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.

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.

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.

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.

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.