Netball Uniform Sizing Guide 2026: Full Squad Steps

Sizing a full netball squad is different from sizing one player — you're matching a captain's measurements against a fourteen-year-old goal shooter's growth spurt and a coach's XXL frame, all on one order form. Get the sizing wrong and you're paying for a reorder in the middle of the 2026 season, with games missed while the reprint sits in production.

Why this matters

A netball squad wears three garment types at once — dress or skirt-and-top, reversible bib, and often a warm-up layer — and each one fits differently across the same body. A size 12 dress from one supplier runs small next to a size 12 from another, which is exactly why club managers who order from custom netball uniforms suppliers get asked for a measurement sheet, not a t-shirt size.

Misjudge sizing across a full roster and the fallout isn't cosmetic. A goal shooter in a dress that rides up mid-jump, a bib that won't sit flat over a tight-fitting top, a reorder that arrives after round three — all traceable back to one skipped measurement step at the ordering stage.

What you'll need

• A measurement sheet with one row per player — name, position, chest/bust, waist, hip, height
• A soft tape measure (not a rigid ruler — netball dresses and tights need body-hugging accuracy)
• The full roster list including reserves, since bench players need uniforms too
• 2026 size chart from your uniform supplier — never reuse a chart from a previous supplier or a previous year's cut
• A note of any players between sizes (this happens on roughly one in six squads)
• Reversible bib requirements per player, since bibs attach over the dress and need their own sizing check

The steps

1. Measure every player individually, including reserves

Skip the eyeball guess. Chest, waist, hip and height, taken with a soft tape while the player stands relaxed, not sucked-in. A squad of 12 means 12 rows on the sheet, not 7 starters and 5 "same as last year." Growth between seasons is the single biggest cause of mid-season reorders on junior teams — a 13-year-old goal attack can move up a full size in six months. Common mistake: measuring over a jacket or bulky layer, which adds 3-5cm and pushes the whole squad up a size unnecessarily.

2. Match measurements to the current 2026 size chart, not memory

Every uniform run uses its own cut. A size 14 ordered in 2024 is not guaranteed to match a size 14 cut in 2026 — fabric suppliers change, and pattern blocks get adjusted between print runs. Cross-check every player against the current chart before locking sizes, and flag anyone whose chest or waist measurement sits between two columns.

3. Round up for players between sizes

When a player's waist falls between size 10 and size 12, round up. A slightly loose dress moves with the player through pivots and landings; a tight one restricts the arm reach that defines a good goal attack or wing defence. Common mistake: rounding down to "save fabric" — this is the fastest way to generate a mid-season complaint.

4. Size the bib separately from the dress

Bibs sit over the uniform, not under it, so they need their own fit check. A bib cut to match the dress size often pulls tight across the shoulders once it's layered over a fitted netball dress, and the hem circumference at the base of the dress affects how the bib sits when the player bends for a rebound. If the roster runs velcro-attachment bibs, check attachment width against the dress hem before ordering — a mismatch here is the most common return reason on full-squad orders.

5. Separate junior and senior sizing on mixed-age rosters

A club running an under-15s side alongside a senior team should never use one size chart for both. Junior cuts run shorter in the torso and narrower in the shoulder even at the same numeric size — put junior and senior players on separate rows of the order sheet so production doesn't default everyone to the adult block pattern.

6. Confirm player numbers and bib text before submitting

Once sizes are locked, confirm every player's number and any bib text (GS, GA, WA, C, WD, GD, GK) against the roster. A custom netball bibs order with a mismatched number costs another 10-15 business days to fix — the same turnaround as the original order — so this check happens before you hit submit, not after the proof arrives.

7. Approve a digital proof before bulk production starts

A proof shows colour placement, number size and bib positioning on the actual pattern block, not a mockup. Check it against your measurement sheet one more time — this is the last point where a sizing error costs nothing to fix. Once bulk cutting starts, changes mean a new order, not a revision.

8. Order 1-2 spare uniforms in the most common squad size

Rosters change. A late signing, a lost jersey, an injury replacement mid-season — a spare in your squad's most common size (usually the mode of your measurement sheet) covers this without a rushed single-item reorder at full turnaround time.

Troubleshooting

• Dress too short on a tall goal shooter: round up one size rather than choosing a "tall" cut that doesn't exist in most standard charts — length usually scales with size in netball dress patterns.
• Bib won't sit flat over the dress: check hem circumference against bib width before reordering; this is a fit mismatch, not a fabric fault.
• Two players ordered the same size but fit differently: this happens when one measurement was taken over a jacket — remeasure both against the current chart rather than assuming a supplier error.
• Junior player swimming in an adult-cut uniform: confirm the order used the junior size chart, not the senior one — mixed rosters are the most common source of this mistake.
• Late roster addition after the order locked: a single top-up order still runs the full 10-15 business day turnaround, so build a 2-3 player buffer into every squad order from the start.
• Numbers or bib text wrong on arrival: this traces back to skipping the proof-approval step — always confirm text against the roster before production starts, not after.

Tools and resources

• Soft tape measure and a printed measurement sheet, one row per player
• Current 2026 size chart from your supplier — request it fresh each season
• Custom netball bibs for velcro-attachment fit checks against the dress hem
• A netball t-shirt option like the Straight Shooters netball t-shirt for squads running a t-shirt-and-skirt combination instead of a one-piece dress
• A digital proof step before bulk cutting, every time

Netball uniform pieces to size against

Straight Shooters - Mens Netball T-Shirt (4 items)

Customised base colour and team name, size per player before ordering as a squad run.

A$259.80

Netball Bib Attachment - Velcro Bib-Dress Att.

Velcro attachment sized separately from the dress to sit flat across the shoulders.

A$104.65

Flyers - Womens Netball T-Shirt (20 items)

Full 20-item squad run with custom team name and base colour.

A$999

What to do next

Once sizing is locked and the proof is approved, the next decision is design — colours, number placement, and bib text layout. Walk through the choices in how to design custom netball uniforms for your club before the order goes to production, since design changes after sizing is confirmed usually mean resubmitting the whole sheet.

FAQ

One last thing

Most squads that reorder mid-season didn't get the size chart wrong — they measured over a jacket, a hoodie, or a bulky training top, which adds 3-5cm and pushes the whole roster up a size that isn't needed. Strip back to a fitted layer before measuring and the 2026 order sheet will match the actual squad, not the squad in winter layers.

Related guides

• How to design custom netball uniforms for your club
• How to order custom netball bibs with team numbers
• Custom netball dresses for women's competitions
• Custom netball uniforms for school carnivals in Australia