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. 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 they are manufactured from lightweight plastic that keeps the balls dry. Poly vinyl chlorine or PVC and polyurethane or PU are the main materials used for synthetic leather production. Even the types of artificial leather remain a mystery to most soccer fans, because these patterns too, come in great number of varieties.

Depending on the design of the soccer balls, the various segments of the exterior cover, also known as the panels, present specific features. 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 Scotland and England. After being sewn together and inflated, the panels create the nearly perfect sphere that we call soccer ball.

Between the external covering and the internal bladder that holds the air, soccer balls have some special material incorporated, which is called the lining. 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.

Differences of material do exist in the structure of the bladders as well. Soccer balls can be made 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.

This means that you’ll have to re-inflate the ball at least once a week to maintain pressure and keep the ball practical. 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.