In some countries, it is known as soccer and in some, it is called football. The region from I’m, it is known as football. Whatever it is called, it is the most popular sports in the world. It’s really a fun to watch the world-class professionals playing this game. It’s natural that you might be impressed by the skills and stamina shown by the soccer professionals in the game time. And you might want to build the same skills and stamina; maybe just for fun or exercise or to be a professional player.
Professionals have built themselves to play soccer for years under expert coach and with world-class gears. So, it is not easy to get those skills without the essentials efforts.
There is a plus if you want to be a soccer player. You don’t need so many instruments to play soccer. Even if you want to start with the bare minimum, only a quality soccer ball is enough to start.
So, only important thing is to buy a soccer ball to start playing. And another fun part is: a whole group of people (5 to 6) can start with the same ball. And that is the standard. You can train yourself without a team. But if you want to train yourself under a coach, you need your own ball for the training.
So, before choosing and finally buying a soccer ball, you need to consider a lot of things. At a first glance, all soccer balls might seem same to you. But there are a lot of factors that distinguish one soccer ball from another.
Let’s tell you which factors you will double check before buying your soccer ball.
Factors to Check Out Before Buying a Soccer Ball
Professional soccer players want you to consider these 5 factors before buying a soccer ball. They are:
- Ball Type
- Size of the Ball
- Cover of Surface Type of the Ball
- The Bladder
- The Brand
Know at first what type of soccer ball you will choose
It all depends on your usage of the ball. If you’ve planned to play indoor, you will choose one type of ball and for outdoor playing, you will buy a different type of soccer ball. Manufacturers make soccer balls for outdoor usages keeping in mind that these balls will go through a lot of wear and tear. In contrary, indoor soccer balls are made keeping in mind the indoor conditions. Let me give you one difference between these two balls. Indoor soccer balls need less bounce when compared with its outdoor counterparts. So, indoor balls are designed in a way, it bounces 30% less when compared with the bounce of soccer balls that are designed for outdoor usages.
What size ball you will choose?
When you will go to a shop to buy a soccer ball, you will find total 3 sizes: three, four and five.
The smallest ball ranges from 23 to 24 inches. These balls are basically made and suitable for children usages. To be more specific, these sizes are best for children who are under age 18.
Soccer balls that fall into size category 4 are best for children who age between 8 and 12. And size five is appropriate for all people above age 12. So, decide which category you fall in and buy the appropriate ball for your age.
Ball Cover or Surface Type
The cover and bladder type are the two most important parts of a soccer ball. These two parts basically differ one ball from another one. These are the three things are mostly used to build the surface of a soccer ball:
- Rubber
- Synthetic Polyurethane (PU)
- And Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
If you plan to use your soccer ball on the daily basis for your practice, you should go for a rubber surfaced soccer ball. Soccer balls that are made of Polyurethane tend to have water resistance quality. They are also durable. If your soccer ball is made of PVC, it will be highly durable and lightweight.
What Type of Bladder Type?
This is the bladder that is inflated and shapes the ball. So, in one sense, this is the thing that makes a ball. The bladder has a valve for pouring air into it.
If you’re choosing a ball for your practice, you must choose a bladder that is made of butyl and rubber material combo. These types of bladder hold air in a better way when compared to the soccer balls that have latex made bladders. Rubber and butyl made bladders make the balls heavy. Professionals use latex made bladders that are more responsive to your head and leg. Latex made soccer balls will feel soft on your leg and their ball shape is not destroyed for a long time.
Which Brand to Choose?
It depends on your use of the ball. If you’re going to use your ball only for practices, just go to a sports shop and choose one local brand. This will save you money. But if you’re going to play a professional match, you will have a lot of brands to choose from like Nike, Adidas, and Puma. Just remember one thing: these balls will cost you top dollar.
Final Words
Let me finish this article with some advice from my practical experience. I will suggest you practice with a ball with the same size of the ball that you’re going to use in your next matches. Try to make the same environment in which you’re going to play next. Use same gear, same quality soccer shoes. This will also keep your interest high for the match. Try to choose a ball which has FIFA Approved or FIFA Inspected logo in it. This will ensure you a quality soccer ball.
