A soccer ball can be of many types such as different sizes, and quality. Thus, you can be a slog on how to choose soccer ball. Yet, you can easily pick if you determine your basic needs. For example, do you play soccer for professional or amateur purposes? It is one of the main questions that you need to know before choosing a soccer ball.
In this article, we, Çam Hotel, one of the few hotels with a football pitch in Ankara, are going to help you to choose the perfect soccer ball. If you are ready, let’s learn how to choose soccer ball with a guide!
To learn more about soccer training facilities by Çam Hotel, you can read our article which is 14 Features of Çam Hotel Soccer Training Facility.
Guide for How to Choose a Soccer Ball
As we have mentioned above, there are many variations of soccer balls. That’s why you should pay attention to the features of the soccer ball. Actually, you need to take into consideration size, weight, and materials used. Then, you can choose the right soccer ball for you.
Here is the guide on what you need to know on how to choose soccer ball:
1. Size
The size of a soccer ball changes by the players’ age. Even though this may change in some situations or the type of match, there are generally 4 main sizes of soccer balls that you can buy for the age groups. These soccer ball sizes by age are:
- Size 1: Called mini-soccer balls, the size 1 soccer ball is not for playing soccer for professionals, but for fun, footwork exercise and decoration. This ball is around 18 to 20 inches in size.
- Size 2: Similar to size 1 soccer ball, size 2 soccer ball is for exercise, as well as, decorative view. Yet, it is 20 to 22 inches on average.
- Size 3: This soccer ball is appropriate for players under 8 years old, which changes 23 to 24 inches. Also, it is the smallest ball for official soccer matches.
- Size 4: This size soccer ball’s age interval is between 8 and 12 years old. Also, it has 25 to 26 inches.
- Size 5: The largest soccer ball is the size 5 soccer ball, which has 27 to 25 inches.
2. Materials
Soccer balls consist of four main elements which are the casing, bladder, stitching, and lining. Knowing these materials can help you to pick the right soccer ball. Since they have different options than each other, each can be made of distinct materials. But what do these materials mean?
- Casing: Also known as a cover, the casing is made up of synthetic leather, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), or PU (polyurethane). In terms of these options, PVC soccer balls are both cheaper and durable; PU soccer balls have higher quality and are softer than PVC ones. Synthetic leather soccer balls, on the other hand, are perfect for use in competitions by professionals.
- Bladder: The bladder in a soccer ball is crucial for holding the air. This part of the soccer ball is made from latex or butyl. While butyl bladders are better for air retention, latex bladders offer a good surface tension and appeal to professionals.
- Stitching: There are two main stitching types which are machine and hand-stitched soccer balls. Though the machine-stitched balls are economical and prevalent, the hand-stitched balls are traditional, costly and strong.
- Lining: This material is associated with the strength of the soccer ball. There are various layers of lining in a soccer ball located in between the cover and the bladder. In fact, you can understand the soccer ball quality by its number of layers. If it has four and more layers, that means it is a professional soccer ball while fewer layers are related to exercise soccer balls.
3. Intend of Use
The other criteria that you should consider before buying a soccer ball is the intent of use. That means it is better for you to choose a soccer ball which is designed for the type of play. For example, if you play for professional purposes, you should choose that type of soccer ball. On the other hand, if you just train, you can buy training balls.
4. Where to Play
Indoor or outside? Where you play soccer is important in choosing the right soccer ball. That’s why you should determine the area in which you play soccer. Whether you play inside or outside can alter the type of soccer ball. Also, if it is not natural grass, then, buy a proper soccer ball for the artificial soccer field.
In this article, we have tried to give information to you on how to choose soccer ball. As you see, choosing the right soccer ball depends on many situations as well as the features of the soccer ball. However, taking into consideration the guide above you can easily choose the perfect soccer ball for you.
If you are planning to play soccer with your team, or as an amateur, you can make a reservation in Çam Hotel, which offers a quality football field in a green environment, and excellent service. Also, you can enjoy many activities, as well as thermal and SPA options, too!
If you have any confusion about soccer terms, you can read our article named Glossary of Basic Soccer Terms, which helps you to grasp the terms better.
