Under Pressure.

[USSF REF]

How much air pressure do you put in the ball?

The ball must be: -of a pressure equal to 0.6 – 1.1 atmosphere (600 – 1100 g/cm2) at sea level (8.5 lbs/sq in – 15.6 lbs/sq in).

I like to put pressure in the ball up to the following amounts:

Youth matches U-15 and below: pressure at 9 lbs.

Girls and women's amateur matches U16 - U20: pressure at 10 lbs. (seems to be by popular request)

Boys U16-U20, men's amateur, women's pro(haven't done a middle at this level yet): pressure at 12

Men's pro (haven't done a middle at this level yet): Pressure at 14-15 depending on the ball.

[DadOf6]

How much air pressure do you put in the ball?

I don't have a set pressure.

If I have to add or let out air I go between 10-12 pounds. If the pitch is hard/fast I'll go softer, if it is slow I'll go harder.

When I coached I overinflated the practice balls and kept the game balls at about 10. The kids thought it was strange how they controlled the ball better in the games than they did in practice. ;)

[usatowin]

I let the ball provider decide. If I get them underinflated, it goes to 9. Overinflated, it goes to 15. The only reason for changing is to go from illegal to legal and it's as close to what they had as possible.

[jacoismyhero]

I'll agree with USSF Ref here, but not as specifically as he follows the rules :). If I'm pumping up the ball, younger=lower pressure, older=higher pressure, adjusting accordingly to the field and weather. However, if the home coach or whoever provides the ball gives me a legally inflated ball, I won't adjust it unless players are complaining about it.

Oh, and if the whether is under 40, I'll release a little air to aid in preventing any possible injuries from an excessively hard ball.

[aevange8]

i dont really see injuries coming from an overinflated ball. I do see a lot of players complaining because they dont know how to head a ball properly.

[jacoismyhero]

It didn't let me edit; I spelled "weather" in the wrong form. What I meant is during younger games played in the cold, if the ball is already rock hard, I'll soften it up a little. As both a player and a referee, I've seen more situations than I can count on one hand where a player was struck by an overinflated ball in cold weather, and it's certainly not fun. THAT was what I meant, sorry I didn't clear it up enough :)

[refmike]

i dont really see injuries coming from an overinflated ball. I do see a lot of players complaining because they dont know how to head a ball properly.
You would feel the injury if a player complains that he was hurt by an overinflated ball and sues you. USSF would not provide any legal support if you admitted you did not check the ball or knowingly allowed play with an under or overinflated ball. In 30 years of refereeing, I have never been sued (although told I would be a few times) but why take the chance?

[david58]

How much air pressure do you put in the ball?



I like to put pressure in the ball up to the following amounts:

Youth matches U-15 and below: pressure at 9 lbs.

Girls and women's amateur matches U16 - U20: pressure at 10 lbs. (seems to be by popular request)

Boys U16-U20, men's amateur, women's pro(haven't done a middle at this level yet): pressure at 12

Men's pro (haven't done a middle at this level yet): Pressure at 14-15 depending on the ball.

First, when was the last time you headed a rock-hard, driven ball? :)

IMHO, it is better to let the field conditions to have a say in the hardness of the ball. Slower field, harder ball, harder field, softer ball. A hard ball on a hard field makes for crazy high bounces.

Also, different balls tend to have different pressures recommended by the manufacturer. My approach is to look at the recommended pressure on the ball itself, and then let the field have a vote. But yes, I do find that the better players prefer a harder ball, up to the point you have a rock. Nobody seems to like an underinflated one.

[USSF REF]

You would feel the injury if a player complains that he was hurt by an overinflated ball and sues you. USSF would not provide any legal support if you admitted you did not check the ball or knowingly allowed play with an under or overinflated ball. In 30 years of refereeing, I have never been sued (although told I would be a few times) but why take the chance?

Most players complain the ball is a "rock" when you have it at 12 lbs. This amount of pressure is well within Law 2's requirements. So the lawsuit issue is silly.

A ball with greater pressure punishes mistakes (and also improper heading technique) and it rewards better players and strikers.

[Law5]

FIFA standards were quoted above, but players do not want a ball at either extreme of the FIFA standards. NFHS says "manufacturer's recommended pressure." IMHE, anything below 10 will get a complaint that the ball is "flat." Hispanic players seem to like a ball that is at a very high pressure (i.e. over 13). Other than that, a soft field = a harder ball and vice versa. Older players = a harder ball and vice versa. Male players like a harder ball than female players. Overall, we're talking 11 at the low end, 13 probably at the high end. However, do NOT allow the ball provider (home team) to determine the inflation. #1. they will shade it towards the style they play (e.g. soft balls if they like to keep the ball in the air, or hard balls if they like to play long ball), which is not fair #2. all balls provided may not be at the same inflation, which disrupts the players' skills, reducing their enjoyment of the game.
Finally, use a gauge. Thumbs are no longer an adequate way to check pressure. There are a lot of balls these days with soft covers, which proves deceptive if you just try to push your fingers into the ball.

[Statesman]

The "hardness" of the ball is determined by the ratio of the inside pressure to the outside pressure. 8 lbs in a thin air region feels harder than in a dense air region, hence the wide acceptable range published by FIFA. I just use the rule of thumb (should have 1/4 inch of give roughly) and, as some have mentioned, the field conditions to judge.

[david58]

The "hardness" of the ball is determined by the ratio of the inside pressure to the outside pressure. 8 lbs in a thin air region feels harder than in a dense air region, hence the wide acceptable range published by FIFA. I just use the rule of thumb (should have 1/4 inch of give roughly) and, as some have mentioned, the field conditions to judge.

As Law 5 states, please use a gage.

I coach hs-aged boys, and supply the balls to the referee crew pumped equally, and to the recommended pressure (I have been accused of being a bit "retentive"). If the ref pulls out a gage, and adds or lets out air, I don't really have a complaint. However, several times I have had a ref tell me the balls are too flat, using the "thumb method." I have to work to not lose my cool at that point, because our boys prefer harder-pumped balls and I pump them to the upper side of the range, again verifying with a gage. Pumped high, checked, and still failing the thumb test. Grrrr!

When we as refs use a gage, it's simply one more place we can delete a potential issue, and one less potential item to have to "manage."

And as Law 5 states, the padded balls change things remarkably. We use unpadded balls, pumped high, for practice with the boys. The padded balls we provide for matches, pumped to almost the same level, then provide the fellas an interestingly higher feel of control. But the thumb test would certainly disagree on the padded ball with the same test on the unpadded.

[Statesman]

As Law 5 states, please use a gage.

And as Law 5 states, the padded balls change things remarkably. We use unpadded balls, pumped high, for practice with the boys. The padded balls we provide for matches, pumped to almost the same level, then provide the fellas an interestingly higher feel of control. But the thumb test would certainly disagree on the padded ball with the same test on the unpadded.To each his own, but it really depends on the situation you're in. In league play and competitive matches I'll use a gauge, but sometimes in tournaments you're not provided a match ball until a few minutes before expected kick-off. There's not time to visit your gear and check the ball with a gauge, so developing a "sense" for the pressure of the ball is beneficial.

With enough experience you gain a feel for the pressure of the ball with your hands whether it's padded or not. I can tell an under- or over-inflated ball by pushing on it (maybe not the exact poundage, but certainly if within acceptable limits), after which it's just a matter of tailoring the hardness to the satisfaction of the players. You don't really need a gauge to know if the ball is less than the minimum or more than the maximum pressure, just use a little common sense.

Personally I find coaches that quibble over a pound here or there of pressure are just being fussy. Do you think they check poundage in the ghettos of Brazil? Be glad you have a real, round, soccer ball that bounces and try not to be so nit-picky.

[Wreave]

The "hardness" of the ball is determined by the ratio of the inside pressure to the outside pressure. 8 lbs in a thin air region feels harder than in a dense air region, hence the wide acceptable range published by FIFA.

Sorry, but this is a fallacy.

The same volume of air (e.g. 5 liters) would register a higher PSI in thinner air i.e. at higher altitude than at lower altitude. However, if you put a gauge in a ball at sea level and it reads 8 PSI, and you put a gauge in a ball at 6,000 feet and it reads 8 PSI, the balls will feel the same, have the same amount of give, etc. The one at altitude will have a lesser volume of air inside to give the same PSI reading, but if the PSIs are the same, the ball feel/give will be the same.

Now, if you take a ball that's at 8 PSI at sea level, and carry that very ball (e.g. in an unpressurized aircraft) to a higher altitude, it will not only feel harder, but a pressure gauge will also show a higher reading (e.g. 10 PSI).

That having been said, I'm more of a thumb-test rather than gauge guy myself, but I will probably get a gauge this fall.

USSF Ref, I'm intrigued by your apparent willingness to set the balls at a particular pressure yourself. It's my understanding that the game balls are provided (typically by the home team or competition authority) and that our responsibility is just to ensure that the pressure is in range, not to set it for a particular level based on age/skill/field.

[Statesman]

Sorry, but this is a fallacy.

The same volume of air (e.g. 5 liters) would register a higher PSI in thinner air i.e. at higher altitude than at lower altitude. However, if you put a gauge in a ball at sea level and it reads 8 PSI, and you put a gauge in a ball at 6,000 feet and it reads 8 PSI, the balls will feel the same, have the same amount of give, etc. The one at altitude will have a lesser volume of air inside to give the same PSI reading, but if the PSIs are the same, the ball feel/give will be the same.

Now, if you take a ball that's at 8 PSI at sea level, and carry that very ball (e.g. in an unpressurized aircraft) to a higher altitude, it will not only feel harder, but a pressure gauge will also show a higher reading (e.g. 10 PSI).Gotcha, I apologize for the misinformation. I'm not the physics man, but I trusted this information when conveyed to me by someone who apparently is not either! Having not actually tested the theory I can't speak from experience but you certainly explained the reality well.

(Have to rep someone else to get back to you..)

[USSF REF]

I suppose I really started getting into doing it on the advice of a couple of grade 3 and 5 refs that I know. The idea was that they wanted to keep the ball rolling in most games and they would consistently pump it up high to facilitate this. In their mind a flat ball tends to "stop" more often which leads to more fouls and collisions as supposed to a ball that will have a greater tendency to roll off the field.

Plus I have found whenever I am involved in random matches with national referees in the middle they like to pump the ball up to 14 lbs. From experience on a USL match the team provides the match balls, and they all would fall within the bounds of Law 2, but the referee's always seem to reccomend a pressure of 13.5 - 15lbs.

Then I sort of realized that U-littles won't really benefit from 14 lbs, so I kind of came up with my own system for pressure that seems to work well in a specific game. The laws don't really prohibit nor do they instruct that a referee alter or select a pressure. It just happens to be one of the things I find that I can do within reason to improve a game for the older players and to offer more comfort to the younger ages.

[Gary V]

The same volume of air (e.g. 5 liters) would register a higher PSI in thinner air i.e. at higher altitude than at lower altitude. However, if you put a gauge in a ball at sea level and it reads 8 PSI, and you put a gauge in a ball at 6,000 feet and it reads 8 PSI, the balls will feel the same, have the same amount of give, etc. The one at altitude will have a lesser volume of air inside to give the same PSI reading, but if the PSIs are the same, the ball feel/give will be the same.

Now, if you take a ball that's at 8 PSI at sea level, and carry that very ball (e.g. in an unpressurized aircraft) to a higher altitude, it will not only feel harder, but a pressure gauge will also show a higher reading (e.g. 10 PSI).In addition, you may need to consider the effects of temperature. If the coach has kept the ball in the back of the car in a heated garage all week, and now you're playing in one of our 40-degree with rain "soccer weather" conditions, the ball may go flat. I've added air to balls at halftime precisely because of that - and if I remembered, suggested to the coach he may want to bleed it a bit before taking it back inside.

[DadOf6]

Gotcha, I apologize for the misinformation. I'm not the physics man, but I trusted this information when conveyed to me by someone who apparently is not either! Having not actually tested the theory I can't speak from experience but you certainly explained the reality well.

(Have to rep someone else to get back to you..)

You're not wrong...
...and neither is Wreave. It depends on how you look at things.

Pressure guages are set to measure "0" when the pressure inside the ball is the same as the pressure outside the ball (at sea level). A physicist would say that the pressure in the ball is one atm.

We would say the ball is flat.

Because gauges are calibrated to show zero based on atmospheric pressure at a certain altitude and temperature there will be a slight difference when the reading is "10" in different conditions.

But the difference is not significant.

[refmike]

When I decide to increase the pressure in a ball I used to inform the coach by saying "I put more air in your ball. I will want it back after the game".

This stopped when a coach came over to me after a game, offering his ball and saying "suck it out" :-).

[Craig P]

Because gauges are calibrated to show zero based on atmospheric pressure at a certain altitude and temperature there will be a slight difference when the reading is "10" in different conditions.
I'd be shocked if a consumer pressure gauge were NOT a differential pressure instrument, in which case it will show 0 at all times when it's not probing something inflated, regardless of atmospheric conditions or altitude.

I assume the LOTG pressure is in psig, not psia, and for a differential pressure instrument, Wreave would be exactly correct.