This balloon has a story for you
For this FIFA QUALITY-approved soccer ball, our designers have chosen thermobonded (seamless) technology to guarantee perfect sphericity and greater precision in your shots. What's more, this technology guarantees greater waterproofing during rainy weather sessions. Finally, to optimize the ball's sphericity, we've chosen a laminated bladder (a strip of fabric glued to the bladder).
The strength of our balloons
We have developed a tool that enables us to characterize the resistance of our footballs.
Defects that appear in use are identified and evaluated through a series of laboratory tests.
These tests enable us to compare the overall resistance of our footballs with those available on the market.
Our ambition: to have the most resistant products on the market.
A beach ball?
We know that stability of trajectory is very important, whether for players and/or goalkeepers, particularly for long play or shots. Traditionally designed with 32 panels, we have developed the PRO BALL with 12 identical panels. What's more, the 12 panels are thermally bonded and combined with grooves and microfiber fabric. This greatly improves the ball's stability in the air, making it more enjoyable to play.
Exclusive to Kipsta
We know that during matches, the difference often comes down to details. For this PRO BALL, we wanted a ball that was extremely reliable. We paid particular attention to trajectory stability and game feel. To achieve this, we tested various components and selected those that gave the best results. This 12-panel design, combined with grooved lines, is exclusive to Kipsta.
Did you say FIFA QUALITY?
In order to meet the exacting demands of top-level soccer, we have put this PRO BALL through a series of laboratory tests. Each test is presented below.
Too light? Too heavy? The weight is standardized...
This ball weighs between 350g and 390g (size 4) and meets official FIFA standards.
FIFA QUALITY certification.
What size, what circumference?
The size of this ball is between 63.5cm and 66.0cm (size 4) and meets official FIFA standards.
FIFA QUALITY certification.
A round ball, really?
Here's the sphericity test:
Variation of the measured average: maximum 1.8% (FIFA QUALITY approval).
We measure the sphericity of the ball at 4,500 different points and look at the deviations observed.
If the deviation exceeds 1.8% (FIFA QUALITY standard), our engineers are tasked with improving the sphericity to guarantee a regular rebound.
Maximum pressure loss test: we tell you...
Here's the pressure loss test:
We inflate the balloon to the recommended pressure (i.e. 0.8 bar).
72 hours later, the balloon should have lost no more than 15% of its pressure, i.e. around 0.1 bar (FIFA QUALITY certification). The pressure after 72 hours should therefore be around 0.7 bar.
This also means that it's perfectly normal for a balloon to lose pressure after a few days.
We also tested the balloon's water absorption...
Here's the water absorption test:
In the laboratory, we simulate playing conditions in the rain by soaking the ball in 2 cm of water on a pivoting support while applying 250 compressions.
At the end of the test, the ball must not have gained more than 10% of its weight (FIFA QUALITY homologation).
This is one of the advantages of the heat-sealed process: water absorption is limited compared with other processes (machine-sewn, for example).
When the rebound goes, everything goes
Here's the bounce test:
The ball is dropped 10 times onto a steel plate from a height of 2 metres.
The variation in bounce height must be between 110 and 160 cm, with a maximum difference of 10 cm between the highest and lowest bounces per ball.
Not bad at all!
The most demanding test we put this ball through is the machine kick test.
The ball must withstand 2,500 kicks against an inclined concrete surface at 50km/h from a distance of 2.5m.
At the end of this test, we check:
- the general condition of the ball: the seams must withstand this test
- the circumference: it must not have increased by more than 1.5 cm
- the sphericity: it must not have varied by more than 1.8%
- the pressure: the ball must not have lost more than 12.5%.
And what do you think?
Your opinions are essential, and help us to continually improve our products.
Many thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.
