This is a provenance category. What you are selling is an object and a claim about it, and the claim is the part that can be wrong.
The three words
Match-worn — worn by that player in a match. Match-issued — made for the player and issued to them, not shown to have been worn. Replica — a retail item, officially made, never issued.
Three objects, three prices. If you cannot establish which you have, the word is replica or unverified, not the hopeful one.
This holds across football, hockey, kabaddi, athletics and everything else. The cricket guide sets it out in more detail and the same rules apply.
Then say how you know
The ladder, strongest first:
- I was there and here is the photograph
- Obtained at a known event, with the details
- A certificate from a named issuer
- Bought from a previous owner who said so
- Unverified, sold as seen
None of those is shameful. Being vague about which one you are on is.
A certificate is worth exactly as much as the reputation of whoever issued it. Show the issuer's name, not just the paper.
What to show on camera
- The signature, close, still, in even light
- Labels, numbering and sizing on a shirt
- Any certificate, with the issuer readable
- The whole item, so a signature can be placed on it
- Any photograph of the signing, which is the strongest thing most sellers will ever have
The word to avoid
"Authentic", about a signature you did not watch being signed. It is a guarantee, not a description, and it is a guarantee you cannot support.
Delivery
Frames, shirts and anything long. Packing sports memorabilia.
More: provenance, and why it matters, pricing memorabilia.
Questions people ask
Can I sell unverified signed items?
Yes, described as unverified, at unverified prices. It is a normal listing in this field.
Does a photograph of the signing help?
More than anything else you can do. Show it.
What about team-signed items?
Say how many signatures, who identified them, and whether any are unidentified. Unidentified is an honest answer.