Pick up a match worn or player issue Adidas shirt and you will often find something unexpected on the size label: a number. Not small, medium or large, but a 6, an 8, a 9. If you are used to retail shirts, it looks like a mistake. It is not. It is the Adidas player sizing system, and once you understand it, the label tells you a great deal about the shirt in your hands.
The short answer
Here is the mapping collectors use most:
- Code 6 = M
- Code 8 = L
- Code 9 = L/XL
- Code 10 = XL
So a shirt marked 6 is a medium, and a shirt marked 9 sits between large and extra large. A seller will sometimes list code 9 simply as XL, because many selling platforms have no "L/XL" option. The most accurate description, though, is: Adidas player size 9, approximately L/XL. The full collector chart pairs 9 with L/XL and 10 with XL.
The system behind the numbers
Once you see the pattern it is easy to remember. The even numbers are the main sizes:
- 4 = S
- 6 = M
- 8 = L
- 10 = XL
- 12 = XXL
The odd numbers are the in-between sizes:
- 5 = S/M
- 7 = M/L
- 9 = L/XL
- 11 = XL/XXL
- 13 = XXL/3XL
That is why Adidas could supply clubs with far more sizes than just S, M, L and XL. A player who wanted something between a large and an extra large could be given a 9, cut precisely for that fit. Retail simply never offered that level of choice.
An important caveat
The chart is not perfectly universal across every Adidas shirt from every era. The actual fit can shift depending on:
- the season and shirt model;
- the technology used, such as Formotion, Techfit, Adizero, Climachill or Heat.RDY;
- long or short sleeves;
- outfield or goalkeeper versions;
- special adjustments made by the kitman;
- different countries of manufacture.
So a code 7 might be M/L on paper, but a very tight Techfit cut can make it feel smaller than a normal replica medium. As a rule, Adidas player shirts run slimmer and longer than the fan shop version. If you are used to buying retail, expect a player shirt in the same nominal size to feel more fitted.
Does a numeric size prove a shirt is match worn?
No, and this is the part that trips people up. A numeric size is a strong sign of a player spec or kitroom shirt, especially when other features are present:
- a numeric size with no normal S/M/L marking;
- a heat pressed club badge and Adidas logo;
- lighter or more ventilated fabric;
- a product code that belongs to the player version;
- official competition printing;
- differences from the fan shop version.
But a numeric size can also appear on unused club stock, on match issued shirts, on player issue blanks, and on commercial authentic or player versions from certain generations. So code 9 mostly proves that the shirt is very likely a player spec L/XL. It does not, on its own, prove that the player actually wore it on the pitch. For that, the exact product code, the wash labels, the make-up of the shirt and the provenance still matter. This is exactly why a genuine match worn shirt should come with documentation, something we cover in our guide on what a COA is and why it matters.
How we list it
On our match worn shirts we show the Adidas code alongside the size, so you see both at once, for example "M (code 6)". That way you know the collector size and the player code without having to cross-reference a chart yourself.
Two shirts in our collection show the system nicely. Our Bayern München Stanišić shirt carries code 6, a medium. Our Bayern München Boateng shirt carries code 9, an L/XL, which fits the taller, slimmer cut you would expect from a player spec shirt. Both come with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Browse all our match worn shirts, or read more about collecting Bayern München match worn shirts.