The key element for one of the most popular sports in the world, soccer balls come in different designs, sizes and weights. Plus, the materials used for the construction of the soccer balls are also very diverse, directly influencing the features of the finite products as well as the price. Here are a few technical details on the structure and the making of soccer balls that many of us know nothing of when having fun in a nice game.
Several covering layers are included in the surface structure of the soccer balls and they are not made of natural leather as it may appear at first sight but rather from synthetic materials that keep the balls lightweight even when it’s damp outside. Poly vinyl chlorine or PVC and polyurethane or PU are the main materials used for synthetic leather production. Even the varieties of artificial leather remain a mystery to most soccer fans, because these patterns too, come in great number of varieties.
The specific features in the exterior cover of soccer balls consist of several segments known as panels. There can be 32, 26 or 16 panels with the mention that 32-panel variant is normally used in the majority of official games. Yet, the others are popular in all sorts of major leagues as well, mainly in England and Scotland. Soccer balls create nearly perfect spheres once the panels are sewn together and inflated.
A special material called the lining is used between the internal bladder that holds the air and the outer covering. Laminated cotton or polyester are normally used for the intermediary layer, and they play an important part in the bouncing and strength features of the ball. In the professional design of soccer balls, up to five different linings can be used, although practice balls include fewer linings.
As for the bladders that actually keep the soccer balls inflated, differences do appear here as well, particularly because of the nature of the materials. Soccer balls can be manufactured either from butyl or latex. While natural rubber or latex creates a great surface tension, the tiny pores allow deflation over a certain period of time.
In order to keep the ball practical, you’ll have to re-inflate it at least once a week. Butyl soccer balls present no air retention problem, but require valves to keep the air inside.
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