Netball & Handball Kits for UAE Schools

Netball and handball sit side by side in many UAE school sports programmes. They often share the same indoor hall, the same PE department budget and, in smaller schools, some of the same students. Yet the two kits are built very differently.

This guide explains what each sport needs, where the specifications overlap, and how a PE head or procurement officer can order both from one design system instead of running two separate projects.

See our netball kits and handball kits pages for the garment options, or read on for the buying detail.

What this guide covers

• Netball kit: dress, or top and skort
• Handball kit: jerseys, shorts and goalkeeper sets
• Modest options for both sports
• Fabrics for indoor halls and outdoor courts
• Numbers, names and training bibs
• Sizing juniors with growth in mind
• Ordering both sports from one design system
• Buyer checklist for PE departments
• Start your netball and handball kit
• Frequently asked questions

Netball kit: dress, or top and skort

Netball kit must allow overhead reach and sharp changes of direction, carry a position bib that umpires can read at a glance, and look consistent across a squad that may run from upper primary to sixth form.

The netball dress

The one-piece dress is the traditional choice. It is usually an A-line or panelled cut worn over separate matching shorts. It gives a unified look and a large front and back panel for the school crest and house colours.

The trade-off is fit. A dress has to be right at the chest, waist and hem together, so a growing junior moves out of it sooner than a two-piece set.

Top and skort

A fitted or semi-fitted top with a skort – a skirt with shorts built in – is easier to size, because the top and the bottom can be issued in different sizes to the same student. Skorts are also re-used in PE lessons and other court sports, which matters when parents buy the kit.

Many schools choose the two-piece set for junior squads and keep the dress for senior teams. Both can share the same artwork.

Position bibs

Seven positions are on court for each team – GS, GA, WA, C, WD, GD and GK – and each player shows her position letters on the front and back. Schools have three ways to do this:

• Separate pull-on bibs in a contrast colour, worn over the dress or top.
• Detachable position patches fixed to the garment with hook-and-loop tape or press studs.
• Position letters sublimated into the garment, with one dress or top per position.

Separate bibs or detachable patches are the most flexible, because players rotate positions between quarters and between fixtures. Whichever you choose, order a second bib set in a different colour so that two of your own teams can play each other in training.

Handball kit: jerseys, shorts and goalkeeper sets

Handball is a contact sport with shirt-pulling, jump shots and regular floor contact. The kit is a short-sleeved jersey and shorts for court players, plus a distinct goalkeeper set.

Court-player jerseys and shorts

Ask for a jersey with enough stretch and seam strength to cope with pulling at the shoulders and side seams. The simplest test at sample stage is to have a student raise both arms fully overhead: the hem should not ride up above the waistband and the armholes should not bind.

Shorts need an elasticated waist with an internal drawcord and no zips or hard trims that could catch a hand or scratch the floor.

Goalkeeper kit

The goalkeeper has to be clearly different in colour from the court players, so plan a contrast jersey from the start rather than adding one later. A second goalkeeper colour avoids a clash when opponents wear similar colours.

Many keepers prefer a long-sleeved jersey and full-length trousers because they spend much of the match going to ground. Ask your goalkeepers before you order. Some teams also keep a contrast bib on the bench for a court player who steps into goal.

Rules on goalkeeper colours, numbering and substitutes vary by competition and age group. Check your own federation’s or tournament’s current rules before you sign off colours.

Modest options for both sports

UAE school squads are mixed in background and preference, and no student should have to choose between taking part and dressing as she prefers. Both kits are available in men’s and unisex, women’s modest and Muslim women’s hijab-friendly fits, so every student can play in the same colours.

• Netball: a long-sleeved top or dress worn over full-length leggings, or a longer tunic-length top with a skort over leggings, plus a sports hijab in the team colour.
• Handball: a long-sleeved jersey in a longer, looser cut, with full-length training trousers or leggings under longer shorts, plus a sports hijab.

Design the modest versions at the same time as the standard kit, using the same panels, colours and crest position. Adding them later is what makes one student look different from the rest of the team.

For more detail, see our guides to modest sportswear for UAE schools and to sports hijab coverage, fabric and fit.

Fabrics for indoor halls and outdoor courts

Most school kits for these sports are polyester knits, because polyester accepts sublimation printing. The differences that matter are in the knit structure and the fabric weight.

Indoor halls

In air-conditioned halls, students move from a warm corridor or bus into cool air while already perspiring. A smooth interlock or fine mesh knit with a little body hangs well, does not cling and tolerates floor contact. For handball, lean towards the more robust end of the range because of the grabbing and diving.

Outdoor courts

A lot of school netball is played outdoors, on shaded or open courts, in the cooler months and early in the morning. Lighter, more open knits are usually more comfortable here, and paler base colours absorb less heat in direct sun than dark ones. Outdoor hard courts are abrasive, so check skorts and shorts for snagging at sample stage.

Any fabric recommendation for the UAE climate is advice based on where and how the kit will be used, not a performance promise. Ask for a fabric swatch and the fabric weight in GSM before you approve the order. Final specification will be confirmed during quotation. Our articles on breathable sports fabrics for the UAE climate and how fabric GSM works explain the terms.

Numbers, names and training bibs

Handball jerseys carry a number on the front and back. Netball identifies players by position, not number, although many schools add a small squad number so that each garment can be tracked.

Sublimated or applied later

Sublimated numbers are dyed into the fabric with the rest of the design. They cannot peel, but they are fixed for the life of the garment. Heat-transfer numbers are applied to a finished jersey, which lets you add them once the squad list is confirmed. Our comparison of sublimation, printing and embroidery for sports jerseys covers the options, and the garment printing service page explains the methods we use.

Names on school kit

For kit that the school owns and hands down, avoid individual names. Use numbers, and keep a register that links each number to a student for the season.

Training bibs

Plain mesh training bibs in two contrast colours cover PE lessons, trials and house matches for both sports.

Sizing juniors with growth in mind

Decide first who owns the kit. School-owned kit is sized to a squad profile and handed down each year. Parent-purchased kit is sized to the individual student.

• Size by height and chest measurement, not by age or year group. Two students in the same class can be three sizes apart.
• Have students try a physical size set, and record the size each one selects.
• Check length with arms raised. A dress or jersey that looks right standing still can be too short at full stretch.
• For school-owned kit, add a few spare garments one size above your current largest.
• Prefer adjustable waists on skorts and shorts, so that one garment covers more than one stage of growth.
• Do not oversize netball dresses to allow for growth. Choose a two-piece set if growth is the main concern.

Students and coaches can try a size set in person at our Jebel Ali showroom before quantities are confirmed. We keep the sizes on record, so new pupils can be added each term without starting the exercise again. The guide to measuring for uniforms shows how to take the measurements a size chart asks for.

Ordering both sports from one design system

A design system is simply a short set of rules that every garment follows: the school colours with their references, the crest and its position, the style of the numbers and letters, and one panel or stripe pattern. Applied to a netball dress, a skort set, a handball jersey and a goalkeeper top, those rules make the garments look related without being identical.

For the buyer, the benefit is administrative as much as visual: one artwork file to approve, one colour reference to check and one size record to maintain.

How the process runs

1. Confirm the school colours and supply the crest as vector artwork.
2. List the garments needed for each sport, including modest fits, goalkeeper sets and bibs.
3. Review a free design mock-up that shows every garment side by side.
4. Check a sample against your confirmed order for fabric, colour and fit.
5. Run the size try-on and confirm quantities by size.
6. Keep the approved artwork and size list on record for repeat orders.

Netball and handball kit compared

Mustang recommendation: settle the bib question before the netball artwork is drawn. If your players will wear pull-on bibs, a crest in the centre of the chest disappears for the whole match, so move it to the upper chest, the sleeve or the skort. For handball, approve the goalkeeper colour against both your home and your alternate kit on the same mock-up. Both are common causes of late artwork changes, and both can be settled at mock-up stage.

Buyer checklist for PE departments

• Squad lists for each sport and age group.
• School colour references and crest artwork in vector format.
• Netball format chosen: dress, top and skort, or both.
• Bib method chosen, with a second bib colour for training.
• Goalkeeper colours checked against home and alternate kits.
• Modest and hijab-friendly versions included in the first order, not added later.
• Competition or federation kit rules checked for the current season.
• Size try-on date booked and a named person responsible for the size list.
• Wash instructions passed to whoever launders the kit; see the fabric care guide.

Start your netball and handball kit

Every order begins with a free design mock-up and a free sample against your confirmed order (LPO), and your sizes and artwork are stored for repeat orders. Teams and students can try a size set in person at our Jebel Ali showroom before committing. Delivery timelines are confirmed during quotation.

Browse netball kits and handball kits, see our pages for school sports kits and the schools and education sector, or return to sports uniforms. When you are ready, request a quote or request a sample.

Frequently asked questions

Should a school choose netball dresses or a top and skort?

Both are accepted formats in school netball. Dresses suit senior teams whose sizes are stable. A top and skort is easier to size for growing juniors and can be re-used in PE lessons. Many schools use both, built from the same artwork.

How should position bibs be supplied?

Separate pull-on bibs or detachable patches suit most schools, because players change position during a match. Order one full set of seven positions for each team that plays at the same time, plus a second colour for training games.

Are modest and hijab-friendly versions available in the same colours?

Yes. Long-sleeved tops, leggings, longer cuts and sports hijabs can be produced to match the team kit. Include them in the first mock-up so that the whole squad is approved together.

What colour should the handball goalkeeper wear?

A colour that is clearly different from your court players and from likely opponents. Exact requirements depend on the competition, so check your federation’s or tournament’s current rules before approving the design.

Can we add kit for new pupils later in the year?

Yes. Approved artwork and sizes are kept on record for repeat orders, so additional garments can be matched to the original design. Delivery timelines are confirmed during quotation.