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The world can be a very diverse place depending on location around the world. Different cultures in different locations all have very different aspects, whether it be food, dance, clothing, religion, or even sports. Although it may not seem like it, sports play a very big role in many cultures. Sports vary in popularity throughout different cultures but maintain the same concepts around the world. Soccer for instance is the most popular sport in the world based on the number of players and estimated fans. Soccer is a game with fairly simple concepts and rules. There are two teams, but the size of the teams can vary based on the age of the players and the size of the field. Their goal is to get past the other team and kick the ball into the goal. The interesting thing about this is that soccer balls have changed more than any other aspect of soccer since they originated in 1863. Soccer balls have gone from any round object that can be found to a widespread and widely distributed standardized ball.
Soccer balls were first, stitched up cloth, animal or human skulls, stitched up pig and cow bladder, or even human heads. Without any synthetic materials being used in soccer balls at this point, people were forced to use whatever they could find. During the Ts’in and Han dynasties, they played a game that had a very close resemblance to soccer. The game was called “tsu chu'' where they would kick around a ball made with animal skin. Another example is a pre-medieval legend where it was said that one village would attempt to kick a skull into the opposing village’s square while the other village would try to do the same. It was also very common in medieval times for people to inflate and tie up pig bladders and then play with them. They then wrapped the bladders in leather so they would hold their shape better.
In 1836, Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber. Before this, the size and shape of the ball were dependent on the size and shape of the bladder. If the bladder is very irregularly shaped it would be hard to predict how it would move on the ground or bounce off one's foot. In 1855 Charles Goodyear invented the first vulcanized rubber soccer ball. This was the very first step in the soccer ball becoming what it is today. It is also the first time it could be called a ball.
In 1863, the newly formed English Football Association met to make out the laws of the game. No description of the ball was given in the first set of rules. When the rules were revised in 1872 it was agreed that the ball “must be spherical with a circumference of 27 to 28 inches.” This is still in the FIFA rules today. The rules also said that it must weigh 13-15oz but it was changed in 1937 to 14-16oz. The Encyclopedia of Association Football says the following: “According to the Laws of Football, the ball must be spherical with an outer casing of leather or other approved materials. The circumference shall not be more than 28 in., nor less than 27 in, while the weight at the start of the game must not be more than 16 oz., nor less than 14 oz.” The Laws of the Game as published in 2001 say the same thing as to size and weight.
The mass production of soccer balls started directly because of the English Football League which was founded in 1888. Mitre and Thomlinson of Glasgow were two of the first companies to mass-produce soccer balls during that time. They decided that the key element in a quality football was how well it could retain its shape. The strength of the leather and the skills of the cutters and stitchers were the main factors in producing a football that would retain its shape. The best ball covers were made with leather from the rump of a cow while lower-quality balls were made from the shoulder.
By the 1900s, bladders were made with stronger rubber and could survive heavier pressure. Most balls produced at that time used rubber bladders. These balls were made with an intertubular system and then covered with dark leather. These balls would bounce easier and were also softer to kick. Most balls had a darker leather cover with eighteen stitches sections. Each section was an identical size and they were then sown into panels of three. Six of these panels were used to make the balls. Each section was stitched together by hand with five-ply hemp. All of the stitching was done with the ball cover inside out. Once the stitching was finished, the cover was reversed with the stitching on the inside. A 15-centimeter slit would be left on one side of the ball to help with inflation. Once the ball has been inflated, the stitching is pulled tight and tied so no air can escape. If the ball deflates over time, it can be untied and reinflated.
Between 1892 and 1950, white soccer balls started to become more and more popular. One might think this is a bad idea because they will become brown from the dirt anyways but the white was easier for spectators to see even if the ball was dirty.
Advances in ball design came with the development of interlocking panels instead of the previously used leather sections that met at the north and south poles of the ball. The balls were then produced with a more acceptable round shape. Extra materials that add strength were added to the outer layers of the ball, and protective coatings were added to the exterior to prevent water damage. In the 1960s, when the use of synthetic balls became widespread, soccer balls became more standardized. Not only were they standardized but they were better than quality than ever seen before. The new synthetic materials were designed to react like leather but they're far more durable and water-resistant. They were also much cheaper and easier to mass-produce than the previous generations of balls.
Although there have not been many changes in the size and weight of the standard soccer ball, it is quite obvious the ball has developed a tremendous amount. The soccer ball has gone from rocks, skulls, and animal bladders to a perfectly round synthetic soccer ball that is water-resistant. The soccer ball is not quite yet perfect, but there are not many improvements to be made. The soccer ball's durability is very high, the ball poses no threat to the player's feet, and it maintains its shape very well. The only improvements that can be made would be giving the ball more support to maintain its shape, but this will be fairly hard to do without adding weight to the ball. With all the improvements that have been made, it is only a matter of time before more changes are made in hopes of improving the ball.
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