The key element for one of the most popular sports in the world, soccer balls come in different designs, sizes and weights. The diversity also extends to the materials soccer balls are made of and the features of the final product. Consider the following technical details that few people know about the structure of the soccer balls.

The surface of soccer balls consists of several coverings that are not made of natural leather as it seems 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 that soccer balls are manufactured of are too many in number to know and differentiate.

Depending on the design of the soccer balls, the various segments of the exterior cover, also known as the panels, present specific features. A soccer ball can be made of 16, 26 or 32 panels, with the latest being the official variant for most leagues and championships. 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. These intermediary layer can be made of polyester or laminated cotton, thus contributing to the strength and the bounce properties of the finite product. In the professional design of soccer balls, up to five different linings can be used, although practice balls include fewer linings.

Differences of material do exist in the structure of the bladders as well. Soccer balls can be manufactured either from latex or butyl. While the surface tension brought by latex or natural rubber is unparalleled, 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.

About the Author:

Jack Sawbridge started kicking the soccer ball at the age of seven. At the age of twelve he became a member of a soccer team. His passion in this kind of sports lead him to write various information about soccer balls. If this article interests you, you may want to read another article written by Jack about Official Soccer Ball.