Equipment
Football (soccer ball)
A round, inflated ball used to play association football and futsal.
Equipment
Overview
A football is a round, inflated ball made from stitched or bonded panels around an inner bladder that holds air. Its spherical shape and predictable bounce let players pass, dribble and shoot with the feet, head and body.
Futsal uses a smaller, lower-bounce version of the same ball suited to the hard indoor surface, but the round, inflated design is shared across the game.
Good to know
- Made of panels stitched or bonded around a bladder.
- Needs inflating to the right firmness before play.
- Futsal uses a smaller, lower-bounce ball.
Where it’s used
Sports that use football (soccer ball):
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Playing surfaces
- Artificial turfSynthetic grass, often filled with sand or rubber, that gives a firm, even, all-weather surface. It plays faster and truer than worn natural grass.
- ClayA soft, granular racquet-sport surface of crushed brick, stone or shale that slows the ball, gives a high bounce and lets players slide into shots.
Techniques
Learning paths
- Learn FootballA structured, educational learning path for football — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
- Learn FutsalA structured, educational learning path for futsal — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
- Learn American FootballA structured, educational learning path for american football — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
Beginner guides
- Your first football sessionA warm, practical picture of what actually happens when you turn up to your very first football session — how it runs, what surprises beginners, and how to enjoy it without any pressure.
- Your first basketball sessionA first basketball session is a friendly, fast-moving introduction to handling the ball, moving your feet and sharing simple play with others — no experience or prior skill needed.
Tactics
- Set-piece playRehearsed routines from a dead-ball situation such as a corner, free kick or throw-in used to create chances.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Counter-attackWinning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
- Wing playAttacking down the flanks and crossing the ball into the box to stretch the defence and create chances.
- Possession playA patient football style that keeps the ball through short passing to control the game and tire opponents.
Decision making
- Transition decisionsThe choices made at the moment a situation flips — winning or losing the ball, and switching between attack and defence.
- Situational awarenessHolding an overall picture of what is happening around you — teammates, opponents, ball, space and the state of the game — and keeping it updated as play unfolds.
- Positioning choicesDeciding where to place yourself — often before the ball arrives — to cover space, stay ready to act and shape what an opponent can do.
- Pass selectionChoosing which pass to play, and to whom, from the options a moment offers — weighing space, risk and what the team is trying to do.
- Option recognitionSeeing what actions are actually available in a moment — the passes, shots or moves on offer — before choosing between them.