Unlike popular belief, football has different sizes; There are five standard sizes, ranging from 1 to 5. The reason for this is that international football federations around the world care about youth development and to ensure that the size of the balls they use is appropriate to the age and the state of physical maturity of those who play the game.
First, there is a physical security problem. A professional size football, if you reach a young child, can seriously hurt them. And ligaments and tendons can be damaged if they start kicking a larger ball before they are physically developed enough to do it safely.
It is important for coaches and parents to understand the appropriate United States football sizes by age.
There is also an aspect of enjoyment: if a ball is too large, it can be difficult to control and manipulate, and it is harder to learn vital skills such as the first touch, the control of balls and the passage. The frustration can be put and the players stop having fun -when they play the game. This, after all, should be the first goal for any parent who encourages his son to play football.
Children also need to practice with the same size football they use during organized games and formal training sessions. This is because the more comfortable they are how a ball bounces and reacts during a training session, the more likely they will be able to reproduce these skills when it matters, in a match situation. You can also find footballers for children designed specifically for different types of training, including “softer” balls that sought to practice curves and traits in shape.
The balls vary in terms of circumference and weight, but a constant is the pressure. Although there are no stipulations in terms of the two smaller balls of ball, the same standard applies to the three larger types, which should be pressured to 0.6 bar, which results in 8.7 pounds per square inches.
It is noteworthy that there is usually a difference in the size between the newest and older footballers, regardless of the type of ball that is measured. Moder football sizes are usually smaller than older and equivalent types. This is due to the fact that when a ball is shot, the threads are thrown against the outer material that covers the ball as a result of the pressure. Over time, football will expand slightly: the more strokes or blows it receives, the greater it is.
Although the degree of expansion depends on the quality of the ball and the materials used, it has been estimated that the older balls can increase up to 20% in size over time. That is why, in the case of official football tournaments, new balls are used for each game.
What are standard size footballs? Here are the different sizes of football explained.
Size 1
This is the smallest football size specifically designed for very young children, three years and less, whose main motivation to kick a ball around is to have fun. They have only 18 to 20 inches of circumference and are often bright, so that children do not hurt to play with them.
This is the best size of children’s football to teach a child who is only learning.
Sometimes older children and even adults can use these balls to improve their first touch, ball control and general technique, but this size is mainly used as younger children’s football.
Size 1 balls have also become collectors: Many clubs sell them in their shops or in line with the team ridge or the tanned logo.
Size 2
A size up, this football weighs between 250 and 280 grams (8.8 to 9.9 ounces) and is between 20 and 22 inches of circumference. Size two is the best size of U5 football.
Like size 1, size 2 football can be used by larger players to improve their skills and techniques, and professional football clubs often sell them with club colors and logos.
Size 3
The size ball 3 is the size of U8 U8 Football Football in the United States and is the smallest ball that is allowed for games between two teams.
23 – 24 inches of circumference and heavy between 300 and 320 grams (from 10.6 to 1.3 ounces), it is a little heavier than the other two sizes, but it is still small and light enough for children to play and practice with it without risk of injury.
Coaches working with younger age groups defend the use of three -size football, as they maintain that children develop their skills better and gain more confidence in the ball.
The size balls of 3 must contain printed information on the ball itself, indicating their size. If not, a flexible measurement ribbon can be used to measure its dimensions.
Size 4
The next ball is medium in size and ideal for players between 8 and 11 years old. A four -sized ball is between 25 and 26 inches in development and weighs between 350 and 390 grams (12.3 and 13.8 ounces). In fact, a ball of size four is not significantly smaller than a standard regulation ball, but rather a significant stage in the development of a young player because it gives them time to adjust as they become larger and stronger and develop more skills. This is the most standard size of football that is used as children become aging enough to make it more serious about football.
Size 5
Size 5 is the ball used in standard international matches and regular professional league football, as well as thousands of amateur games between adults playing each week. It is recommended to all players 12 years of age or older.
The football association first decided on the current size of these balls in 1863 and then modified by the FIFA FLEDGLING organization about nine years later. The dimensions of these balls have hardly changed the size. Although dance performance has improved greatly, thanks to new technologies and the use of advanced materials in its composition, the size has hardly been altered.
A 5 -size football should weigh between 410 and 450 grams (14 to 16 ounces) and should be between 27 and 28 inches of circumference.
When they buy a 5 -size football, potential buyers should be assured that they are marked as “FIFA APPROVED” or “FIFA inspected”. This is because they can be sure that the balls marked in this way have been strictly tested to ensure that they meet criteria such as the roundness, the absorption of water, the loss of pressure, the size and the retention of shapes.
