For a soccer match to be successful, playing with the right football is necessary. People may think that any ball can be used to play football but coaches at toddler football training in Swindon especially emphasize on the need to purchase an appropriate football. Soccer balls come in great variety; each ball is different from each other in terms of size, material and type. A football that is used by adult players is undoubtedly different from the football used by children.
So before you think buying a football for your kid is an exhausting task, know the categories that will help you to pick the perfect football:
1. Materials- A football comprises of an exterior cover called casing and the interior part called the bladder. The bladder forms the main part of the ball because it retains all the air inside the ball. Both these parts can be made of various materials.
Casings can be made of materials like PVC(poly vinyl carbonate), PU (polyurethane), a mixture of both PVC and PU or artificial leather. Each of these materials are notable for special quality. PVC footballs are highly tolerant, externally hard and are low priced too. If you are looking for quality balls, go for PU balls as they are receptive and softer than PVC balls. Synthetic leather balls are ideal for playing professional adult matches and not for children.
Bladders are either made of latex or butyl. If you are looking for softer material bladders go for latex ones. Butyl bladders need less reflation and can retain more air than latex bladders.
2. Sizes- There are five sizes of soccer balls. These sizes are best suited according to the player’s age. Coaches training little nippers for football in Swindon recommend the following sizes:
Size 1: They are mini or skills balls used for practising foot skills.
Size 2: These can be used in matches involving children below 4 years and even for playing control drills with balls.
Size 3: These are fit for playing matches involving children below 8 years old.
Size 4: If children between 8-12 years of age are playing a football match, this size is the best.
Size 5: These are the largest soccer balls and are suitable for players above 12 years of age.
3. Other variations- Apart from the material and size categories, you can also come across other variations like:
Futsal soccer balls- These balls bounce less because they are designed to be played on a hard surface indoors. They are usually of size 4 but have the same weight of size 5.
Turf soccer balls- They are ideal to be played on a rough surface and can endure great wear and tear.
Indoor soccer balls- As the name suggests, they are designed to play well in indoor soccer fields that can be hard or covered with turf. They are of size 5.
Conclusion- These are some of the facts that you must remember while buying the right football for your child. It is best to consult any coach who imparts toddler football training in Swindon so that you can see the happy face of your child when he/she gives a mighty kick!
