Field note · 28 August 2026
Jersey Size Runs and Collecting a Roster That Actually Works
A workable size curve, a roster form that does not generate rework, and a plan for the people who never reply.
Start from a curve, then adjust it
Two things sink a jersey activation, and neither of them is the printing. The first is a size run that leaves you with forty smalls and no 2XLs by 7pm. The second is a roster collected in a way that produces misspelled names, duplicate numbers and a spreadsheet nobody can hand to a press operator. Jersey printing size runs and roster collection are unglamorous work, but they are the difference between a smooth two-hour window and a crew improvising at the table.
If you have no historical data, a reasonable adult starting curve looks roughly like this: S around 8 percent, M around 22, L around 28, XL around 22, 2XL around 14, 3XL around 6. Order about 1.05 to 1.15 pieces per expected guest so the buffer sits in the middle of the run rather than the ends.
Then move it based on who is actually coming:
- Corporate and adult rec leagues: shift up a size. People order the size they want to be wearing next year; give them the one they are wearing now.
- Youth sports family days: you need a genuine youth run — YS through YL — and parents will take an adult L or XL for themselves. Two separate curves, not one blended one.
- Fan giveaways and festivals: flatten the curve. Walk-up crowds spread wider than invite lists.
- Womens or mixed-fit events: if you are offering both cuts, do not simply halve each size. Add an S and M weighting to the fitted cut and leave the unisex run alone.
One thing worth deciding early: jersey cut runs small and inconsistent across brands. Put actual chest measurements on a sizing card at the front of the line, not just letters. It removes most of the swaps.
Collect five fields and no more
A roster form should ask for name as it should appear, number, size, cut if you offer two, and an email or phone for the pickup notification. Everything else is a field somebody will fill in wrong.
The name field needs rules attached, because this is where nearly all rework comes from:
- State the character limit in the form itself. Most adult back-name layouts hold about 10 to 12 characters comfortably; go longer and the letters shrink or wrap. Youth backs hold fewer.
- Say whether accents and hyphens are supported and show the exact typeface, because a name that renders correctly in a browser may not exist in the cut file.
- Show the entry back in all caps as a live preview. People type “mcdonald” and expect “McDONALD.”
- Screen for profanity and for the joke names that always appear. Somebody will submit one.
For numbers, decide up front whether duplicates are allowed. For a fan event, let them duplicate — twenty people can all wear 23. For anything resembling an actual team, flag duplicates in the form and force a choice, or you will discover the conflict at the press.
Roster Fields
Make the deadline do the work
Artwork and rosters should be locked around 10 business days before the event. That is not a printer being precious; it is the window where a name file gets built, proofed and test-pressed.
Collection actually working depends on three mechanics. Send the form with a stated close date, send exactly two reminders (one a week out, one 48 hours before close), and — the important one — publish a default. Tell people that anyone who does not respond gets a blank-back jersey in size L. Defaults convert stragglers better than reminders do.
After the form closes, post the compiled list somewhere people can see it for 24 hours and correct their own spelling. That single step catches more errors than any amount of proofreading on your end, because only the owner of a name knows it is wrong.
Split confirmed orders from the live lane
The strongest build for anything over about 80 pieces is a hybrid. Press the confirmed roster in advance and use the on-site lanes for walk-ups, corrections and the people who swore they submitted the form.
A DTF and heat press station finishes 60–90 pieces an hour, and two to four lanes is the normal range for an event. So a 90-minute pre-game window with two lanes is roughly 180 to 270 pieces at full tilt — but only if nobody is standing at the table deciding on a name. Put a tablet with the order form at the front of the queue so decisions happen while people wait, not when they reach the operator. Our turnaround guide covers how those windows compress on tight schedules.
Keep a blank buffer of 10 to 15 percent, weighted to L and XL, for the walk-up lane. Those are the sizes that vanish first and the ones people are least willing to substitute.
Walk-Ups
The part everyone forgets
Finished jerseys pile up fast, and an unmanaged pile is how a smooth event turns into a lost-and-found. Bag each piece, label the bag with name and number, and run a claim table physically separate from the press so the queue does not double back on itself.
Alphabetise by first name if guests are individuals, by last name if they are a team. Keep families together in one bag when you can — four youth jerseys for the same household should not be four separate claims. And build in five minutes at the end for the two or three pieces that will need reprinting, because there are always two or three. The services page lists what a full names-and-numbers setup includes.
Frequently asked questions
How many of each jersey size should I order?
A workable adult starting point is roughly 8 percent small, 22 medium, 28 large, 22 XL, 14 2XL and 6 3XL, then shift upward for corporate and adult rec crowds. Order about 1.05 to 1.15 pieces per expected guest and put the extra into the middle sizes. If youth attendees are coming, run a separate youth curve rather than blending it in.
When does the roster need to be final?
Around ten business days before the event for anything pressed in advance, which leaves time to build and proof the name files. Walk-up names can still be added on site in the live lane. What you cannot do is hand over a 200-name list the night before and expect it pressed and bagged by morning.
Can two people have the same number?
At a fan event, yes, and you should let them. For an actual team roster, flag duplicates in the collection form and force the second person to pick again, because catching it at the press costs a garment and a slot in the queue. Decide the policy before the form goes out rather than mid-collection.
FAQ
Send us your roster
Give us your headcount, your run window and how names are being collected, and we will tell you how many lanes it takes and what the size run should look like. If you are still scoping the setup, start with what you need to print jerseys at your event. Call (562) 614-4800 or request a quote.