Soccer Balls and Equipment
Ball Construction
Today’s 
soccer balls are a little more complex than past soccer balls. Modern soccer balls consist of twelve regular pentagonal and twenty regular hexagons, positioned in a condensed icosahedrons spherical geometry. The inside of the soccer ball is made up of a latex bladder which enables the soccer ball to be pressurized. The ball’s panel pairs are stitched along the edge; this procedure can either be stitched manually or with a machine
Soccer balls are made with an inner bladder and layers of material covering the bladder.
Early soccer balls began as ani
mal bladders that would easily fall apart if kicked too much. As time went on soccer balls developed to what they look like today. This was possible with the help of people like Charles Goodyear, who introduced rubber and his discoveries of vulcanization to the design of soccer balls. Today, soccer balls continue to be modified by scientist for the best performance possible
The early Soccer balls were made of pig bladders, the shape was irregular and the soccer balls were unpredictable when kicked. Charles Goodyear changed all that with rubber.
Professional Match Soccer Balls
Match Balls are pro level balls. These soccer balls have been created for professional matches and often have approvals or logos imprinted on them such as FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) approval logo imprinted on the ball. These balls are made of many layers and are tested for performance.
These balls are tested for many aspects such as Ball trajectory, shape, balance, bounce, water absorption and velocity. Match soccer balls are fairly expensive because they are constructed out of high grade material.
Match Soccer Balls
Match balls fall in between professional match balls and practice soccer balls. They are more expensive than practice balls but cheaper than pro match balls. Often match balls have approvals and logos printed on them such as the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) authentication program, "FIFA Approved" or "FIFA Inspected" is usually imprinted on a match ball. Between four and five lining layers are used in the construction of the ball.
Practice and Training Soccer Balls
These are lower quality balls that are used for practice, training and soccer camps. The materials used are of a lower quality than match balls but they are still durable. The covering of the ball is usually PVC and many practice balls are molded and not stitched together. These balls are durable and can withstand the most harsh of playing surfaces such as city streets and concrete.
Promotional BallsNot intended for match use, promo balls are usually low quality balls used to promote brands, teams and events.
The same size as a regular, outdoor soccer ball but covered in a felt like material.
Futsal balls are for use on hard play fields and have a bladder is filled with foam. The foam core makes the ball heavier.