Bottoms are where size labels stop meaning anything. Our track pants block calls its smallest published size L and grades it for a wearer of 160–170 cm. Our soccer shorts call that same wearer XS. Same factory, same season, four size labels apart — because trousers and shorts are labelled against different conventions and always have been.
This page puts all four of our published bottoms blocks in one place: tapered track pants, adult soccer shorts, adult basketball shorts and youth shorts. Every figure comes from the tables on our sportswear size chart, measured from finished garments, with a 1–3 cm manual measurement allowance.
Men’s tapered track pants size chart
| Measurement | L | XL | 3XL | 5XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fit code | 165/72A | 175/80A | 185/88A | 200/100A |
| Wearer height (cm) | 160–170 | 170–180 | 180–190 | 190–200 |
| Wearer weight (kg) | 50–60 | 60–70 | 70–90 | 90–110 |
| Waist, relaxed (cm) | 66 | 74 | 82 | 91 |
| Trouser length (cm) | 91 | 95 | 99 | 105 |
| Waist, relaxed (in) | 26.0 | 29.1 | 32.3 | 35.8 |
| Trouser length (in) | 35.8 | 37.4 | 39.0 | 41.3 |
The track pants labels sit four sizes off everything else
This is the single most important thing on the page. Line the track pants block up against the adult soccer block by wearer height and the gap is consistent.
| Wearer height (cm) | Track pants size | Soccer jersey / shorts size | Labels apart |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160–170 | L | below the adult range | — |
| 170–175 | XL | XS | 4 |
| 175–180 | XL | S | 3 |
| 180–185 | 3XL | M | 4 |
| 185–190 | 3XL | L | 3 |
| 190–195 | 5XL | XL | 4 |
| 195–200 | 5XL | 2XL | 3 |
A 185 cm player is a soccer L on top and a track pants 3XL on the bottom. There is nothing wrong with either garment; they are simply labelled against different systems. But it does mean that a squad list saying “L” is unusable for a mixed order of tops and bottoms. Send heights and waist measurements, not letters, and we will map them.
The same warning appears on our jacket size chart, where the windbreaker and raglan blocks are two labels apart. Bottoms are worse. If you take one thing from this page, take that.
Only four track pants sizes are published, and each step is a double step
The block runs L, XL, 3XL, 5XL. There is no M, no 2XL and no 4XL. Look at the grading and you can see why: waist steps up 8 cm, 8 cm and 9 cm, and trouser length steps up 4 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm. On a normal block those would be two sizes’ worth of movement, not one.
That is a wide gap to land in. A wearer at 178 cm sits comfortably in XL; a wearer at 182 cm is between XL and 3XL with 8 cm of waist and 4 cm of length between them. If your order lands in one of those gaps, ask us to grade an intermediate size — we grade to a customer spec sheet at no extra charge, and on a bottoms order it is worth doing.
Adult soccer shorts size chart
| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wearer height (cm) | 170–175 | 175–180 | 180–185 | 185–190 | 190–195 | 195–200 | 200–205 | 205–210 | 210–215 | 215–220 |
| Shorts length (cm) | 42.5 | 44 | 45.5 | 47 | 48.5 | 50 | 51.5 | 53 | 54.5 | 56 |
| Waist, relaxed (cm) | 69 | 72 | 75 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 96 |
| Shorts length (in) | 16.7 | 17.3 | 17.9 | 18.5 | 19.1 | 19.7 | 20.3 | 20.9 | 21.5 | 22.0 |
| Waist, relaxed (in) | 27.2 | 28.3 | 29.5 | 30.7 | 31.9 | 33.1 | 34.3 | 35.4 | 36.6 | 37.8 |
Adult basketball shorts size chart
| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wearer height (cm) | 170–175 | 175–180 | 180–185 | 185–190 | 190–195 | 195–200 | 200–205 | 205–210 | 210–215 | 215–220 |
| Shorts length (cm) | 51.5 | 53 | 54.5 | 56 | 57.5 | 59 | 60.5 | 62 | 63.5 | 65 |
| Waist, relaxed (cm) | 68.5 | 72 | 75.5 | 79 | 82.5 | 86 | 88.5 | 91 | 93.5 | 96 |
| Shorts length (in) | 20.3 | 20.9 | 21.5 | 22.0 | 22.6 | 23.2 | 23.8 | 24.4 | 25.0 | 25.6 |
| Waist, relaxed (in) | 27.0 | 28.3 | 29.7 | 31.1 | 32.5 | 33.9 | 34.8 | 35.8 | 36.8 | 37.8 |
Basketball shorts are exactly 9 cm longer, on essentially the same waist
| Comparison (cm) | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 6XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basketball length | 51.5 | 53 | 54.5 | 56 | 57.5 | 59 | 60.5 | 62 | 63.5 | 65 |
| Soccer length | 42.5 | 44 | 45.5 | 47 | 48.5 | 50 | 51.5 | 53 | 54.5 | 56 |
| Length difference | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 | +9 |
| Basketball waist | 68.5 | 72 | 75.5 | 79 | 82.5 | 86 | 88.5 | 91 | 93.5 | 96 |
| Soccer waist | 69 | 72 | 75 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 96 |
| Waist difference | -0.5 | 0 | +0.5 | +1 | +1.5 | +2 | +1.5 | +1 | +0.5 | 0 |
The length difference is exactly 9 cm at all ten sizes, with no variation whatsoever. Both blocks grade at 1.5 cm of length per size; one simply starts 9 cm lower on the leg. That is the difference between a soccer short cut at mid-thigh and a basketball short cut toward the knee, and it is the clearest single number on this page.
The waists tell a subtler story. They start within half a centimetre of each other at XS, drift apart to a maximum of 2 cm at 2XL, then converge again to exactly the same 96 cm at 6XL. Soccer grades a flat 3 cm per size; basketball grades 3.5 cm to 2XL and then 2.5 cm. Practically speaking the two shorts fit the same waists — so if you are choosing between them, choose on length, not on waist.
Youth shorts size chart
| Measurement | YS (6–7) | YM (8–9) | YL (10–11) | YXL (12–13) | YXXL (14–15) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wearer height (cm) | 115–127 | 128–140 | 141–150 | 151–160 | 161–168 |
| Shorts length (cm) | 30 | 32.5 | 35 | 37.5 | 40 |
| Waist, relaxed (cm) | 50 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 62 |
| Shorts length (in) | 11.8 | 12.8 | 13.8 | 14.8 | 15.7 |
| Waist, relaxed (in) | 19.7 | 20.9 | 22.0 | 23.2 | 24.4 |
Youth shorts grade at a flat 2.5 cm of length and 3 cm of waist per size. The step from the largest youth size to the smallest adult size is the big one: YXXL is a 62 cm waist and adult XS is 69 cm, a 7 cm jump, with 2.5 cm more length. That matches the same step on the tops, which is covered in detail on the youth soccer uniform size chart.
What “relaxed waist” actually means
Every waist figure on this page is marked relaxed. That means the waistband was laid flat and measured unstretched. It is a garment measurement, not a body measurement, and it is not the maximum the waistband will reach.
This matters because sports bottoms almost always use an elasticated waistband, often with a drawcord, and the stretched figure can be considerably larger than the relaxed one. We publish the relaxed number because it is the one we can measure consistently. If the stretched figure is what your order depends on — and for adult rec leagues and big-and-tall runs it often is — ask us for it in writing before you order. We will measure it and put it on the quote rather than have you infer it from a chart.
The same applies to the track pants block. A 66 cm relaxed waist at size L is not a garment for a 66 cm body; it is an elasticated waistband that measures 66 cm flat and unstretched.
Custom sizing, minimums and lead times
- Minimum order: 10 pieces per design, any mix of sizes.
- Custom grading: send your own spec sheet, or ask for an intermediate track pants size, and we grade to it at no extra charge.
- Stretched waist figures: available in writing on request for any bottoms block.
- Sample: 5–7 days on jersey and shorts, 7–10 days on activewear and full track suits.
- Bulk lead time: 15–20 days after sample approval on shorts, 20–25 days on full track suits.
- Tolerance: 1–2 cm on the track pants block, 1–3 cm on the shorts blocks.
One sourcing note. Woven track suits are classified under a different tariff heading from knitted jerseys and shorts in most markets, and in the United States the gap is large enough to matter on a full-kit order. If your order mixes tops and bottoms, check shipping cost and import duty before you assume one landed-cost figure covers the whole shipment.
Frequently asked questions
Why are your track pants labelled L when they fit a 165 cm wearer?
Because trousers and jerseys are labelled against different conventions. Our track pants block is graded so that L covers 160–170 cm, while our adult soccer block puts that wearer below XS. Matched on height, the two blocks sit about four size labels apart. Order bottoms by waist and height, never by the letter used on the tops.
What track pants size fits a 185 cm person?
3XL, which is graded for 180–190 cm with an 82 cm relaxed waist and a 99 cm trouser length. The same person is a soccer L on top.
Why do your track pants skip M, 2XL and 4XL?
The published block runs L, XL, 3XL and 5XL, and each step covers roughly two sizes’ worth of grading — 8 to 9 cm of waist and 4 to 6 cm of length. If your wearer falls between two of them, ask us to grade the intermediate size; there is no extra charge for the grading.
Is the waist measurement my body waist?
No. Every waist figure we publish is the garment waistband laid flat and unstretched. On elasticated sports bottoms the stretched measurement is significantly larger. Ask us for the stretched figure in writing if your order depends on it.
What is the difference between soccer shorts and basketball shorts?
Length, almost entirely. Basketball shorts are exactly 9 cm longer at every size from XS to 6XL. The waist measurements are within 2 cm of each other across the whole range and identical at both ends, so choose between them on length rather than fit.
Can I order shorts in a different size from the jersey?
Yes, and it is common, because tops and bottoms grade at different rates. Send a per-player list with both sizes and there is no surcharge for the mix. Our minimum is 10 pieces per design, not 10 per size.
Do you publish a women’s bottoms block?
Not currently, and we are not going to estimate one in a table. We grade women’s bottoms to your spec sheet at no extra charge, and we will send written pattern measurements before you place the order.
Where to go next
Every table we publish, tops and bottoms, adult and youth, sits on the sportswear size chart. The matching tops are covered on the soccer jersey size chart, the basketball jersey size chart and the baseball jersey size chart, and outerwear on the jacket size chart.
To price a full kit rather than a single item, the team uniform cost and MOQ guide lists current bands for jerseys, shorts, track suits and warm-ups, and the bulk teamwear buying guide covers ordering across several teams at once.
All measurements on this page are taken from the size charts published on eliian.com and were last reviewed on 11 August 2026. Ask us for written pattern measurements before placing a bulk order.