A soccer ball or simply known as football is a ball that is used in association football games. All standard soccer balls are made from synthetic leather which is usually backed with cloth & polyester or poly-cotton blend & stitched around the inflated rubber. For air retention most modern soccer balls use valves. All soccer balls are spherical & the governing body of soccer that is known as FIFA provides strict guidelines for the weight of any type of soccer or football.
So, How Much Does A Soccer Ball Weigh?
The standard weight of a size 5 soccer ball is around 410 grams to 450 grams or 14 oz to 16 oz and in circumference, it should be 68 to 70 cm or 27 inches to 28 inches.
However other smaller size balls are made which are known as sizes 1,3 & 4. Usually, these balls are designed for training purposes & younger players.
A size one soccer ball that is used for training, should weigh around 205 grams or 7.23 oz or more.
A size 3 soccer ball that is usually used by children under 8 years old, should weigh 11 to 12 ounces or 311 grams to 340 grams.
A size 4 soccer ball is usually used by children of 8 to 12 years of old and should weigh 12.4 ounces to 13.8 ounces or 350 grams to 390 grams.
Soccer Ball Size For Ages
| Size | Type of Ball | Age | Weight | Circumference |
| Size 5 | Adult | 13 years & older | 410 – 450 grams | 69 – 71 cm (27 – 28 inches) |
| Size 4 | Youth | 8-12 years | 359 – 390 grams | 63 – 66 cm (25 – 26 inches) |
| Size 3 | Junior | 8 years & under | 300 – 320 grams | 58 – 60 cm (23 – 24 inches) |
| Size 2 | Training | Best for kids 4 years old | 210 – 280 grams | 52 – 56 cm (20 – 22 inches) |
| Size 1 | Mini ball | All ages. Best for developing footwork skills & ball control | 205 grams | 45 – 51 cm (18 – 20 inches) |
History Of The Soccer Ball
The soccer ball was first played in ancient times which was from 206 BC to 200 AD in China. The Chinese used balls in a game called ‘tsu chu’ in which players had to pass them into a net stretched between two individual poles.
Those balls were made from animal skins. However, the ancient Greeks, Romans & even the Egyptians have played similar games as the Chinese played. Although the greeks were used a makeshift ball for kicking.
All of these soccer balls did not have specific sizes so these balls could be any size & weight. Also, all of these early soccer balls were made from either leather or animal bladders. Leather balls were absorbed water which increased the weight of the balls during the matches. In the late 1980s leather soccer balls were replaced by synthetic soccer balls.
Although fully synthetic leather balls were first produced in 1950s. However, the first regulations of a soccer ball’s size and weight were given by the Football Association of England in 1863.
How Much Does A Soccer Ball Cost?
Premium quality size 5 soccer ball cost will be between $40 to $280 or more. However, if you buy soccer balls for an entire team then the per ball cost will be cheaper.
The most expensive soccer ball ever made was produced by Shimansky Jewellers in 2010 which contained 6620 white & 2640 black diamonds. The estimated cost of the ball was $2.58 million.
Why Is A Soccer Ball Black And White?
Soccer balls are black & white because it makes them easier to see on the black and white television screen. The first black and white marking soccer balls were used in the 1970 world cup. The balls used in that world cup were called the Telstar & it was developed to help the people watch the ball more clearly on television.
Fun Facts
>>Every soccer ball has 32 panels and each of them represents one of the 32 countries of Europe.
>>Till 1991 soccer was illegal in Mississippi.
>>Highest scoring soccer match was played in 2002 between AS Adema & SO l’Emyrne. The score was unbelievable. Which was Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne.
>>In the USA, each year more than 11 million adults & children join soccer camps.
>>2014 world cup football was watched by 3.9 billion people around the world.
>>In each soccer game a player-run around 6 miles which is equal to 350 times running back and forth on a basketball court.
>>Except in North America, soccer is widely known as “football”.
