Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in Idaho and one of the more confusing for first-time program managers. If you're outfitting both a boys and girls program — or just trying to figure out why the catalog has two different jersey sections — here's the straight breakdown of what's actually different between boys and girls lacrosse uniforms.
Jersey cuts are completely different
This is the biggest surprise for new coaches. Boys lacrosse jerseys are typically loose-fit, longer, and reinforced at the shoulders to accommodate pads. Girls lacrosse jerseys are athletic-fit, shorter, and designed without pad accommodations (girls' lax doesn't use shoulder pads).
You CAN'T use a boys jersey on a girls team or vice versa. The fit will be wrong and players will complain. Order the right cut from the start.
Bottom apparel — shorts vs. kilts
Boys lacrosse: shorts. Standard 9-inch inseam athletic shorts in team colors, often sublimated to match the jersey.
Girls lacrosse: kilts or skirts. The standard is a pleated kilt 14–16 inches long. Some programs offer a 'skort' option (skirt with built-in shorts underneath) for younger players. Sublimated to match the jersey.
You can order both for a single program — girls in kilts, boys in shorts — under one order.
Pinnies — same for both
Practice pinnies (the reversible mesh tops used for scrimmage) are essentially the same for boys and girls. We screen-print numbers on both sides — usually light/dark or two team colors.
Most programs order pinnies in bulk and share them across boys and girls practice sessions.
Helmet differences (FYI — we don't make these)
Boys lacrosse: full helmets with face cages. Required for all play. We sell vinyl helmet decals if you want team branding on the helmet shell.
Girls lacrosse: eyewear (goggles) only, no helmets. Recent rule changes are pushing toward soft headgear at some levels.
League sponsor rules
Both Idaho boys and girls lacrosse leagues allow sponsor logos on uniforms, but with placement rules. Generally: sponsor logos go on the back or sleeve, not the front-center (which is reserved for team identification). For high school varsity, check IHSAA rules first — they're stricter than club rules.
What about reversible jerseys?
Most program coaches ask: can we do reversible jerseys instead of separate home/away? Answer: yes, but only if the league allows it. Reversible jerseys are about 30% more per piece than single-side jerseys but save you from ordering two separate sets. For youth programs scrimmaging more than competing, reversibles win. For high school varsity, separate home/away is the cleaner look.
Related
- Custom Lacrosse Uniforms (landing page)
- Online Team Stores for Sports Teams
- How Custom Apparel Orders Work
Outfitting a brand-new lacrosse program and don't know where to start? Call us at (208) 954-9492 — we've helped 3 Treasure Valley programs launch their first season with full uniform packages in under 4 weeks.
How We Make This Stuff
Everything covered in this post is produced in our Meridian, Idaho shop at 2700 E Lanark St. Eagle Ridge Apparel is a family-run print shop serving the Treasure Valley since 2019 — we embroider, screen print, DTF, sublimate, laser-cut leather patches, laser-engrave drinkware, and UV-print promotional goods on equipment we operate ourselves. No outsourced decoration, no overseas fulfillment, no third-party middlemen.
Most custom apparel orders ship in 7–10 business days from approved mockup. Rush production in 3–5 business days is available on most decoration methods; embroidered hats are the tightest constraint. We hold no minimums on any decoration type — order one piece or one thousand — though pricing scales aggressively over 50, 100, and 250-piece tiers. Free digital mockups before production starts. We don't begin a run until you sign off on what it'll look like.
Two ways to order: design it yourself online in our designer tool (any quantity, any decoration method), or request a custom quote and we'll send back pricing within one business day. Talk to a real person at (208) 954-9492 or info@eagleridgeapparel.com — most inquiries get a response within two hours during the business day.