We make kits for clubs, academies, turf leagues and company teams, and football has its own visual language, so these ideas are not the ones we give cricket teams. For the wider range of team kit, start at custom jerseys.
Which patterns belong on a football shirt?
Football has a set of traditional patterns, and a team that uses one looks like a football team from across the ground.
| Pattern | What it is | Works best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical stripes | Two colours in equal stripes, front and back | Clubs with two strong colours | The back number needs a plain panel |
| Hoops | Horizontal bands around the body | A bold, old-school look | Wide hoops make a jersey look shorter |
| Halves | The body split down the middle in two colours | Teams that want something unusual | Put the crest on the side that contrasts with it |
| Quarters | Four blocks, diagonally opposite colours matching | Small-sided leagues where kits repeat | Busy behind a sponsor |
| Sash | One wide band from shoulder to opposite hip | A single accent on a plain body | Keep the crest clear of the band |
| Chevron | A V-shaped band across the chest | A modern, sporty front | The sponsor sits below it |
| Contrast sleeves | A plain body with sleeves in the second colour | Teams that want a clean front | Works best with half sleeves |
| Plain with trim | A single colour with a contrast collar and cuffs | Company teams and veterans' sides | Lets the crest and number do the work |
Two colours is the sweet spot. A third colour for the trim is fine; four starts to blur at a distance.
How do you design a home and away pair?
The away kit exists for one reason: to avoid a clash. Design it on purpose rather than as a recolour.
1. Keep one template. Use the same pattern and layout, so both shirts read as your club. 2. Swap light and dark. If the home shirt is dark, make the away shirt light, or the other way round. That alone solves most clashes. 3. Check your league. List the colours of every team you will play. The away kit should differ clearly from all of them, not just from your home kit. 4. Think about shorts. Shorts can swap too. We make shorts as a kit with the jersey, in the same order, so the colours match.
For five-a-side and turf leagues where teams book the same slots every week, one well-chosen away colour is often used more than the home kit.
What should the goalkeeper wear?
The keeper must stand apart from both teams and the referee. That usually means a colour nobody else in your league wears: bright green, orange, yellow or pink are common for a reason.
- One colour, not a pattern. A keeper is identified at a glance, so a strong plain colour works best.
- Full sleeves. Most keepers want them for diving on hard ground. A full sleeve jersey is ₹699.
- Same crest, same sponsor. The keeper is part of the team, so the badge and sponsor stay where they are on the outfield shirts.
- Two keepers, two shirts. Order a shirt for the second keeper, and a second colour if your away kit could clash with the first.
Order the keeper kit in the same order as the outfield set, so it arrives with everything else.
Where does the sponsor go?
The front chest, between the crest and the hem, is the main sponsor's place on a football shirt, and it is what they pay for.
- Leave a calm area for it. On stripes, hoops or quarters, put the sponsor on a plain panel or choose a version of the sponsor's logo that reads on the pattern.
- Keep the sponsor's colours legible. A sponsor may insist on its own colours; check they show on your body colour before the design is fixed.
- Second sponsors go on the sleeve or under the back number.
Our guide to name, number and sponsor placement gives the full map of positions.
How big should the numbers be?
Big. The back number is what the referee, the coach and the parents on the touchline read. On football shirts:
- The back number is large and on a plain panel. On stripes and hoops, a panel behind the number keeps it readable.
- A front number is small, often under the crest, if your league asks for one.
- A number on the shorts is optional and a nice detail for a club.
- The name above the back number is your choice, not a rule.
Use a bold, simple font with strong contrast against the body. Outline-only numbers vanish on a patterned shirt.
How do academies and company leagues use one design?
Academies with several age groups and companies with several teams can use one design in different colours, or keep the colours and change the pattern. Every team looks related, and nobody argues about whose shirt is whose. Kids sizes run 2 to 14 years and adults XS to 5XL, so the coaches can wear the kit too.
For how football differs from other sports in cut, collar and fabric, see choosing a jersey style for your sport. If you also run a cricket side, the cricket jersey design ideas are a different set.
From sketch to mockup
Send your crest, your colours, the colours of the teams in your league and any sponsor files. A mockup of the set comes back: home, away and keeper, side by side, with every name and number. Changes are free, and nothing is printed until you approve it. Start an order for custom football jerseys with your squad list.
Quick answers
What are classic football jersey patterns?
Vertical stripes, hoops, halves, quarters, a sash and a chevron, plus contrast sleeves and plain shirts with a contrast collar. Two colours read best from a distance; a third is fine for trim.
How should a home and away kit differ?
Keep the same pattern and layout, and swap light for dark, so both read as your club. Then check the away colour against every team in your league, not only against your home kit.
What colour should a goalkeeper jersey be?
A strong plain colour that no other team in your league wears and that differs from the referee, such as bright green, orange, yellow or pink. Most keepers prefer full sleeves.
Where does a sponsor logo go on a football jersey?
The main sponsor goes on the front chest, below the crest. On a striped or hooped shirt, give it a plain panel. Second sponsors go on the sleeve or under the back number.
How much does a custom football jersey cost?
₹599 for a half sleeve jersey and ₹699 for full sleeves, from one jersey, sublimated with your design, names and numbers. The quote shows exactly what it covers before you pay.
