# Jersey name and number size: back, front and sleeve numbers by sport in inches, cm and pixels

How big the name and numbers on a jersey or team shirt should be, by sport and for youth and adult sizes, in inches, centimetres and pixels at 300 DPI: the heights a lettering maker publishes, the minimums US high-school rules set for football, basketball and soccer, where the name goes over the number, and the print file each one needs.

**On the back of an adult jersey, the number is usually 8–10 in (20.3–25.4 cm) tall and the name above it 2.5–3 in (6.4–7.6 cm); youth jerseys take 6–10 in (15.2–25.4 cm) numbers and 2 in (5.1 cm) names. Football numbers are the largest, 10 in (25.4 cm) on the back, which is 3000 pixels at 300 DPI.** Front numbers are smaller in most sports, about 4 in (10.2 cm) on an adult basketball or soccer jersey, and football and hockey also put a number on each sleeve or shoulder.

There is no single standard. US high-school rules set the smallest numbers for football, basketball and soccer, and leagues, colleges and clubs set their own; for everything else, lettering makers publish the sizes that read well. This guide gives both, with the pixels a print file needs for each, and the sources at the end. The rules of the league your customer plays in always come first.

## Name and number sizes by sport

| Sport and size | Name | Front number | Back number | Sleeve or shoulder number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Football, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px |
| Football, adult | 2.5 in (6.4 cm), 750 px | 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 px | 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px |
| Basketball, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 6 in (15.2 cm), 1800 px | None |
| Basketball, adult | 2.5 in (6.4 cm), 750 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |
| Soccer, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |
| Soccer, adult | 2.5 in (6.4 cm), 750 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |
| Baseball, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 6 in (15.2 cm), 1800 px | None |
| Baseball, adult | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |
| Softball, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 6 in (15.2 cm), 1800 px | None |
| Softball, adult | 2.5 in (6.4 cm), 750 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |
| Hockey, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px |
| Hockey, adult | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px | 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px |
| Lacrosse, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 6 in (15.2 cm), 1800 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |
| Lacrosse, adult | 2.5 in (6.4 cm), 750 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 px | None |
| Volleyball, youth | 2 in (5.1 cm), 600 px | 3 in (7.6 cm), 900 px | 6 in (15.2 cm), 1800 px | None |
| Volleyball, adult | 2.5 in (6.4 cm), 750 px | 4 in (10.2 cm), 1200 px | 8 in (20.3 cm), 2400 px | None |

These are the heights Stahls, which makes heat-applied names and numbers, publishes for each sport. Each is the height of the letters or digits; the pixels are that height at 300 DPI, the resolution printers ask for. Stahls also gives shorts numbers: for basketball and soccer the size of the front number, for lacrosse smaller than it.

The width follows from the font and the number of characters, so it is not in the table: a two-digit number is about twice as wide as one digit, and a long surname is wider than a short one at the same height.

## The minimums in US high-school rules

| Sport | Front number at least | Back number at least | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | 8 in (20.3 cm) | 10 in (25.4 cm) | NFHS football rule 1-5-1c (2026) |
| Basketball | 4 in (10.2 cm) | 6 in (15.2 cm) | NFHS basketball legal uniforms (2024–25) |
| Soccer | 4 in (10.2 cm) | 6 in (15.2 cm) | NFHS soccer uniforms (revised January 2025); the front number may be on the shorts |

The NFHS, which writes the rules most US high schools play by, sets more than a height:

- **Football:** numbers 0 to 99 on the front and the back, the same colour and style on both, their body about 1½ inches wide, in a single solid colour that clearly contrasts with the jersey.
- **Basketball:** numbers at least ¾ inch wide, centred, in no more than three colours; only 0 to 5, 00 and two-digit numbers made of those digits, up to 55. The player's name may be on the back, and no letter may come closer than 1 in (2.5 cm) to the number.
- **Soccer:** every jersey numbered, the goalkeeper's included, in a colour that contrasts with the jersey; the front number may be on the shorts instead.

Colleges, professional leagues and national associations have their own rules, and youth leagues often follow the school or national ones. Ask the team which rules it plays under before you print match kit; for supporters' shirts and leisure teams, the table above is a good starting point.

## Where the name and number go on the back

The name runs across the back above the number, centred on it, with both clear of the collar and the shoulder seams. Leave space between them: the NFHS basketball rule asks for at least 1 in (2.5 cm) between any letter and the number, and the same gap reads well on any shirt.

Keep the height the same for every player on a team, and let a long name be narrower rather than lower. A name that does not fit at full height can use a condensed font or tighter spacing; arching it over the number is another way, and the NFHS allows arched lettering on basketball jerseys.

Check that the whole back fits on the shirt you print: a name over a number takes up to 14 in (35.6 cm) from the top of the name to the foot of the number, with the gap between them, in the sizes above.

## Print files for names and numbers

A printed name or number needs the same file as any print: a PNG with a transparent background at 300 DPI at the size it will be printed, so a 10 in (25.4 cm) number is 3000 pixels tall. A number in a single solid colour, as football's rule asks, prints cleanly with DTF, screen printing or sublimation. Cut vinyl numbers are cut from vector outlines instead, so for vinyl send the font or an SVG rather than a PNG. [Print-ready t-shirt files](/guides/print-ready-t-shirt-files/) covers what each method needs, and [what size a t-shirt design should be](/guides/t-shirt-design-size/) the other placements on a shirt.

## How to set up a name and number

1. **Check the team’s rules.** Ask which league or school rules the team plays under. For US high-school football, basketball and soccer, the NFHS sets the smallest number heights; for leisure and supporters’ shirts, the lettering maker’s sizes are a good start.
2. **Choose the heights.** Take the heights for the sport and the shirt size, such as a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) name over a 8 in (20.3 cm) back number on an adult basketball jersey.
3. **Make the file at its printed size.** Set the canvas at 300 DPI at the size it will print, so a 8 in (20.3 cm) number is 2400 pixels tall, and make the number one solid colour that contrasts with the shirt.
4. **Place the name over the number.** Centre the name above the number, at least 1 in (2.5 cm) apart, both clear of the collar and the shoulder seams.
5. **Check it on the smallest shirt.** Print the back at full size on paper and hold it against the smallest shirt in the order, checking the width of the longest name and of a two-digit number.

## When customers add their own name and number in your shop

[PrintBlob](/) is a product designer for WooCommerce: customers type their text on the product, in the font and ink colour they choose, and every order keeps the design. With the free plugin they design the front of its bundled t-shirt, which prints 28 × 36 cm: a team name and a front number fit there.

Names and numbers on the back, and numbers on the sleeves, need [PrintBlob Pro](/docs/pro/), which adds back and sleeve printing, each side with its own print area and print price. The bundled t-shirt's back prints 28 × 39 cm, taller than the 14 in (35.6 cm) a name and the largest number take; check the width of a two-digit number in your font against it. PrintBlob Pro also adds your own fonts and Google Fonts, so a block number font can be one of the choices, and your own products, such as a jersey on your own photo, with print areas you draw on it. When the shirt is added to the cart, each printed side becomes a transparent PNG at 300 DPI at exactly its print area's size.

For a whole team, PrintBlob Pro's names and numbers set the lettering once on the product: the side, font, colour, place and height of the name and of the number, the height being that of the capital letters. Customers list each player's name, number and size on one design and see any line on the shirt; the list goes into the cart as one item per size, every line is printed at the heights you set, and each gets its own print file. [Team orders with names and numbers](/guides/team-orders-names-numbers-woocommerce/) shows how a team orders and how you check the files. PrintBlob Pro is $69 a year or $99 once (limited-time offer until 31 December 2026) ([Free and Pro compared](/pricing/)).

What PrintBlob does not do for jerseys:

- **Text typed by hand has no fixed height.** A name or number a customer types with Add text is sized by dragging, and the designer shows the print area's size in centimetres under the product, not the height of the text. Without PrintBlob Pro's names and numbers, say the heights you print in the product description, so every player sizes them alike, and check them in the files; with them, you set the heights.
- **No outlined or bordered numbers,** and no curved text: text is one solid colour, in the font chosen, and can be rotated but not arched.
- **One side each.** Names and numbers print the name on one side and the number on one side, so a list cannot print a player's number on both the back and the front.

How a club or a team shop runs on PrintBlob is in [team and club kit](/situations/team-and-club-kit/).

## Questions about jersey name and number sizes

### What size are the numbers on the back of a jersey?

Usually 8–10 in (20.3–25.4 cm) on adult jerseys and 6–10 in (15.2–25.4 cm) on youth ones. Football and hockey numbers are 10 in (25.4 cm), 3000 pixels at 300 DPI; basketball, soccer, baseball, softball and volleyball numbers 8 in (20.3 cm) on adult jerseys.

### How big should the name on the back of a jersey be?

About 2.5–3 in (6.4–7.6 cm) on adult jerseys and 2 in (5.1 cm) on youth ones, centred above the number with at least 1 in (2.5 cm) between them.

### What size are the numbers on the front of a jersey?

About 4 in (10.2 cm) on adult basketball, soccer, baseball, softball and volleyball jerseys, and 3 in (7.6 cm) on youth ones. Football front numbers are larger, 10 in (25.4 cm) on adult jerseys.

### What size do high-school rules require for jersey numbers?

Under the NFHS rules most US high schools play by: football numbers at least 8 in (20.3 cm) on the front and 10 in (25.4 cm) on the back; basketball and soccer numbers at least 4 in (10.2 cm) on the front and 6 in (15.2 cm) on the back. Leagues, colleges and clubs set their own.

### What size are jersey numbers in pixels?

At 300 DPI, a 10 in (25.4 cm) number is 3000 pixels tall and a 8 in (20.3 cm) one 2400 pixels; a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) name is 750 pixels tall. For any other height, multiply its inches by 300.

### Can customers add their own name and number to a shirt in WooCommerce?

Yes, with a product designer. With PrintBlob, customers type their name and number on the shirt: the free plugin prints on the front of its bundled t-shirt, and PrintBlob Pro adds back and sleeve printing and a 300 DPI print file of each side. With PrintBlob Pro’s names and numbers, a team lists every player’s name, number and size on one design, and each is printed at the height and place you set.

## Sources

Read on 21 October 2026:

- Stahls, [Jersey letter and number sizes](https://blog.stahls.com/jersey-letter-and-number-sizes/): the name, front, back and sleeve or shoulder heights in the table, for youth and adult sizes, per sport.
- NFHS, [2026 football jersey and pant rules](https://a-us.storyblok.com/f/1022696/x/64048b7736/2026-nfhs-football-jersey-and-pant-rules-june-2026-final.pdf) (June 2026): rule 1-5-1c, numbers at least 8 inches on the front and 10 on the back, about 1½ inches wide, one solid contrasting colour.
- NFHS, [Basketball legal uniforms](https://khsaa.org/common_documents/Rules-Basketball-Uniform%20Guidance/2024-2025%20NFHS%20Basketball%20Uniform%20Rules%20PowerPoint.pdf) (2024–25, as published by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association): numbers at least 4 and 6 inches, ¾ inch wide, the legal numbers, the player's name and the one-inch gap.
- NFHS, [Soccer uniforms](https://assets.nfhs.org/umbraco/media/7213489/nfhs-soccer-uniforms_revs-1-21-25.pdf) (revised January 2025): numbers at least 4 and 6 inches, on every jersey, in a contrasting colour, the front one on the jersey or the shorts.

## Get PrintBlob Pro

Pro adds print-ready files, back printing, a 3D view and a production print queue to the free designer. Paid with Stripe in US dollars, no tax added; one domain per licence.

- **$69 a year**: [Buy the yearly licence](https://printblob.com/pricing/#buy). Full refund within 14 days.
- Limited-time offer until 31 December 2026: **$99 once**: [Buy the lifetime licence](https://printblob.com/pricing/#buy). Full refund within 14 days.

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Page: https://printblob.com/guides/jersey-name-and-number-size/

See also: [docs](https://printblob.com/docs/index.md), [features](https://printblob.com/features/index.md), [situations](https://printblob.com/situations/index.md), [compare](https://printblob.com/compare/index.md), [demos](https://printblob.com/demos/index.md), [tools](https://printblob.com/tools/index.md), [themes](https://printblob.com/themes/index.md).