Custom Medals for Football Clubs and Leagues: Why You Need Them

Custom football medals give clubs and leagues a practical way to recognise premierships, tournament results, individual performances and participation. The most effective designs clearly identify the competition, achievement and season while incorporating club or league branding in a way that remains legible at medal size.

Before ordering, decide who will receive a medal, what each medal represents and how it will be presented. This determines the required quantity, size, finish, ribbon, artwork and level of individual engraving.

It is also important to specify the football code. In Australia, “football” may refer to Australian Rules, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, touch football or futsal. The ball, player silhouette and other design elements must accurately reflect the competition.

What can custom football medals recognise?

One club or league may need several medal types during a season. Giving each medal a defined purpose helps avoid duplicated categories and makes the presentation easier for players and spectators to understand.

Premiership and championship medals

Football championship medals recognise the players and eligible team personnel involved in winning a competition.

The design might include:

• League or association name

• Premiership or championship title

• Club or team name

• Division or age group

• Season

• Competition logo

• Football-specific artwork

The league should establish who qualifies before ordering. Confirm whether medals are required for every listed player, coaches, team managers, trainers or other officials.

A prominent custom centre, distinctive finish or larger medal can help separate a premiership award from participation and general achievement medals.

Finals and tournament medals

Football finals medals may recognise grand final participants, winners, runners-up or individual finals performances. Tournament medals can cover short competitions, gala days, school events and multi-team carnivals.

For tournaments, clearly identify:

• Event name

• Date or year

• Age group or division

• Placing

• Host organisation

If several divisions use the same design, engraving, inserts or ribbon colours can distinguish the individual categories.

Individual player medals

Football player medals can recognise achievements such as:

• Best and Fairest

• Most Valuable Player

• Best on Ground

• Top or Leading Scorer

• Best Defender

• Goalkeeper Award

• Most Improved

• Coaches’ Award

• Players’ Player

• Rising Star

• Club Champion

Major player awards should be visually distinct from participation medals. This difference can come from size, finish, ribbon, presentation box, artwork or personalised engraving.

For category-planning guidance, see the article on football awards for Best on Ground, Top Scorer and Club Champion.

Participation and junior football medals

Football participation medals acknowledge involvement in a season, carnival or development program. They are particularly useful when a junior club or school needs consistent recognition across several teams.

Participation medals should still identify the event or season clearly. Rather than using vague wording, consider including the club, team or program and year.

For example:

Bayside Junior Football
Under 10 Team
Season 2026

Special club recognition

Medals can also recognise contributions beyond playing performance, including:

• Long service

• Coaching contribution

• Volunteer recognition

• Milestone matches

• Captaincy

• Club service

• Fundraising or community contribution

A club crest or logo can make these medals feel connected to the organisation even when the recognition is not based on an on-field result.

Choose the right medal format

A medal does not need a completely original shape to feel customised. Clubs can choose from several levels of personalisation.

Existing football-themed medals

A ready-made football medal already includes relevant sporting imagery. The club can then personalise it with engraving, a centre insert, ribbon or presentation option.

This approach can work well when:

• The sport needs to be immediately recognisable

• The club requires several award categories

• Individual names or results are more important than a unique outer shape

• A consistent design is needed across multiple teams

Browse the sports medal range or dedicated soccer, football and futsal medals when comparing existing designs.

Medals with personalised centres

A custom centre can display a club logo, league emblem, competition mark or football image within an existing medal design.

This is a versatile option for:

• Club presentation nights

• Annual tournaments

• School football competitions

• Premiership teams

• League finals

• Sponsor-supported events

Keep the centre artwork simple. Fine text and small details may become difficult to recognise when reduced to medal size.

Engraved medals

Engraving can add award information, recipient details or season records to an appropriate area of the medal.

Depending on the selected design and available space, engraving might include:

• Player’s name

• Award category

• Team or division

• Competition name

• Placing

• Season or date

• Achievement total

Do not assume every medal can accommodate the same amount of text. Confirm the available engraving area before finalising long award titles.

Fully custom medal designs

A fully custom design can use a distinctive shape, football silhouette, shield, club crest or competition symbol.

This approach may suit:

• Major leagues

• Annual championships

• Large tournaments

• Significant anniversaries

• Established competitions with recognisable branding

The strongest custom medal designs are easy to recognise and provide enough usable space for essential artwork. A complicated outline is not automatically more effective.

The guide to custom medal shapes explains how shields, crests, sporting equipment and other profiles can be used without overcrowding the finished medal.

Selecting the right medal size

Medal size affects the visual impact, artwork area, engraving space and how the award feels when worn.

Smaller or medium-sized medals can suit:

• Junior participation

• Regular club awards

• Large school competitions

• Multi-division tournaments

• Team recognition in quantity

Larger medals may be more appropriate for:

• Premiership winners

• Grand finals

• Major tournaments

• Club Champion

• Best on Ground

• Significant milestones

Using several sizes can establish an award hierarchy. For example, a club could select a larger medal for championship winners and a standard size for participation. Alternatively, one consistent size can create a unified presentation across the competition.

There is no single correct size for every event. Consider the recipient’s age, quantity required, design complexity and amount of personalisation. The medal size guide provides further comparison advice.

Club logos and artwork preparation

A logo is often the element that turns a standard sports medal into a club-specific award.

Bayside Discount Trophies can incorporate sporting-club, school or business logos into suitable medals and custom awards. To achieve a clean result, provide the approved artwork in the highest quality available.

Before submitting the design:

• Confirm that the logo is current

• Check that the club has permission to reproduce it

• Avoid screenshots or images copied from social media

• Remove unnecessary fine text where possible

• Confirm whether full colour is required

• Identify any sponsor marks that must be included

• Supply the original artwork file if available

Artwork designed for a website, uniform or large sign may need simplification at medal size. The important shapes, colours and lettering should remain identifiable when reduced.

Choosing ribbon colours

The ribbon affects both the appearance of the medal and the overall presentation.

Possible approaches include:

• Club colours for season awards

• League colours for finals

• Gold, silver and bronze colours for placings

• Different colours for age groups

• Event-branded printed ribbons

• Neutral colours for formal recognition

If several medals look similar, ribbon colours can also help presentation volunteers identify the correct categories. However, the achievement should still be stated on the medal or accompanying material rather than relying on colour alone.

Bayside Discount Trophies offers custom medals and ribbons, allowing clubs to coordinate both elements for their presentation.

Planning the wording

The amount of information that belongs on a medal depends on its size, design and available personalisation area.

Team championship medal

A team medal might read:

2026 PREMIERS
Under 16 Division
Bayside Football Club

Individual achievement medal

An individual medal might read:

BEST ON GROUND
Jordan Taylor
Grand Final 2026

Tournament medal

A competition medal might read:

BAYSIDE FOOTBALL CUP
RUNNERS-UP
Senior Division – 2026

Keep the most important information prominent. If the front contains a logo and event name, recipient details may be placed on the reverse where the selected product allows.

Calculating quantities for clubs and leagues

Work from the final competition structure rather than estimating a single total.

Separate the order into categories:

1. Premiership or championship players

2. Runners-up or finalists

3. Individual player awards

4. Tournament placings

5. Participation recipients

6. Coaches and team officials

7. Volunteers or service recipients

8. Presentation or display samples, if required

For team medals, confirm the eligible squad size for every division. For a league-wide order, calculate each age group separately and then combine the totals.

Where recipient lists may change, discuss how names and quantities will be managed before approving individually engraved medals. Do not submit several competing versions of the same spreadsheet.

Coordinating matching medal sets

A matching set can create consistency across a large presentation while still distinguishing achievement levels.

You might vary:

• Gold, silver and bronze finishes

• Ribbon colour

• Medal size

• Centre artwork

• Engraved wording

• Presentation box

• Award category

Keep one element consistent—such as the league logo, medal shape or ribbon style—so the full range feels connected.

For annual competitions, retaining the overall design while updating the season can help build a recognisable event identity.

Ordering timeline and preparation

Customisation and bulk orders involve more decisions than purchasing a small number of standard medals. Begin planning while the competition structure and presentation program are being finalised.

Before requesting a quote or placing an order, prepare:

• Medal quantities by category

• Football code and competition type

• Preferred medal size and finish

• Club or league artwork

• Ribbon requirements

• Engraving wording

• Recipient names, if required

• Presentation date

• Delivery location or local pickup preference

Production requirements vary according to the design, quantity and level of customisation. Confirm the applicable timeframe for the specific order rather than relying on a general estimate.

Bayside Discount Trophies completes 100% of its engraving on-site at its Wynnum premises, providing direct control over the engraving and personalisation process.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using imagery from the wrong football code

Check the ball shape, goal, boot and player action. In Australia, a generic “football” design can easily represent the wrong code.

Overloading the artwork

A medal has limited space. Too many sponsor logos, words and visual elements can make the design difficult to understand.

Ordering before quantities are confirmed

Check player numbers, divisions, officials and individual award categories before approving the order.

Supplying low-quality logo artwork

A blurry image cannot produce crisp detail. Locate the original club or league artwork before design work begins.

Leaving individual names until the last moment

Prepare names in a structured spreadsheet and have another club official check spelling before engraving.

Forgetting how the medals will be presented

Confirm ribbon colours, presentation boxes and ceremony order while selecting the medals—not after the main order has been finalised.

Frequently asked questions

What information should go on a football medal?

Include the competition or club, achievement, division and season. Individual medals may also include the player’s name or a result where the design has sufficient space.

Can our club logo be added to the medal?

Yes. Bayside Discount Trophies can incorporate club logos into suitable medals. Supply approved, high-quality artwork and confirm the required colours.

Should junior and senior teams use the same medal?

They can. A shared design creates consistency, while different ribbon colours, engraving or medal sizes can distinguish age groups and award levels.

Can each player’s name be engraved?

This depends on the selected medal and available engraving area. Confirm individual names at the beginning so an appropriate product and layout can be chosen.

Are custom football medals available outside Brisbane?

Yes. Bayside Discount Trophies serves Brisbane and Queensland customers and offers delivery Australia-wide. Local collection is available from the Wynnum showroom.

Create football medals connected to your competition

The best custom football medals are easy to recognise, comfortable to present and specific to the achievement. Start by defining the recipients and categories, then select the size, design, finish, ribbon and personalisation.

Clear artwork and accurate quantities are especially important for league-wide and bulk orders. Keeping the design focused will give the club logo, competition name and achievement enough room to be seen.

Bayside Discount Trophies is an Australian family-owned business operated by Nicole, with more than 17 years serving Brisbane. Explore the range of custom medals and ribbons or contact the Wynnum team to discuss football club medals, league awards, logos, ribbons and on-site engraving. Local pickup and Australia-wide delivery are available.