A GUIDE TO FOOTBALLS
When it comes to football we would be all lost if we didn’t have a ball to play the game with which a lot of people seem to forget about in this modern time and don’t realise how far the humble ball has come over the years . Prior to 1862 footballs were made of pig’s bladders covered in leather which came with a host of problems. The biggest ones were the shape and structure of the ball, as the pig skins varied so much the manufacturer could not give you a constant shape and structure which led to problems on the pitch as you can imagine when you came to kick,head or throw the ball. So in 1836 a patent for a ball to be made out of vulcanised rubber was submitted but we had to wait till 1855 to see the first rubber ball. In 1862 a man called Richard Lindon created the first inflatable rubber bladder along with a basic football pump which gave manufactures the control they needed to control the size and shape of the footballs. When it comes to rules and regulations of footballs it was the English Football Association who were the first to implement them and these rules are still in place today.
English FA rules on size, shape, weight and air pressure
All balls must be:
- spherical
- made of suitable material
- of a circumference of between 68 cm (27 ins) and 70 cm (28 ins)
- between 410 g (14 oz) and 450 g (16 oz) in weight at the start of the match
- of a pressure equal to 0.6–1.1 atmosphere (600–1,100g/cm2) at sea level (8.5 lbs/sq in – 15.6 lbs/sq in)
Even though the English FA implemented these regulations, countries around the world were playing with different sizes and shapes of footballs. This caused so many problems when it came to internationals as no one could decide on which ball to use which is crazy to think about today and it was only 1996 that FIFA brought in quality control measures for footballs . In the 1960s the first synthetic ball was made but took another twenty years for it to be globally used. You will remember this ball's style as it was made by putting 20 hexagonal selections together with 12 pentagonal, it was used in the world cup in mexico. So fast forward to now the ball is made up of 14 panels instead of the 32 panels and moulded together instead of sewn together, this has led to players having more control of the ball. As you can see, humble football has come a long way and it continues to develop today.
The FA recommended sizes-
- Size 2 footballs – Under 5
- Size 3 footballs – Under 7, Under 8, Under 9 and Under 10
- Size 4 footballs – Under 11, Under 12, Under 13 and Under 14
- Size 5 footballs – Under 15, Under 16 and Senior Football
Mitre is one of the world’s most iconic brands in football as it has been around for nearly 200 years and is still going strong. Their story began in 1817 at a leather tannery in Huddersfield England, where over the next two centuries they grew into one of football's most loved brands and one of Britain's too. Being such a well-established company and having years of innovation, any product you buy from Mitre has all their technical knowledge and love, and most of all, their history is sewn into every football which means quality.
Training Footballs
This is where every footballer's journey starts on the training pitch by putting in the practice and building your skills base all adds to making a good player. When training you need to use what is called a training ball. These balls are made so that they can be used for long periods of time without losing their shape and being more durable , reliable so Mitre is the brand you can trust.
Mitre Training Footballs
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Match footballs
These footballs are made to perform at the highest of standards which means they are made to give better range, accuracy , power and performance over a season of playing on any surface. The Mitre match balls are also highly durable, keep their shape and double-coated to resist damage and scratching plus with all the company's history and years of innovation they are a brand of quality.
Mitre Match Footballs
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KICK AROUND FOOTBALLS
These are perfect for jumpers for goal post kick around in the park with the lads or to get young kids into having fun with a little kick around either way these balls are perfect. These are affordable ,long lasting and they have all the technology ,history that go into every Mitre football so you're guaranteed quality every time.
Mitre Kick Around Footballs
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