Velcro Position Letters?
 

I was wondering if anyone had an experience in using Velcro to make the position letters on the back of shirts interchangeable. Just starting out in college and not sure which deep position I’ll be working most often and don’t want to buy a short and long sleeve for each of the positions. Thanks.

If you can get some iron on velcro to put on the shirt and placket it works pretty well. I've got long and short sleeves with both a sewn placket and long and short with velcro so I can change if I need to. Just a square pattern where the placket needs placed has worked for me.

velcro
 

I do the velcro thing with my number placket (that is what we have on our backs in Canada) and my patch on the front depending on what level I am working. I got the soft side of the velcro sewn on to my jersey. I coordinated the colour so if it on the white part, it is white velcro, and vice versa. If I am not wearing a patch, like during pee wee games, no one can tell the velcro is there. This way as well, I take my number placket off when I wash my jersey. Washing I find makes the placket yellow adn crinkle. Hope this helps.

Try washing your Jersey in cold water, and hang your jersey to dry. Don't put your Jersey in the Dryer. That is why it's going yellow and crinkled. Same with the pants, wash in cold water, and hang to dry.

As for the velcro, I find it looks very un-proffesional. I'd rather spend the money on a second Jersey.

thanks
 

So it is the dryer that does it eh? Thanks for the tip. As for it looking unprofessional...I don't think so, if it is done right. One has to make sure the edges and corners are fastened down. Proper fitting jersey and pants as well as shined shoes, tight stirrups and properly worn hat also go along with looking professional. I agree with you that the number looks much better sewn on.

My mom sewed on little squares of velcro in the corners of the letters and on the shirts. They seem to work pretty well.

I doubt she'll do yours, though.

I learned my lesson about velcro the first time I tried it (on a nationally televised game). It is not nice to have your placard flapping in the wind as you zip downfield. I will NEVER use it again. Buy other shirts with correct letters or borrow from someone.

I asked the same thing on a board two years ago because I was in the same position you are currently in. The advice I got from guys working higher up (D1 and D2) was to spend the money on another shirt. It looks unprofessional and who knows, it might be the determining factor to you getting picked up or not by another crew/level. It's amazing the little things people notice. Why give them the opportunity?

I agree with Mike. If you are a sideline official (or even an ump) someone can accidentally hook onto that thing and pull it off. Then, you have to get help putting it back on -- assuming you know its off. I realize if you work more than one position that can be a pain, but I've got 8 basketball shirts and the guys in the baseball forum say they've got a bunch in different colors.

Invest in the right gear.

Thanks for the advice.

SOAU.

I took a different approach...

At the time I was working mostly H and some L so I had at least two shirts (lets just talk SS type).
Once the schedule as out, I found I was working several games as a B, and S and finally an F.

So, I simply just bought the additional plackets and sewed the one I needed over the H or L with some black button thread with using looping stitches about .5 inch apart all the way around with a couple in the middle.
This worked out very well for my purpose and was far far better than the Velcro I saw guys using.

I'd do this the night before, but at one game where I was sure we would be wearing LS shirts, I had to do a 5 minute sewing job during the pregame to my SS shirt. I kept the stuff I needed in my bag a this was an easy task to do.

I do echo the rest... stay away from the Velcro. You might try double stick carpet tape, but other than for use on a flag patch, I did not try it though I heard it did work OK.

That's an interesting way to go about it Theisey. It wouldn't be too difficult to get those stitches out then in order to switch.

Just wonderin', do all you guys south of the border have to wear the "position letters" on your back, or do some still get to wear numbers? Must admit, not a big fan of the big "U" or "R" on the back. Course, if we did that up here, you'd have to make room for the inevitable hoser suffix.....

R,eh?

Can't see it....

Letters are worn on the college and professional levels only.

And while we're at it, I'm not a big fan of you hosers up there wearing big numbers and stirrup socks! So take off, eh! :p

Don't knock the stirrups, eh? Great place to hide your back bacon and toques for those November games......beauty!