If you play soccer, you would know that the most important product of soccer in your kit is a soccer ball. Surely your boots and other stuff also plays a vital role in improving your game but who can play soccer without a soccer ball. Yup, no one can play soccer without a soccer ball. Thus, any soccer player would be interested in knowing how is a soccer ball made and what are soccer balls made of?
Contents
WHAT ARE SOCCER BALLS MADE OF:
A soccer ball is actually just a hollow sphere made up of three major sections. These sections are (from outside to inside):
- The cover
- The lining
- The bladder
THE BLADDER:
The bladder is the part of a soccer ball that’s responsible for retaining the air pressure of the ball. If the bladder gets damaged, the soccer ball would lose its air pressure and become deflated. Mostly, the bladders of soccer balls are made up of two materials. Some are made from butyl while others from latex.
Latex bladders provide excellent response and contact when kicked. They provide good feel to the foot when played around. Their major drawback is that they lose air quite quickly and need to be re-inflated every week.
On the other hand, butyl bladders give a contact and bounce response a tad harder than latex bladders. But they overshadow this minor drawback with their excellent air retention.
THE LINING:
Several layers of polyester or cotton make up the lining of a soccer ball. These layers are bonded together firmly, this structured bonding provides strength and rigidness to the ball.
THE COVER:
In this modern era of soccer, the natural leather has become quite rare due to the tremendous increase in demand of soccer balls. Most of the soccer balls today are made up of synthetic leather.
The cover material, either natural or synthetic leather, is sewn together in a combination of hexagonal and pentagonal panels creating a stunning surface design for the ball. The fewer these panels, the lesser the stability of the ball and the more prone the ball is to curving in flight.
In the end, all the 3 layers are joined together and a fabulous soccer ball is made. To make stunning and innovative designs, different colors of panels are used in a single ball. Sometimes the balls are even painted after production to create custom designs on them.
WHERE ARE SOCCER BALLS MADE:
As for where are most of the soccer balls made, a major part of the world’s soccer balls are made in Pakistan, in the city named Sialkot. The city is known for its high quality sports products. The soccer balls made by this city are also used in major soccer leagues like FIFA, UEFA and many more.
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