Premium match balls must be certified according to FIFA standards, the highest ranking a soccer ball can achieve. FIFA approved soccer balls must pass a series of rigorous design and construction tests based on shape, air retention, performance, balance, bounce, water resistance, response to strike and flight trajectory.
The most important Tournaments and Leagues around the world, including the World Cup, UEFA European Championship, Copa América, Champions League, English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, Mexico’s Liga MX, Major League Soccer in the US and most every other professional soccer league and tournament utilize FIFA approved premium match balls.
For additional information on FIFA’s requirements and standards please visit http://footballs.fifa.com/
Match soccer balls are generally used in non-professional high level Leagues and Tournaments, including College and High School leagues. Match soccer balls are made of similar materials to the premium match balls, just with a different construction, must comply with all official soccer ball specs: Circumference for a Size 5 soccer ball between 27 and 28 inches, Weight between 14 and 16 ounces, pressure at match time between 8.5 and 15.6 psi.
Training soccer balls are usually built with 2 to 3 lining layers, still meeting official ball specs for Circumference (27 - 28 inches) and Weight (14 - 16 ounces). Training soccer balls are generally great for any skill level. Many practice or camp balls made out of molded material (not stitched together but molded together panels) have been designed to withstand rough surfaces such as concrete or asphalt making them 100% water resistant.
Futsal-specific soccer balls are smaller, but usually weight about the same as a regular size 5 soccer ball. Futsal balls are often low-bounce and made specifically for futsal play for better control during fast play on hard surfaces. The main difference between a Futsal ball and a typical soccer ball, is that the bladder is filled with foam. That makes the ball heavier and have less bounce for use on the hard playing surface.
Recreational soccer balls are made in up to 5 different sizes, usually manufactured with one or two lining layers, exterior cover made of PVC. Size 5 ball can be made weighting between 300 and 350gr for ages 6 to 10 years, or weighting between 350 and 400gr for older than 10. Recreational balls cost less and is the type of soccer ball with the highest demand of all ball categories.
TAGS: professional match, fut-sal, recreational, training, soccer balls