guide
How Many Singlets in Each Size Should a Coach Order?
Quick answer: don't order singlets by guessing a "typical" mix. Weigh every wrestler, drop each weight into the size bands on the Pro Series size chart, and count heads per size. Then add a small cushion for the sizes your roster is thickest in, plus a few for new kids who show up in December. Size to the weight a kid will actually wrestle at, not the number on the scale in August.
Every coach who has ordered team singlets has lived one of two stories. Either you ended up with eleven mediums and four kids who needed a small, or you ordered a nice spread across the whole chart and half of it sat in a bin for three years. Coaches on Reddit trade these stories all the time, and one of them shared the size run his program orders by weight range, starting with Youth XL for his lightest wrestlers and moving up to Large and XL for the biggest. The idea is right. What changes from team to team is the roster.
This is the method we'd use if we were running your room: build the size run from your actual weights, not from a template. It takes about twenty minutes with a scale and a clipboard, and it is the cheapest insurance in the whole order.
Why a "standard" size run doesn't work
A generic split like "one of each, two mediums" is built for a retail shelf, not a wrestling room. Wrestling sizes are narrow bands by body weight, and rosters are lumpy. A middle school team can have fifteen kids under 100 pounds and almost no one above 165. A varsity room in a big weight-class state can be the opposite. If you order from a template you will be over in some sizes and short in others, and a short size is a real problem: nobody wants a kid in a singlet that is two sizes off on the first night of the season.
The fix is simple. Let the roster tell you the run.
Step 1: Get honest weights
Put every wrestler on the same scale on the same day. Write the number down. Don't ask kids what they weigh, and don't use last season's sheet; middle schoolers can gain several pounds over a summer. Do the same for the girls on your team, because the women's chart has its own bands.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Use the weight the kid will compete at. If a wrestler is walking around heavy in August but will settle in a lower range once the season starts, ask the wrestler and a parent which one is realistic. Fit is checked on the mat, at competition weight.
- Weight-management rules belong to your state association. This is about sizing a garment, not telling anyone what to weigh. Your state association and the NFHS rules govern weight management, so check the current rulebook for anything beyond a size decision.
- Write down the kids who are on the edge. Anyone within a few pounds of a band line gets a second look in Step 3.
Step 2: Sort each weight into a size band
Here are the adult men's bands from our Pro Series chart. Weights are approximate, per the published chart.
| Size | Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|
| Youth XL | 80-95 |
| Adult XS | 95-110 |
| Adult S | 110-135 |
| Adult M | 135-165 |
| Adult L | 165-190 |
| Adult XL | 190-220 |
| Adult 2XL | 220-265 |
| Adult 3XL | 265-310 |
The younger end of the chart runs from Youth XXS (35-40 lbs) up through Youth L (65-80 lbs). If you coach a youth program, our youth singlet size guide walks through those rows.
The women's chart is not the same set of bands, so don't sort girls on the men's table. On our women's chart, Adult S covers about 110-120 lbs, M 120-135, L 135-150, XL 150-165, 2XL 165-180 and 3XL 180 and up. Full measurements are on the women's wrestling size guide. The women's cut is its own pattern, so a girl is ordered from the Women's Singlet or the Girls' Singlet, not from a boys' size.
Tally marks are fine. At the end you want one number per size.
Step 3: Handle the kids on the edge
Every roster has a handful of wrestlers sitting right at a band line. Our chart notes that between two sizes you can size up for comfort or down for a tighter competition fit. For a team order, here's a simple way to break the tie:
- Still growing (middle school, freshmen): go with the larger size only if the smaller one is already snug on the shoulders. A singlet that is too big slides and pinches in the wrong places; see our guide to how a singlet should fit.
- Done growing and cutting down: go with the size that matches the weight they'll compete at.
- Genuinely can't decide: try one on. A sample in the right size is better than a guess, and it only takes a minute in the room.
Step 4: A worked example
Here is how a made-up 24-wrestler boys' roster might come out. This is an illustration of the method, not a recommendation for your team, because your numbers will look different.
| Size | Wrestlers on roster | Suggested order |
|---|---|---|
| Youth XL | 2 | 2 |
| Adult XS | 3 | 3 |
| Adult S | 5 | 6 |
| Adult M | 7 | 8 |
| Adult L | 4 | 5 |
| Adult XL | 2 | 2 |
| Adult 2XL | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 24 | 27 |
The cushion lands where the roster is thickest. That is our rule of thumb, not an industry standard: a kid in a crowded band is the most likely to need a swap, and a thick band means a new wrestler is most likely to land there. Sizes with one or two kids get no spare, because you can always swap a one-off after the fact.
Step 5: Plan for the kids who aren't on the list yet
Rosters move. A senior comes out for the team in December, a transfer shows up, a freshman has a growth spurt. You have two options, and both work:
- Order a few spares in the biggest bands, as in the example above. You pay for a couple of extra singlets but you never scramble.
- Plan a small second order for mid-season additions. This works when you would rather not hold inventory, but it means leaving time for it. Our guide on how long custom team uniforms take lays out the production phases so you can count back from your next dual.
Whichever you choose, tell your rep up front. It's much easier to build a second small order into the plan than to explain it to a parent in January.
Don't forget names, numbers and the other pieces
The size run is half of the order sheet. You also need to decide whether each wrestler gets a name or number and how those will be recorded, and whether the same roster is also getting warm-ups or fight shorts. Those pieces have their own size charts, so a kid who is a Medium singlet may not be a Medium hoodie. Sorting sizes by garment from the start saves a lot of back and forth. Most coaches find it easiest to keep one roster sheet with a column per garment.
The most common reason a good delivery schedule slips is a late or incomplete size list, so finishing this step early is what protects your first-meet date.
Ready to build your size run?
If you have your roster weights, start a wrestling quick quote and we'll walk you through counts per size, or send the details through custom quote and get free design mockups while you finish collecting sizes. You can also browse the full wrestling uniform lineup to see what's available.
Frequently asked questions
How many extra singlets should I order for a team?
There isn't a published rule, so use judgment. A reasonable approach is to order exactly what the roster needs for sizes with one or two wrestlers, and add one spare in the sizes where your roster is thickest, since those are the likeliest places for a swap or a new wrestler. Tell your rep if you also plan a second order mid-season.
Should I order wrestling singlets by age or weight?
By weight. Compound's Pro Series singlet is sized in weight bands, for example Adult M is about 135-165 lbs and Adult L is about 165-190 lbs on the men's chart. Age tells you very little about size, especially in middle school.
What if a wrestler is between two sizes?
The chart notes that between sizes you can size up for comfort or down for a tighter competition fit. For a growing middle schooler, go up only if the smaller size is already snug on the shoulders. For an older wrestler competing at a steady weight, pick the band that matches that weight. If it is still unclear, try a sample on.
Do girls use the same size run as boys?
No. The women's and girls' singlets are cut on their own pattern and the weight bands differ from the men's chart. For example, the women's Adult M covers about 120-135 lbs. Build a separate tally for the girls on your roster using the women's wrestling size guide.
When should I finish collecting sizes?
Before you place the order. Production starts after the art is approved and the roster is in, and a late size list is the most common reason a delivery slips. Count back from your first dual and leave a buffer.