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. Here are a few technical details on the structure and the making of soccer balls that many of us know nothing of when having fun in a nice game.
Several covering layers are included in the surface structure of the soccer balls and they 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. Synthetic leather is the most commonly used, being made of poly vinyl chloride or PVC and polyurethane. 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 England and Scotland. Soccer balls create nearly perfect spheres once the panels are sewn together and inflated.
Between the external covering and the internal bladder that holds the air, soccer balls have some special material incorporated, which is called the lining. 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 butyl or latex. While natural rubber or latex creates a great surface tension, 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.
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