A ball is a ball is a ball, right? We can't get
Gertrude Stein to confirm, so we asked one of our coaches.
I judge soccer balls by their covers and
bladders.
Covers: Usually made out of
polyurethane (PU/TPU) or poly vinyl chloride (PVC).
- PU/TPU covers are softer, but get scuffed more
easily on pavement.
- PVC tends to be harder, but holds up well on
pavement.
- You occasionally see leather balls, which are
soft, but get heavy when wet.
Bladders: Usually made out of latex or
butyl.
- Latex: Softer, requires periodic pumping
(typically once a week). Doesn't go totally flat, just loses a bit of air.
- Butyl: Harder, tends to hold air longer
(sometimes months on end).
I like the PU/TPU with latex combo (softer, good
touch). I hate the PVC with butyl combo (feels like a rock), but would be
willing to own one for pavement play.
Other factors:
- Size: We use a size 3 for the Junior
Academy, and a size 4 at the U9-U12 Academy ages.
Kids move to a size 5 when they get to under-13.
- Stitching: Most balls are still
hand-stitched. Some of the expensive ones are thermally bonded. Stitching
doesn't make much of a difference in the ball's "feel" to the
player's foot, but it affects the ball's movement when in flight. For
Academy-age players, thermal bonding isn't worth the price difference over
stitched balls.
- Lining: When it comes to lining
(material between the bladder and cover), the only thing that matters to me
is "no foam!" Some manufacturers add foam padding under the cover.
I personally hate this, because the ball tends to be too sticky and causes
young players to trip over the ball. The padding doesn't really make the
ball any softer, just sticker.
Few if any manufacturers include all these details on their balls or packaging, but you can find most of this info on
soccer.com: www.soccer.com/Navigation.process?Ne=178&N=4294960224+368.
Click on any of the balls for complete descriptions. (Soccer.com is also known
as Eurosport. They are our uniform supplier, and I've been a customer of theirs
for over 15 years.)
Want to buy locally? The quickest test is to do
some foot and head juggling. If the ball feels like a rock, don't buy it! If the
ball isn't pumped, ask the merchant to pump it for you so you can test it. Do a
few headers from self-tossed serves, and if you're not sure, have your daughter
toss the ball to you with underhand serves for some headers (or toss them to
her). If it hurts, don't buy it!
Cost: You can find a good quality ball for
around $25. At this price point, Adidas and Select tend to make better balls
than Nike. I don't have much experience with the other manufacturers. $60 and up
balls are usually better quality, but I don't think they're worth the price for
young players who practice or play in areas where balls can get lost.
Here's a link with even more info: www.soccerballworld.com.
The site has some good info. I disagree with the author on a few points, but
respect the level of detail he provides.
Specialty balls: Check this
link for some special-purpose soccer balls.