Custom Football Hoodies vs Sweatshirts: Which to Order for the Sideline

Every fall, someone on the coaching staff has to decide whether the team order is hoodies or crewneck sweatshirts. They cost about the same and they are made from the same fleece, so the decision usually gets made on whichever one somebody saw last season. There are actually good reasons to pick one over the other.

The short answer

• Players on the sideline in cold or wet weather: hoodie. The hood is the whole point.
• Layering under a jacket, or wearing over shoulder pads: crewneck. A hood bunches badly under a collar.
• Coaches, staff and parents: either, and hoodies usually win on preference.
• A gift or a keepsake for a senior class: hoodie, almost always.

Where the hood helps and where it gets in the way

On an open sideline in November, a hood is genuinely useful. It cuts wind on the back of the neck, which is where most heat is lost standing still, and it keeps rain off without needing a second garment.

The problem shows up in two places. Under shoulder pads or a jacket collar, the bunched hood sits right where the collar closes and pushes the whole garment out of shape. And in a helmet-on warm-up, a hood is simply in the way.

A crewneck has none of that bulk. It layers flat under anything, which is why you see them worn under a shell in genuinely cold weather while the hoodie crowd is standing there with a lump behind their neck.

The kangaroo pocket question

Hoodies come with a front pouch. That is a hand warmer, and on a cold sideline it is worth more than people expect.

It is also a snag point. If your players are wearing these during any kind of active drill, the pocket is the part that catches. For anything worn while moving, a crewneck is the safer garment.

Printing: the design changes with the garment

This one gets overlooked until the mockup arrives. The hood and the front pocket both eat into the printable area on the front of a hoodie. A large chest design that looks right on a crewneck will sit awkwardly above a kangaroo pocket, and a design placed low will be partly hidden by it.

Practical guidance:

• On a hoodie, keep the front design higher and smaller, or move it to a left-chest placement and put the big artwork on the back.
• On a crewneck, you have the full front panel. This is the better garment for a large centered design or an arched team name over a number.
• Player names and numbers read best on the back on both, above the shoulder blades rather than centered low.

Sizing a squad

Fleece is worn over other clothing, which is the thing people forget when they collect sizes. If a player is wearing it over a compression top and a jersey, the size that fits them in a t-shirt will be tight.

A workable method for a roster order:

1. Measure chest at the fullest point with arms relaxed, over the layer they will actually wear underneath.
2. Add room for a mid-layer rather than sizing to the skin.
3. For anyone between two sizes, go up. A slightly roomy sweatshirt is fine. A tight one does not get worn.
4. Write the numbers next to each name before ordering, rather than asking players to guess their own size.

The football hoodie sizing guide has the measuring detail, and it is worth reading before a bulk order because made-to-order items cannot be swapped for a different size afterwards.

Cost and quantity

Both garments are made to order, and both are priced the same way: no minimum, no per-name charge, and no upcharge on the larger sizes. A roster where every sweatshirt has a different name and number costs the same per piece as twenty identical ones.

That matters most for the sizes at the ends of the range. A team with players who need 4XL should not be paying more for them, and here they do not.

Timing an order for the season

Production runs 5 to 9 business days, and US transit adds another 7 to 10 business days on top of that. For a fall sideline order, that means placing it in late summer rather than after the first cold game, which is when everyone tries to order at once.

If the order is for a senior night or an end-of-season banquet, work backwards from the date and leave a buffer week.

Frequently asked questions

Is a hoodie warmer than a crewneck sweatshirt? Only because of the hood. The body fabric is the same weight on both, so the warmth difference is entirely the head and neck. Standing still outdoors, that is a real difference. Moving around, it is not.

Can I get names and numbers on a sweatshirt? Yes, on both styles, and there is no per-name charge. Names go on the upper back, numbers can go on the back and optionally on a sleeve or left chest.

Will the print crack after washing? These are printed rather than heat-pressed as a separate vinyl layer, so there is no film sitting on the surface to crack. Wash cold and inside out, skip the fabric softener, and dry on low. There is more in the guide on washing team apparel.

Do the sizes run big or small? They run true to size as everyday garments, which means slightly close once you layer them over a jersey. For sideline use, most teams size up one from their normal shirt size.

Can we mix hoodies and crewnecks in one order? Yes. There is no minimum on either, so a squad that wants both can order both in the same design without a quantity penalty.

Browse the options

See custom football hoodies and sweatshirts for the sideline range, custom pullover hoodies for the general fleece collection, and fleece joggers if you are putting a full warm-up set together. Sizes XS to 7XL, no minimum order.