Ball (association football)

A football or soccer ball is the <a href="/facts/Ball/8WmjNhx7">ball</a> used in the sport of <a href="/facts/Association_football/yttjeD0D">association football</a>. The ball's spherical shape, as well as its size, mass, and material composition, are specified by Law 2 of the <a href="/facts/Laws_of_the_Game_(association_football)/259Fc4t8">Laws of the Game</a> maintained by the <a href="/facts/International_Football_Association_Board/wneLwbDe">International Football Association Board</a>. Additional, more stringent standards are specified by <a href="/facts/FIFA/wC2aqLnn">FIFA</a> and other big governing bodies for the balls used in the competitions they sanction.
Early footballs began as animal bladders or stomachs that would easily fall apart if kicked too much. Improvements became possible in the 19th century with the introduction of <a href="/facts/Rubber/CbsjJxhY">rubber</a> and discoveries of <a href="/facts/Vulcanization/jmBUqGaz">vulcanization</a> by <a href="/facts/Charles_Goodyear/RLSBBLAW">Charles Goodyear</a>. The modern 32-panel ball design was developed in 1962 by <a href="/facts/Eigil_Nielsen_(footballer%2c_born_1918)/LNt9ts9G">Eigil Nielsen</a>, and technological research continues to develop footballs with improved performance. The 32-panel ball design was soon joined by 24-panel balls as well as 42-panel balls, both of which improved on performance prior to 2007.
A black-and-white patterned <a href="/facts/Spherical_truncated_icosahedron/LR8ugaY9">spherical truncated icosahedron</a> design, brought to prominence by the <a href="/facts/Adidas_Telstar/a0Qm0o2B">Adidas Telstar</a>, has become a symbol of association football. Many different designs of balls exist, varying both in appearance and physical characteristics.

Ball (association football) open-in-new

Ball (association football)