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For clubs, Voyager Sportswear manufactures American football teamwear: game jerseys to be worn over shoulder pads, practice tops and sideline garments, each with its own specification. The game jersey sample is tried on over the equipment the club will use, with the arms raised and reaching forward, and the number placement is confirmed on the worn jersey.
Garments and specifications
On a game jersey, the first question is whether the shoulder padding changes the fit. Neckline, sleeve opening and number dimensions are agreed next. The practice top and the game jersey stay separate specifications, because a club may want a different fabric or different branding on each.
Garment options are in the product families: Custom jerseys and coordinated team kits and Sports shorts and skorts.
Approve the jersey over the intended equipment
A flat chest measurement does not show how a jersey fits over shoulder pads. Send the equipment reference or measurements taken over the equipment, and check the sample worn with the pads, arms raised and reaching forward. Record the chest width, shoulder and sleeve openings, body length and the room needed to pull the jersey on.
Training tops, game jerseys and sideline garments go on separate order lines. Numbers are placed away from seams, and their visibility is confirmed on the worn sample. The league’s garment requirements should reach us before the artwork is approved. Any specialised construction is reviewed separately for feasibility.
Fabric and artwork over a three-dimensional shape
Because the jersey is judged over the equipment, check how the fabric stretches across the shoulder and chest before judging the number layout. Artwork drawn flat does not show how a number reads over that shape. Give the intended number dimensions and any garment rules that apply. The agreed sample should be made in the proposed fabric and construction, not just show the colour.
Describe the fabric weight, stretch, coverage and care requirements. Where game and practice shirts differ, say why, and they are quoted as separate garments. A thicker fabric is not the same as reinforced or impact-protective construction. A logo over a seam or a heavily stretched area needs its placement and method assessed.
Example: a practice order and a game order
A club might need plain-numbered practice shirts drawn from a size pool and numbered game jerseys listed by size. The practice size counts stay separate from the game jersey number list, and any home and away versions are marked in the game order. If one player needs different sizes because the equipment differs, say so, and confirm it through fitting rather than by swapping a size label.
What to send to start the review
To start, send the equipment and garment references, the split between game and practice garments, quantities, the sizes you know, number artwork, destination and date. Voyager Sportswear can help clarify the pattern, material direction, branding and sample scope for the garments.
Questions and answers
How do you size an American football jersey to fit over shoulder pads?
An American football jersey is sized on a sample worn over the shoulder pads the player will use, because a flat chest measurement does not show the fit over equipment. Send the equipment reference or measurements taken over the pads, then check the sample with the arms raised and reaching forward. Record the chest width, shoulder and sleeve openings, body length and the room needed to put the jersey on, and confirm any size differences through fitting rather than by swapping size labels.
How should a club order American football practice shirts alongside game jerseys?
A club orders American football practice shirts from a size pool and game jerseys from a number list by size, on separate order lines. Plain-numbered practice shirts need only counts per size, while game jerseys are listed number by number with their sizes, with any home and away versions marked. Where practice and game shirts differ in fabric or branding, give the reason, and the two are quoted as separate garments. Sideline garments go on a line of their own.
How should numbers be sized on an American football jersey worn over pads?
Numbers on an American football jersey are sized for the shape the jersey takes over the pads, because artwork drawn flat does not show how a number reads on a three-dimensional shape. Give the intended number dimensions and the league's garment requirements before the artwork is approved. Check how the fabric stretches across the shoulder and chest, keep numbers away from seams and confirm their visibility on a worn sample made in the proposed fabric.
From brief to production
Voyager Sportswear makes the garments in house in Turkey, from pattern making and sampling to cutting, sewing and quality control. Depending on the fabric and artwork, sublimation, embroidery, DTF or heat transfer can be considered, and we agree the method with you for each order. A sample is made to check fit, construction and placement, and bulk production follows once it is approved.
Send artwork or a reference garment, quantities by garment and size, fabric requirements, the number list, destination and required date through request a manufacturing quote. Voyager Sportswear generally sends an initial response within 24 hours.
