How'd they do that: Make a soccer ball (2024)

FAQs

How'd they do that: Make a soccer ball? ›

The standard soccer ball is made of synthetic leather, usually polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, stitched around an inflated rubber or rubber-like bladder. Older balls were made of genuine leather and held shut with cotton laces. Modern balls have a valve.

The standard soccer ball is made of synthetic leather, usually polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, stitched around an inflated rubber or rubber-like bladder. Older balls were made of genuine leather and held shut with cotton laces. Modern balls have a valve.

1 Gathering and Processing Materials Soccer balls are made both natural and man-made materials, including: Plastic, from petroleum Rubber, from plants or synthetic Cotton, from plants Animal products, including leather These materials must be processed in factories before they're made into a ball.

High-end balls are hand-sewn, whilst most low and mid-priced balls are machine-stitched. The stitching is completed by turning the ball completely inside out and individually sewing the panels together by hand. This is done so none of the stitches shows on the outside.

A hand- stitched ball takes one person approximately 1.5 hours to sew. A machine-stitched ball takes approximately 10 minutes to be stitched together by many workers. The stitched ball is reversed so none of the stitches will show and the bladder is inserted and inflated.

The inside of the football is made up of a latex or butyl rubber bladder which enables the football to be pressurised. The ball's outside is made of leather, synthetic leather, polyurethane or PVC panels. The surface can be textured, weaved or embossed for greater control and touch.

Soccer Balls(or footballs as they are called in other countries) are inflated with air from an air pump. FIFA laws state the air pressure in a match ball(size 5) must be between 8.5 psi and 15.6 psi.

If your ball loses pressure it is possibly due to dirt in the valve which can stop the valve from sealing properly. also moving the needle gently up and down (Photo 6). The dirt obstructing the valve will be cleared by the glycerine and the valve should seal.

Modern soccer balls are more than a leather stitched together and filled with air. If you have ever seen an old soccer ball coming apart at the stitching, you have probably seen the inside chamber of the ball, called the bladder. This is the area of the ball that holds the air.

Are soccer balls stitched? ›

A soccer ball is not smooth or symmetric. It has 12 faces that are held together by stitches, which add additional drag onto the ball. The stitches also affect the center of pressure, which describes the average location of the aerodynamic forces, which typically occur at the center of the ball.

The inside of the football is made up of a latex or butyl rubber bladder which enables the football to be pressurised. The ball's outside is made of leather, synthetic leather, polyurethane or PVC panels. The surface can be textured, weaved or embossed for greater control and touch.

According to FIFA, a regulation football must be 8.5PSI and 15.6PSI at sea level. This is quite a large range, but different leagues and associations have specific ball pressure guidelines. The MLS, for example, stipulates that match balls should be inflated to 13PSI.

Soccer-ball design over the years has been driven by the demand for a round ball that holds its shape and by the technology available. Eight panels of vulcanized rubber were glued together to create the ball at left, used in the earliest soccer championship in the United States in 1863.