separate design in contrasting colours, and ordering it alongside the main kit avoids a second setup and a second freight charge.
How do I compare quotes fairly?
Normalise them first. Confirm each quote covers the same items, the same fabric weight, the same decoration method, the same size range, and the same packing. Then compare landed cost including freight, not the unit price alone.
Get a quote for your club
FuseOne Sports is a custom sportswear manufacturer in Zhongshan, China, producing soccer kits, basketball uniforms, rugby jerseys, polo shirts and training wear for clubs, schools, distributors and teamwear brands across Europe, North America, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and South Africa. We support sample-first small runs as well as tiered pricing for larger and repeat orders.
Send your design, squad size and season deadline and we will reply with fabric options, a sampling plan and pricing. Request a quote.