Basketball Referee Shirts: Men’s, Women’s, V-Neck, Slim Fit, Smitty, NCAA and High School
If you’ve read our research on basketball referee pants, then chances are you’ve linked over to this article on basketball referee shirts. I’ve done some thorough research on them and have found the best-selling basketball referee shirts for men and women.
By the end of this post, you’ll be familiar with a few shirt brands and some useful details about them. After all, picking the right basketball referee shirt is important since it could be a long-term commitment (not something you need to buy more than once or twice in your life if you buy the right one). Style, fit, versatility, comfort are important as well as fitting your budget.
We’ll start by listing the best-selling basketball referee shirts by gender, then dive deeper into the features that make them good choices.
Best-Selling Men’s Basketball Referee Shirts
1. FitsT4 Men’s Basketball Referee Shirts
- 100% polyester, a lightweight material that keeps you cool during the game
- Modern style with vertical black and white stripes similar to professionals
- Soft sleeve cuffs and collar reduce chafing
- Whistle support built into the V-neck lanyard loop for easy access and storage
- Versatile design for men that’s also diverse enough for women’s wear
2. Murray’s Collared Referee Shirts
- 100% polyester, a lightweight, breathable material
- Professional one-inch-thick stripes
- Athletic cut (manufacturers advise sizing up for a looser fit)
3. Shinestone Referee Shirts
- 85% polyester and 15% spandex, which are quick-drying materials
- Zipper neckline design and ribbed sleeve cuffs
- one-and-a-half-inch black stripes woven directly into the fabric
- Costume approved
- Includes whistle
4. Syhood Men’s Official Umpire Jersey
- Various sizes for women and men
- Moisture-proof polyester
- Lapel and zipper pullover style
- Includes whistle and penalty flag
- Likely used most often for costumes
5. Smitty Basketball Referee Shirts
- You can’t go wrong with Smitty basketball referee shirts; they’re a classic choice
- 100% polyester
- Performance gray color with black pinstripe V-neck
- Extra material in the back of the shirt for tucking
College Basketball Referee Shirts With American Flag
These are just cool even if you never make it to the NCAA referee level. Complete with the American flag patch.
Best-Selling Women’s Basketball Referee Shirts
There are also plenty of options for women’s basketball referee shirts. Here are some of the best options right now:
1. Murray Women’s Referee Shirt
- 100% polyester for a lightweight design
- V-neck design with ribbed sleeves
- one-inch-thick stripes
- Tight fit
2. ChinFun Women’s Official Referee Shirt
- 100% polyester
- Soft cuffs and ribbed collars make the shirts comfortable without sacrificing style
- Large neck space for easy removal
- Versatile
3. Smitty USA211-607 Women’s Basketball Referee Shirt
- Perfect for anyone looking for a basketball referee shirt with American flag
- Made in the USA
- Women’s cut
- one-inch stripes
- Polyester and spandex blend
- USA flag on sleeve
4. FitsT4 Women’s Striped Referee Shirt
- 100% no-shrink polyester
- Form-fitting
- Long fabric design great for tucking
- Perfect for Halloween costumes
How to Pick the Right Referee Shirt
There are a few different details to consider when shopping for a referee shirt. Here’s our guide to choosing the right one to match your needs.
Additional Basketball Officiating Equipment
Before you can referee a game, you may need the basic gear such as
- A stopwatch
- A whistle
- Penalty flags
- Digital pressure gauge
- Coins for tossing
A couple of other items, like a notepad for keeping track of how many basketball players are on a team, could also come in handy. If you are even earlier in your journey we have an article on how to become a basketball referee.
Some of the brands listed above include gear with the purchase of their uniform. Personally, I think the included gear is too costumey for serious games, but they’re a viable option for referees on a budget.
But once you have everything you need, how do you find the proper uniform to referee a basketball game? The answer has a lot to do with style and breathability.
Breathability
You may be surprised by this, but basketball refs are among the most in-shape referees in any major sport. The health and stamina required of a basketball referee call for apparel that can measure up to the task. This is why it’s so crucial to wear a uniform that can support flexibility and movement.
Many of the brands we listed here have a quick-drying element built into their uniform design. This allows for referees to break a sweat during the game while remaining dry. This cool feature can vary from unparalleled moisture management to none at all in a cheaper basketball referee shirt. Most companies will also use synthetic fabrics to keep their basketball referee shirts less expensive and easy to wash.
Style
Style is just as important as mobility. Black and white stripes are standard for recreational basketball, and grey basketball referred shirts are used in the NBA.
You’ll want to stick to black and white stripes for any intramural refereeing you’ll be doing.
Additionally, choosing a referee shirt with one-inch-thick stripes like most of the ones we listed will ensure your shirt conforms to basketball and could be used for most other sports.
Sleeve cuffs are not typically mentioned but nonetheless are important. There’s nothing more annoying than refereeing a game with tight arm cuffs. Many brands provide elastic or similar stretchy fabric in the arm cuffs, but not all of them do. Make sure there’s enough spacing in the shoulder area for you to move hassle-free.
How to Take Care of Your Basketball Referee Shirt
You can keep your referee shirt looking good as new by following these simple maintenance steps.
- Machine wash with similar colors and DO NOT bleach.
- Tumble dry on a low cycle halfway through, and air dry the rest
- For referee shirts with numbers and patches, it’s recommended that you reverse the shirt and iron on a cool, low setting
- Keep your uniform out of the sun by storing it in a garment bag
Budget-Friendly Referee Shirts
If you’re looking for basketball referee shirts for a low price, then Shinestone is the right brand for you. Most of their shirts range between $12 and $15 each.
The higher-end shirts we mentioned, such as Smitty, reach the upper $35 range. Cliff Keen basketball referee shirts can also be found as another one of the pricier options.
Conclusion
So there you have it, folks.
We’ve listed the best basketball referee shirt brands for men and women and given you some helpful tips on picking the right shirt, including features to look out for and maintenance tips.
For other helpful resources on gear, maintenance, and referee tips, our full post on becoming a referee. If you need to keep your practice squads separated. Take a look at our article on mesh scrimmage jerseys.
Gina Wayland
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