| Quick Answer A women’s lacrosse uniform is a sublimated jersey paired with a kilt, a skort, or shorts, cut fitted for female athletes rather than sized down from a men’s kit. Because women’s field players wear no shoulder pads and no helmet, only goggles and a mouthguard, the uniform is lighter and more athletic than the men’s version. The main decision is the bottom: skorts dominate youth and high school, kilts are traditional at college, and shorts work for practice. Buy from a maker that offers a true women’s cut, full sublimation so numbers never peel, and NFHS girls legal numbering out of the box. |
Outfitting a girls lacrosse team is not the same job as outfitting a boys team, and the biggest mistake programs make is treating it like one. A women’s lacrosse uniform has its own cut, its own rules, and a bottom half that does not exist anywhere else in team sports. This guide walks through every decision, from the kilt versus skort question to the numbering rules a referee will check, so you can buy girls lacrosse uniforms once and have them last. If you are also sorting out sticks and goggles, our girls lacrosse gear checklist covers the equipment side.
The good news for a coach or team parent is that women’s lacrosse uniforms are simpler and cheaper to outfit than the men’s game, because there is far less protective gear to fit around. The catch is that the fit and the rules are specific, and a generic supplier who resizes a men’s template will get both wrong. Here is what actually matters.
What Makes a Women’s Lacrosse Uniform Different
Start with the rule that shapes everything else: there is no body checking in women’s lacrosse, which is a limited contact sport by design. That single difference is why women’s field players wear no shoulder pads, no arm pads, and no helmet, only ASTM certified goggles and a mouthguard, with soft headgear allowed but not required in most leagues. For the uniform, it means the jersey does not need to be cut large to fit over bulky pads the way a men’s jersey does. A proper women’s lacrosse uniform is fitted and athletic, patterned for a female athlete from the start. Our full lacrosse uniform guide covers the men’s side, but the women’s kit is a genuinely different garment, not a smaller version of it.
The other defining feature is the bottom half. Men wear shorts, full stop. Women choose between a kilt, a skort, or shorts, and that choice is the heart of buying a women’s lacrosse uniform. It is also where female lacrosse uniform shopping gets confusing, because the three look similar on a website and play very differently on the field. The goalie is the exception to all of this, wearing a helmet, chest protection, and padded goalie pants, so a lacrosse goalie jersey is usually cut roomier to fit over that gear.
The Bottoms Decision: Kilt vs Skort vs Shorts
This is the choice that defines the look and the feel of your team, and there is no universally right answer, only a right answer for your program. Lacrosse skirts come in two forms. The skort, a skirt with spandex compression shorts sewn in underneath, has become the default for most youth and high school teams because it gives the traditional lacrosse skirt look with the security and coverage of shorts built in, so a player never has to think about her women’s lacrosse shorts riding up. The kilt is the traditional pleated wrap skirt, worn with spandex underneath, and it carries a classic, varsity feel that many college and prep programs still prefer. Plain shorts are the simplest option, common for practice and in casual leagues. Here is how the three compare.
| Bottom | What It Is | Why Teams Pick It | Best For |
| Skort | A skirt with spandex compression shorts built in underneath | Skirt look with the security of shorts, no separate spandex needed | Most youth and high school teams |
| Kilt | The traditional pleated wrap skirt, worn with spandex under it | Classic lacrosse look, more coverage, a varsity or prep feel | College, prep, and traditional programs |
| Shorts | Plain athletic shorts, the same idea as any field sport | Full leg coverage and simple movement, no skirt at all | Practice, casual leagues, and player preference |
Which one wins depends heavily on the level. The chart below shows the general trend: skorts run the youth and high school game, while kilts hold on at the college level where the traditional look matters most. Treat it as a starting point, not a rule, since plenty of strong programs go their own way and player comfort is always worth asking about before you order.
The Uniform Rules a Referee Will Check
Before you finalize a design, know the rules, because a uniform that fails inspection is an expensive mistake. Under NFHS girls lacrosse rules, field players wear a jersey that is a single solid color, with kilts, skorts, or shorts of the same dominant color, though the bottoms do not have to be solid. Numbers are required on the front and back of every jersey, with the front number about 6 inches tall and the back number about 8 inches, any number from 0 to 99, and no leading zero numbers like 01 or 02. Duplicate numbers on the same team are not allowed.
A few more that catch teams out. Trim on the collar, cuffs, and waistband may be a contrasting color but no wider than 1 inch, and side inserts from armpit to waistband may be contrasting but no wider than 3 inches. Numbers on the kilt or shorts are optional, but if you add them they must match the jersey number. Visible undergarments and compression pieces must be a solid color, either white, gray, or your primary uniform color, and identical across the team. The safest move is to confirm your specific league before production, whether NFHS, NCAA, or USA Lacrosse, since a good maker flags anything that would fail a referee check at the mockup stage.
Fabric, Fit, and Sublimation
The material standard for a modern women’s lacrosse uniform is sublimated polyester, usually around 150 GSM for the top, which is light and breathable for a running sport with no heavy pads to trap heat. Full sublimation matters because it dyes the team colors, crest, names, and numbers permanently into the fabric, so nothing cracks, peels, or fades across a season, unlike screen print or heat press that sit on top and wear off. For custom lacrosse jerseys that get washed after every game, sublimation is the honest standard, and it is worth confirming a supplier actually uses it. Custom lacrosse uniforms in sublimated poly also let you use unlimited colors and a full design without adding cost per color, which screen printing cannot do.
Fit is the other half. A women’s cut jersey has a different shoulder, sleeve, and torso shape than a men’s one, and the skort or kilt has to sit right through a full range of running, cradling, and shooting. Insist on women’s specific patterns rather than unisex sizing, and confirm the maker offers real sizing from girls youth through women’s adult so your whole roster fits, since youth lacrosse uniforms need genuine youth patterns, not adult smalls, since a team where half the players are swimming in their jerseys looks exactly as unprofessional as it sounds.
How to Buy: What to Look For and Where
When you shop for women’s lacrosse uniforms, five things separate a supplier worth buying from. First, a true women’s cut, patterned for female athletes, not a men’s template sized down. Second, full sublimation, confirmed. Third, no forced minimum order, which matters for a small youth or travel program. Fourth, NFHS girls legal numbering and league compliance handled at the mockup stage. Fifth, one flat price that includes names, numbers, and logos rather than surprise per name and per number fees. Order the women’s lacrosse uniform sets as a complete top and bottom package so the jersey and the skort or kilt color lock from the same dye batch, which loose piece by piece ordering cannot guarantee.
Round out the order while you are at it. Reversible lacrosse pinnies for practice, lacrosse practice jerseys for daily wear, sideline layers for cold games, and matching team bags turn a set of jerseys into a real team identity. Buying it all from one maker keeps every color exactly matched, which is the whole point of going custom in the first place.
If a true women’s cut, fast, is what your program needs, that is exactly what we build. Our custom women’s lacrosse uniform sets are fully sublimated on lightweight polyester, cut specifically for female athletes, and come as a coordinated top with your choice of skort, kilt, or shorts, all color locked from the same dye run. Names, numbers, team colors, and logos are included in one flat per set price with no minimum order, a free mockup within 12 hours, and a 3 to 4 week turnaround. Build your girls lacrosse uniforms once and outfit the whole roster, youth through adult, in a look that lasts the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a women’s lacrosse uniform?
A: A women’s lacrosse uniform is a fitted, sublimated jersey worn with a kilt, a skort, or shorts, plus ASTM certified goggles and a mouthguard. Field players wear no helmet or shoulder pads, so the kit is lighter and cut for female athletes rather than sized down from men’s.
Q: What is the difference between a kilt, a skort, and shorts?
A: A kilt is the traditional pleated wrap skirt worn with spandex underneath. A skort is a skirt with compression shorts built in. Shorts are plain athletic shorts. All three are legal, and the skort is the most popular choice at the youth and high school levels.
Q: Do girls lacrosse uniforms follow different rules than boys?
A: Yes. Girls lacrosse uniforms use goggles instead of a helmet, no shoulder pads, and NFHS girls numbering of about 6 inches on the front and 8 inches on the back. The jersey must be a single solid color with matching color bottoms.
Q: Where is the best place to buy custom women’s lacrosse uniforms?
A: The best places offer a genuine women’s cut, full sublimation, no minimum order, and NFHS girls legal numbering handled at the mockup. Direct sublimation makers that build women’s specific patterns and price names and numbers into one flat rate are the strongest value.
Q: Are lacrosse skorts required, or can girls wear shorts? A: Both are allowed. The rules permit a kilt, a skort, or shorts as long as the whole team matches the dominant color. Skorts are the most common choice, but many teams and players prefer plain shorts, so confirm your program’s preference and league before ordering.
