Soccer Balls

by Eric Geier

Soccer may just be a novelty in the United States, but it the most popular sport in the world. Fans worldwide are obsessed with the sport— it is a part of their lives.  They fight over it, they cry over it and some even kill over it.  The earliest forms of the game date back to the second and third centuries B.C. in China. The game took on many forms, but eventually, England made the game into what it is today. They created the first set of rules in Cambridge in the mid-1800s. Prior to this first set of rules, there was very little organization to the game, there was no limit on number of players on the field at a time, so there were mass jumbles of people chasing one ball around a field. The set of rules was adopted by those who played the game around England. The creation of rules directly led to the organization of teams and leagues around the world.

The earliest versions of the soccer ball date back well before the modern era. At first, stones were used; groups would kick them for fun, just something to do to kill time. Soon, people would carve their own soccer balls out of wood, selecting specific, light woods that would be easy on their usually bare feet. The ball evolved over hundreds of years. Animal bladders were also used because they could be inflated and covered with animal skin or other material. As technology advanced and travel became more readily available (travel enabled new materials, ideas and innovations to be passed more easily) the soccer ball began taking its present form. Much like an American football, the ball is sewn together from the inside, so the outside doesn’t have seams protruding out. The ball starts out as a rubber bladder, like almost every ball in every sport. The rubber bladder is usually covered in some material like cotton to protect the rubber since it is hit constantly. Panels made of synthetic leather are then stitched to the ball.

The first multi-panel stitched soccer ball consisted of 18 leather panels surrounding an inflated bladder. The modern soccer ball is stitched with 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons. There is no immediate reason for this design, but when created, it forms a perfect sphere. Denmark was the first country to market this design and it caught on with the players, so naturally, they decided to use this ball because of its popularity. The 32-panel ball has been the most popular throughout the years, but it’s not uncommon when leagues or tournaments stray from this design. For the 2006 World Cup, the most prestigious tournament in all of soccer, FIFA officials opted to use a 14-panel ball. The difference between the World Cup ball and a regular soccer ball you might find in your local sporting goods store is that the World Cup ball is heat pressed together using a bonding agent and heat, compared to a traditional stitched ball.

In the United States autographed soccer balls are nothing special, they may be sold at garage sales or on the Internet just to make a little money. But overseas, autographed soccer balls are as prized as autographed baseballs or footballs are here. Worldwide, autographs from classic soccer players like Pele or Ronaldo are as valuable as footballs signed by John Elway or Joe Montana. You may even fetch a better price from the balls signed by soccer players. Adding a signed soccer ball to your collection is never a bad idea if you have the means and a genuine interest in the game.

Did you mean, Paylay, Payle, Ronalldo or Ronnaldo?