How Much Engraving Fits on a Medal or Trophy?
Most medals and trophies are engraved on a small metal plate or a disc on the front or back. Space is tighter than people expect, so a little planning makes the finished award look much better.
The quick answer
Every product page on our stores shows its own engraving options and limits when you add it to the basket, so that is always the final word. As a rough guide, a standard trophy plate comfortably takes two or three short lines, such as a name, a title and a year. The back of a medal usually suits one or two very short lines.
What to put on each line
- Line 1, the award: “Players’ Player”, “Top Scorer”, “Winners”.
- Line 2, the name: the player, team or person.
- Line 3, the occasion: the club or league and the season, for example “Hillside U10s 2026/27”.
Tips for clear engraving
- Shorter lines engrave larger, so they're easier to read from across a room.
- Abbreviate where it's natural: “U10s”, “FC”, “2026/27” rather than “Under Tens”, “Football Club”, “2026 to 2027”.
- Check spellings of names with parents or players before ordering; engraving can't be undone.
- Keep wording the same across a set of medals so they look like a set; only the name changes.
- Centres and discs on many trophies show the sport or the award title, so you don't need to repeat it in the engraving.
Free engraving
Engraving is free on selected lines in our stores; each product page says whether it's included. If you're ordering for a whole team, the team order planner builds the order from one store so all the engraving goes through one basket.