Youth and Kids Jersey Sizing Guide: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA and Soccer Size Bands
Youth jersey sizing is not one scale, and the label is not a body measurement. In our store most youth jerseys are labelled S, M, L and XL against age bands of 8-10, 10-12, 12-13 and 13-15. NCAA Nike Limited youth jerseys instead use 8, 10-12, 14-16 and 18-20. Toddler and preschool jerseys drop the letters altogether and run 2T, 3T, 4T and a preschool 4 / 5-6 / 7 line.
So the real question is not which size a child is, it is how much grow room to buy. Below is the age scale for each of the six leagues, the prices on the shelf today, and the grow-room rule we would use ourselves.
What Size Jersey Should You Buy a Kid Who Is Still Growing?
Buy the age band the child is in today, and size up only if they are already at the top of it. Youth jerseys here are age-banded rather than height-banded, so a 9-year-old sits in S (8-10) and a 12-year-old sits in M (10-12) or L (12-13) depending on build.
- The bands are fixed: S 8-10, M 10-12, L 12-13, XL 13-15. There is no half size and no in-between band.
- One band up is roughly one season, not two. Buying two bands ahead gets you a jersey that hangs off the shoulders for a year.
- Shoulders are the limit, not length. A jersey that is too long still looks deliberate; one that is tight across the shoulders does not.
Kids Sizing vs Youth Sizing: What the Labels Actually Mean
The words are not interchangeable, and stores use them differently.
- Youth means the age-banded scale that runs from 8-10 up to 13-15, and it is the largest youth range in the store.
- Kids usually means the younger stage below it: toddler jerseys at 2T, 3T and 4T, and preschool jerseys at 4, 5-6 and 7.
- Not every league starts young. NHL toddler stock is the thinnest of the six in our store at 16 jerseys, and soccer toddler jerseys are limited to national-team styles.
- NCAA is the exception to the youth scale. Nike Limited youth jerseys are labelled 8, 10-12, 14-16 and 18-20 instead of S to XL.
NFL Youth Game Jerseys: The Volume Line
Nike youth Game jerseys at $57.60 are the deepest youth range in the American football line - nearly every team has one, in team and alternate colours.
- Sizes: S (8-10) to XL (13-15), the standard four-band scale.
- Price: $57.60 for most youth team and alternate Game jerseys, and $65.80 for the player-edition Game cut.
- Most widely stocked: 249 youth jerseys in the league, so team choice is rarely the constraint.
NBA Youth Swingman: The Lowest Youth Price We Carry
At $39.90, youth basketball is the cheapest way into a real jersey for a child, and the tank cut removes the one fit variable that ruins sleeved jerseys.
- Sizes: S (8-10) to XL (13-15).
- Why it lasts longer: there is no sleeve or armhole to strain, so a child can wear the same size for longer than in a football or hockey jersey.
- Same price across tiers: youth swingman and youth Fast Break replica are both $39.90.
MLB Youth Replica: Room to Grow
The Nike youth home replica at $47.99 is a button-front jersey, which matters more than it sounds when you are buying for a child mid-growth-spurt.
- Sizes: S (8-10) to XL (13-15).
- Button front: the opening adjusts in a way a pullover football jersey does not, so the fit survives a growth spurt better.
- Past XL: 13-15 is the largest standard youth size we stock. Above that, move to an adult XS at 31.5-35in chest.
NHL Youth Premier: Built Like a Parka
At $83.90, hockey is the most expensive youth jersey we stock and the roomiest. It is also the sport where youth sizing matters least, because the garment is designed to be worn over other layers.
- Sizes: S (8-10) to XL (13-15).
- Cut: straight body, long sleeve, heavy fabric - the most forgiving youth jersey in the store.
- Younger ages: preschool hockey jerseys run 4, 5-6 and 7 only, the narrowest young-kids range we carry.
NCAA Youth Football Jerseys: The Value Pick
College youth jerseys at $62.90 come with the widest youth inventory in the store - 2,369 youth jerseys - which is why this is the league where you can actually find the school you want in the size you want.
- Sizes: S (8-10) to XL (13-15) on the standard Nike youth scale.
- Watch the Limited line: Nike Limited youth jerseys use Small (8) / Medium (10-12) / Large (14-16) / X Large (18-20), a different scale from everything else here.
- Price: $62.90 for the youth home Untouchable and for youth custom football game jerseys.
Soccer Youth Kits: Size Up or Stay True?
Soccer youth jerseys are the slimmest cut in the store, so the grow-room rule tightens up: stay true to the age band rather than sizing ahead.
- Sizes: S (8-10) to XL (13-15), same four bands.
- Price: $45.90 for a youth Stadium Replica, and $78.99 for a youth Match Authentic jersey.
- Cut: slimmer through the body than the American leagues - a youth soccer jersey one band up will look oversized, not relaxed.
The Grow-Room Table
Six leagues, one line each, using today's shelf prices and sizes:
- NFL - $57.60, S 8-10 to XL 13-15, deep team choice, roomy enough to size up safely.
- NBA - $39.90, S 8-10 to XL 13-15, sleeveless and the most forgiving for a growing child.
- MLB - $47.99, S 8-10 to XL 13-15, button front so the fit adjusts.
- NHL - $83.90, S 8-10 to XL 13-15, heaviest and roomiest, most expensive.
- NCAA - $62.90, S 8-10 to XL 13-15 standard, or 8 to 18-20 on the Nike Limited scale.
- Soccer - $45.90, S 8-10 to XL 13-15, slimmest cut, stay true to the age band.
When to Buy Custom vs Stock
On three of the six leagues, a custom youth jersey costs exactly the same as the stock version - so a name and number is free.
- NFL youth custom Game: $57.60, the same as a stock youth Game jersey.
- NBA youth Fast Break custom: $39.90, the same as stock.
- NCAA youth custom football Game: $62.90, the same as stock.
- The trade-off is not price, it is time and resale. Custom jerseys take longer to arrive, and a printed player name dates the jersey the moment that player moves.
If the child is old enough to be choosing their own fit, our five-fit guide covers fan, on-field, retro, oversized and slim cuts. Buying for a woman instead? Start with the women's jersey sizing guide.
Six Youth Jerseys, One Per League - Ships in 1-3 Business Days
What age is a youth medium jersey?
Youth medium is the 10-12 age band, sitting between small (8-10) and large (12-13). The scale runs S 8-10, M 10-12, L 12-13 and XL 13-15 on every standard youth jersey we stock across the six leagues.
Should I buy a size up for a child who is growing?
Only if they are already at the top of their age band. One band up is roughly one season of growth, so buying two bands ahead gets you a jersey that hangs for a year. Length is forgiving; shoulders are not.
How do toddler jersey sizes work?
Toddler jerseys are labelled 2T, 3T and 4T, covering ages 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4. Preschool jerseys use a different scale again - 4, 5-6 and 7, covering roughly ages 3 to 8 - and in our store that preschool range is mostly hockey and college styles.
Why do some youth jerseys use numbers instead of S to XL?
NCAA Nike Limited youth jerseys are labelled Small (8), Medium (10-12), Large (14-16) and X Large (18-20). It is the same age idea on a wider scale, and the 18-20 band extends past the XL 13-15 limit on every other youth jersey.
What is the largest youth jersey size available?
XL at 13-15 on the standard youth scale, or X Large (18-20) on NCAA Nike Limited youth jerseys - the only youth line that reaches that far. For a bigger child, an adult XS starts at 31.5in chest.
Do custom youth jerseys cost more than stock ones?
Not in the NFL, NBA or NCAA - youth custom jerseys are the same price as the stock version, from $39.90 for an NBA youth custom to $62.90 for a college football custom. The cost is delivery time, not money.
Buy the band they are in, not the band you hope they reach. — Pro Sports Kit
