If you're a new coach or first-time AAU team manager, designing the basketball uniforms is the first real test of organizational competence. Get it right and the team looks unified from the first practice. Get it wrong and you're explaining mismatched sizes at the first tournament. Here's the step-by-step guide we wish every coach had before placing their first order.
Decision 1: Reversibles or single-side?
This is the biggest decision and it depends on how the team practices.
Pick reversibles if: You scrimmage internally (5-on-5 inside practice) and want to switch teams without changing jerseys. Standard for AAU, youth, and small-program high school.
Pick single-side jerseys if: You're a varsity high school program with separate game uniforms vs practice jerseys. The varsity standard is dual-set: a home (light) and away (dark) jersey.
Cost difference: reversibles run about 30% more per piece because they're more fabric. But for a youth team buying ONE jersey instead of TWO, it ends up cheaper overall.
Decision 2: Sublimated or screen-printed?
For game jerseys, sublimation has won the basketball war. Player names + numbers + sponsor logos all printed into the fabric. No peeling under sweat, no cracking when stretched, no fading after washing.
Screen print still wins for high-volume shooting shirts and practice tees where you don't need individual customization. Per-piece cost drops fast over 24+ pieces with screen print.
Decision 3: Numbers and names — what to include?
- Front number: Standard. Goes center-chest, usually 6–8 inches tall.
- Back number: Standard. Usually 10–12 inches tall, with player last name above (optional but recommended).
- Player last name: Above back number, usually 2–3 inches tall. Skip this if you're a youth team where players might change mid-season.
- Sponsor logo: Usually front-center or sleeve. Place by sponsor hierarchy.
- Team logo: Front-left chest or front-center. Don't double up with sponsor on the same spot.
Decision 4: What about shooting shirts and warm-ups?
Shooting shirts are the pre-game warm-up tees players wear during shootaround. They're usually screen-printed or DTF — bold team logo, player number, sometimes a motto on the back.
Warm-up jackets are the bench gear. Embroidered or full-zip, in team colors, with team logo on the chest and player name + number on the back.
Most high school programs bundle jersey + shooting shirt + warm-up jacket as the team kit, total per player around $95–$160.
Common rookie mistakes to avoid
- Ordering before checking the league rules. Some leagues require specific number sizes, logo placements, or sponsor restrictions. Check first.
- Skipping the mockup review. We send a free digital mockup before production. If you sign off without reviewing details, that's on you.
- Single-size ordering. Take individual sizes — don't guess based on age.
- No buffer for mid-season add-ons. A player joins, gets injured, leaves — order with a 1-jersey buffer for variability.
- Cheap blanks for game jerseys. Game jerseys are visible to every parent, ref, and scout in the building. Don't skimp.
Related
- Custom Basketball Uniforms (landing page)
- Online Team Stores for Sports Teams
- How Custom Apparel Orders Work
First-time coach overwhelmed by the uniform decision? Call us at (208) 954-9492. We'll walk you through the order one step at a time — for free.
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.