Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Soccer for kids

Soccer is very popular the world over, and it is also a brilliant form of exercise and a good way to promote friendship and bonding. It is an ideal way for children to keep fit, make friends and learn how to work as part of a team to achieve their goals.

Putting together a children’s soccer team couldn’t be easier, all you need are some determined kids who want to learn, and a coach who is willing to teach.

Once you have these two things, then all you need to begin, is a playing field and a few cheap balls to get in some training.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Soccer: A Popular Sport

Originating from England, football or, as it is more commonly known in the USA, soccer is one of the most popular sports all over the globe.
There are hundreds of professional teams, and thousands upon thousands of fans, each supporting their own team.

As well as men’s soccer, women’s soccer is actually becoming more popular as well nowadays, with female teams competing in professional matches and in the Olympics, with their own network of fans.

It is safe to say that soccer will continue to be a very well supported and popular sport for many years to come, from around all the corners of the world!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

What you need to become a soccer player

To become a good soccer player, there are some basic pieces of equipment that you need in order to make sure that you can play to your full potential and they are:
  • Cleats- every soccer player needs a good pair
  • Ball- whether it is a cheap PVC ball or a synthetic one, a soccer ball is a must
  • Uniform- very important if you are playing in a team
  • Shin pads- a must to protect ankles and shins
These four items are the basic staple of becoming a soccer player, once you have these then you are ready to put your skills into practise!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The soccer referee

Being a soccer referee can be hard work- they are not always loved by the team and they are very rarely loved by the audience! But a game of soccer would not work if it wasn’t for the referees.The main role of the referee is to ensure that the rules of the game are followed- they are there to issue penalties, free kicks, send players off and make sure that there is no misconduct on the field of play.

There are also two assistant referees who stand on either side of the pitch and help to make the decisions with the main referee, but they do not get to make the final decision as to what happens.The referee is often shouted at by players and fans alike and more often than not, nobody will agree with his ruling! Yes, life as a referee can be unfair but if you are willing to put up with numerous insults, then it can also be very rewarding.
To be right there on the field of play with the soccer players, to have an influence over the game- it can be the most important role of a soccer game and without the referee, a game could not go ahead.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Women’s soccer

Primarily, soccer is more of a man’s sport- this is evident all over the globe with professional male soccer teams, male fans etc.

But there are women’s soccer teams out there, both professional and non-professional and women’s soccer has become more popular over the years, even though it is still not as popular as the male version.

If you are a woman and you are interested in soccer and there aren’t any female soccer teams in your area, then why don’t you set up your own team? The basics are the same as a male soccer team- you need eleven players for each side, two goals, a soccer ball, a uniform and all of the accessories that go with it for protection.
Why don’t you challenge the men and have a women vs men match? Women can be just as good at soccer as men, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t become more involved if you want to- most men would love to play a game against a team of women!

Women’s soccer teams play all over the world, not only in professional games, but also in the Olympics as well- so get out your soccer ball and start up your own female soccer team today.

Shin Guards - Choosing the right pair

Choosing the right pair of shin guards can depend on many various factors, such as cost and age and material. But one way to determine which pair are the right shin guards for you, is to base your choice on the position that you are playing.

Younger soccer players should always choose a light weight shin guard, fibreglass is the best because it is the lightest and offers very good protection. Defensemen should opt for a heavier, more protective shin guard, midfielders tend to need a combination of protection and lighter weight, and forwards need to choose a light weight shin guard which also offers very good ankle protection.

It is possible to find shin guards that can be moulded and custom designed to fit your leg and this means that you will have a superior fitting shin guard that will offer you maximum protection when playing soccer.


You also need to consider size:

Shin guards should cover the area from ankle to knee, so measure from where the knee bends to 1 inch above your shoe top and this will be the proper length of the shin guard that you require.

Sizes: senior- taller than 5’4”
Junior- shorter than 5’4”

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Creating your own soccer team

If you want to play soccer, and there aren’t any teams or spaces available in your local area, then why don’t you try putting your own soccer team together? This is a good way to exercise, have fun and make new friends!
What you need:

  • Eleven players for each team
  • Two goals (plastic is cheaper and mobile)
  • Soccer ball (or two!)
  • Uniforms (optional, or you could make your own)
  • Shin pads
  • Goal keeper gloves
  • Cleats

Once you have all of these things, then what you need is a location in which to play your game, and this could be anywhere where you live- public playing fields, at your local sports centre even your own garden if it is big enough. If you are having problems finding a place, then you could always try renting out an inside pitch at your local gym if possible.
Then you must choose which player will play which position- making sure that you pick the goal keeper carefully and then you should arrange a time and day when your team can meet up at least once a week- remember, practise makes perfect and soon you could be challenging your neighbour hood teams!

How to play soccer

The aim of soccer, is basically to score the most goals. Sounds simple enough, right? Soccer is made up of two teams and each team must be in different uniforms so that they can be determined by the referee who upholds the rules of the game, and also the fans who might be watching in a professional match.

There should be ten outfield players, one goal keeper and up to three substitutions waiting on the bench. The game is then made up of two goals, a full sized grass pitch and obviously the players and the soccer ball.

It is then up to the players on the field to try and score as many goals as possible during the first half, and it is up to the goal keeper to block the opposing team from scoring.
The game is made up of two halves, each lasting for 45 minutes and at the start of the second half, the teams swap goals, so they must then score into the goal that they were previously protecting.

There are 17 rules to learn to play professional soccer, but for a bit of fun then all you need is a goal, a ball and a few players willing to have a good kick about!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Soccer ball testing

When a soccer ball is made, it needs to go through various quality control checks to make sure that it is in perfect shape and that there are no holes due to the stitching process- if it doesn’t meet the specs then it doesn’t get shipped out.

The soccer ball is inspected quite a few times during its assembly. First of all, the bladders are checked when they are removed from the moulds to make sure that they do not have any holes or are not damaged in any way.Then the covering material is checked after it has been lined with the backing material. One of the most important quality checks, is the silkscreen printing where the printed panels are visually inspected and any faulty ones are discarded and then replaced.

Once the soccer ball has been stitched together, an inspector will look over the ball carefully to make sure that no stitches have been missed, and that there are no flaws. The final checks are made by inflating the bladder and then weighing the ball and measuring it to make sure that it meets standards before it is ready to be passed on to the shipping area!

The making of a soccer ball

Over 80% of soccer balls are made in Pakistan, and the 32 hexagonal panels are all hand stitched. There are two main elements to the soccer ball, the inner bladder and the covering and most are made in the same factory, but some are made in separate parts.

There are 5 parts to the process of making a soccer ball and they are:

  • Lining the cover material- sheets of synthetic leather are fed through a press that applies adhesive and attaches the cloth. Cheap balls have two layers of backing and expensive balls have four.
  • Cutting the panels- when dry, the sheets of synthetic leather are passed through a die-cutting machine. This cuts the panels and punches the stitch holes.
  • Imprinting the panels- the panels are imprinted with the manufacturers’ logo.
  • Making the bladder- the material is heated and forced into a mould where it forms a balloon; they are then removed and partially inflated.
  • Stitching and final assembly- the 32 panels are sewn by hand in proper order and when the cover is sewed, the worker then inserts the bladder and sews together. The ball is then pumped up to check for quality and then deflated for shipping.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Soccer goals

There are different sizes of goals and to play a regulation game of soccer, you must have a soccer goal. The type depends on age, space available and intended use, and you should always anchor a goal to prevent it falling over.

Types available are plastic and metal. Plastic goals are lightweight and are often used for practise, they can be easily moved but always anchor when in play.
Hard plastic goals come in all different sizes and many have a tight netting which serves as a bounce back practise tool.

Metal goals are used in games and are made from aluminium. They are heavy and can weigh up to 175 pounds and are not designed to be moved around. They are weather resistant and durable, but just like plastic goals they need to be anchored to prevent tipping during game play.

Regulation goals come in three sizes, standard, medium and small. Standard goals are 8 feet by 24 feet and should be used for players 12 years and over, for 8 to 11 years olds, the gaol should be 7 feet by 12 feet and for the youngest players, the goal should be 4 feet by 6 feet.

Goal Keeper Gloves

All soccer goal keepers need to wear gloves in order to get a good grip on the ball, and they also protect and cushion the palms and fingers to avoid hand injuries.Gloves are made of two parts, palms and closures. The palm is the most important part of the glove as it is where most of the protection is needed.

The grip depends on the material of the goal keeper glove, most are made from smooth latex which has the best grip, but some are made from textured latex which offers more durability but less grip.
The better the glove, the quicker it will wear out but most are still usable until all the material has worn away.

Closures of gloves include:
  • Hook and loop
  • V-notch
  • Bandage

It doesn’t matter too much about the style of closure you choose, it is mostly about personal taste. When picking the right size, most goal keepers wear gloves that are a little larger to give them a bigger surface area. Glove size corresponds with shoe size, and come in whole sizes only, so if you are between sizes then always pick the bigger glove.Make sure that you measure your hands before purchasing new gloves!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Country Flag Soccer Balls

There are 8 soccer nations who made it to the 2006 world cup quarter finals and the soccer balls featuring the flags of these nations are available to buy. They are made out of quality PU and are the official size and weight.

All balls are made from PU shine with 32 panels, a latex bladder, 4 polyester linings and come in size 5 at a weight of 410 grams and they are:

  1. Germany- hosted in Germany, they ended up in third place.
  2. Brazil- The Brazilians beat Ghana 3-0 to advance to the quarter finals, as well as Australia, Japan and Croatia.
  3. France- came in 2nd place in the 2006 World cup. They beat Portugal 1-0, Ecuador 1-0 and England on penalty kicks.
  4. Argentina- finished 1st in group C defeating the Netherlands and the Ivory Coast.
  5. England- lost to Portugal in the semi finals on penalty kicks.
  6. Italy- won the World cup in a penalty shoot out against France.
  7. Portugal- lost to Germany 3-1 and came in 3rd place.
  8. Ukraine- came in 2nd place in group H and lost to Italy.


    The next World cup is 2010… who will be the 8 quarter finalists next time?

The Rules of Soccer 9-17

Here are the final 9 rules of soccer:

Ball in and out of play- the ball is in play through the duration of the game, except for when it goes off side.
The methods of scoring- goals can be scored from action, penalty spots and direct free kicks.
The offside rule- is complicated and cannot be explained in brief.
Fouls and misconduct- a foul is when a player pushes a defending player accidentally and misconduct is a willing punch or kick.

Free kicks- the players must be 9.15 meters away from the position of the free kick and the player who takes the free kick cannot touch the ball until another player has touched it.
Penalty kicks- are taken when a defending player fouls inside the 18 yard box.
The throw in- is when the ball goes out of the sidelines and the opponent who last touched the ball takes a throw in.

The goal kick- a means of restarting play after the attacking team took the ball over the by-line.
The corner kick- happens when the ball passes over the defending player’s goal line. The same rules for the direct free kick apply.

That is all of the rules of soccer, all drawn up in the 19th century and still in use today!

Rule 8 - The Restart of Play

There are a lot of rules to learn to play soccer but once you have mastered them, you will never forget! Rule 8 is the restart of play which is when the game is stopped in the middle of play and there are 8 reasons why a game might be stopped and here they are:\

  1. Kick off- if a goal is scored or if the ball goes out of the side lines.
  2. Throw in- the game is restarted by the opposite team throwing the ball in.
  3. The goal kick- awarded to defending team if the other took the ball to the goal line.
  4. Corner kick- if the defending team touches the ball last and it goes over their goal line.
  5. An indirect free kick- when the game is restarted with a ground kick NOT towards the goal.
  6. A direct free kick- caused by a foul and can be struck towards the goal.
  7. A penalty kick- the offence must occur in the defending team’s penalty area and the game is restarted with a shoot for goal.
  8. The dropped ball- when the referee stops the game and restarts by dropping the ball in front of two players.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Promotional Soccer Balls

Promotional soccer balls usually come in sizes 1 and 2 and are a lot smaller than normal soccer balls. They are generally used for promotions and training and you can purchase either a mini soccer ball which is made of twelve panels, or you can also get some of the designs in regulation size which has thirty two panels.

Promotional soccer balls can be printed in a color of your choice and also with your chosen logo so you can even create your own unique soccer ball for your personal team!
Some of the balls available in promotional styles are:

Soccer Pink Classic Collection- customizable, sizes 4 and 5, weight 400-410 grams, 4 polyester linings and 80-85 gram latex bladder.

Extreme Classic Collection- customizable, sizes 3, 4 and 5, up to 410 grams in weight and up to 85 gram latex bladder.

Trainer Classic Collection- available in sizes 3, 4 and 5, weight of up to 290 grams, 2 polyester linings, bladder up to 65 gram latex and 1.2 mm thick PVC material.

Kick Mini Soccer Ball- mini size in 48 cm circumference, customizable, 175 grams in weight, latex bladder, 3 polyester linings and 32 panels of PU PVC shine.

The Elements of a Soccer Ball

The elements of a soccer ball contain three parts and they are: Surface/cover which is made out of synthetic leather (there are different types of leather which can be used for the surface of the ball and these include, Korean Ducksung, PU, PVC, AI-2000 and Japanese Cordley. Professional soccer balls are usually made from one of these materials.), internal linings which are made out of either polyester or cotton, and the bladder of the ball which is usually made from latex or butyl.

The thickness of a soccer ball plays an important part in the quality of the finished ball when it is hand sewn, because multiple layers of lining are placed between the cover and the bladder and these are usually made from either polyester or cotton. There are usually four layers of lining in professional soccer balls, but when it comes to practise or promotional balls, they are made with fewer layers.

The bladder of the soccer ball is what holds the air. There are two types of material for the bladder of the ball, latex and butyl and the latter retains air for longer but the latex bladders offer better surface tension, so either material can offer a good finished product.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Basic rules of soccer 1-7

The rules of soccer are called ‘the laws’ of the game and are made up of 17 specific key points. In order to play soccer, you must first understand the rules and here are the first 7:


1. The field of play- the field must be a rectangular shape between 90 and 120 meters long and 45 to 90 meters wide.

2. The ball- the rules state that the soccer ball must weight between 410 and 450 grams and have a circumference of 68 to 70 centimetres.

3. The number of players- there must be 10 out field players and 1 goal keeper.

4. The player’s equipment- consists of a team shirt and shorts, socks, shin pads and cleats- both teams playing should have different uniforms.

5. The referee- must be accompanied by two assistant referees and a fourth referee to handle small issues. A referee is required to enforce the rules.

6. The assistant referees- are placed on the sides of the pitch and their role is to help the main referee with the decisions.

7. The duration of the match- adult matches last 45 minutes for each half, so a total duration of 90 minutes not including over time.

Soccer Cleats- Picking the Perfect Pair

To play a good game of soccer, you need to have a decent pair of cleats. Cleats come in five different types: moulded, sandals, turf shoes, detachable cleats and indoor shoes.Each are designed for different surfaces, so once you have chosen your variation of soccer boot, then you should consider material and size.

Soccer shoes are made from two materials, synthetic and leather. Leather shoes offer the wearer the best feel and fit and are strong, flexible and durable. They absorb more water, so they are not designed for constant use on wet fields and they are also more expensive.
Synthetic shoes are ideal for entry level players and are less expensive- however they do not feel as good and they don’t last as long. Synthetic shoes are water treated and last longer in poor conditions, and they are also easier to clean.

Once you have picked your material, you need to determine your size. Soccer shoes are designed to be narrower and leather shoes stretch to mould to your foot. If your cleats are too small, then they can cause foot pain.Make sure that you have your feet measured before buying new cleats, because the shape of your foot changes over time, so pick the right size for optimum performance.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Soccer Cleats - The Different Types

The most important part of your soccer equipment is your choice of footwear. Cleats come in five different types and are designed for various weather conditions and field types as well as the level of skill that a player has.The variations of cleats available to purchase are:

  • Moulded cleats- have a basic design and are made of hard plastic to provide traction and control. They are used for beginner and intermediate players and are suitable for all field types and are good for all weather conditions.
  • Detachable cleats- have metal or plastic studs that can be removed. They are used for experienced players who can adapt their cleats to the field types and weather conditions.
  • Sandals- are add on footwear and are worn before the game to save wear on the cleats. They also allow you to rest your feet straight after a game.
  • Indoor shoes- are light weight sneakers and are designed for playing indoor soccer. They have a flat rubber bottom for better traction on indoor courts and fields.

    These are the basic types of cleats available for each field surface, made for all weather conditions so that you have more chance of a better game of soccer.

A short history of soccer

Soccer first originated in England in the 19th century and began its life as a simple game with few rules.Teams were formed by members of the same organizations or villages and were played on ad-hoc pitches. Because of the lack of rules and because teams did not have referees to enforce rules, soccer fights became a normal part of the game- causing soccer to be known as a violent sport.

Soccer clubs began to emerge all around England, and by 1860 in London, the soccer clubs were becoming semi-professional and the level of competition between each team began to rise.

On 26th October 1863, the London soccer clubs met up in the Freemason’s Tavern and formed the Football Association (FA) which to this day governs the soccer organizations in England.During this first meeting, the members decided that they would need rules for the game if they were to play in competitions and so, at the second meeting on 8th December, the members of the newly formed FA drew up plans for ‘the laws’ of the game. The rules for soccer are still the same today as they were in the 19th century, with only a few modifications. Soccer has become a popular sport played all over the world.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Soccer Balls: Welcome To My Blog

This is my first post and I wanted to introduce you to the world of soccer balls. I know you must be thinking, I must be some crazy person with a sick fascination of soccer balls. Well, if you've guess that than you're abosolutely right! When you think soccer balls you're probably thinking a team of funny looking people, dressed in funny clothes, kicking a funny soccer ball around. However, there is actually a deep rooted history to the game of soccer and it most certainly begun with the creation of the soccer ball. In fact, they've traced Chinese history to the ancient game of "tsu chu", in which they dribbled animal-skin balls through gaps in a net which was wrapped between two poles. Sounds like a more barbaric form modern soccer balls, doesn't it?

You see, soccer is more than just a sport I have to referee every Sunday for my daugher. It's a historical activity that has managed to link groups and groups of people together thru a common past time. Hopefully I've managed to captivate you because there is plenty more soccer ball facts to come. I have a collection of over 200 soccer balls, 40+ years of knowledge in the game, and so much useless facts about soccer balls that you won't help but to come back to read! Stay tune, folks.