Cy<
a Soccer Ball
Soccer-the most popular sport in the world-is played by
people young and old in countries near and far. Whether you
play on a school team or with friends on the weekends, you know
that what makes the sport so great is that you can play anywhere;
all you really need is open space, teammates, and a ball. And while
that may appear simple enough, the making of a soccer ball isn't
quite as simple. Have you ever wondered how soccer balls are
made and what happens to them when you're finished playing
with them?
As with any product, making a soccer ball uses natural resources
and energy, which can impact the air, land, and water.
Follow the life cycle of a soccer ball on this poster to learn
more about how it is made and how you can help reduce its
environmental impacts. Understanding this life cycle can help
you make environmental choices about the products you use,
and how you dispose of them.
Gathering the Materials
Fast Fact
In most parts of
the world, soccer
is called football,
or fiit bo I.
Getting Rid
of the Ball
Disposal is a dead-end option. If you can
reuse a soccer ball instead of throwing it
out. you can save resources, save energy, and
prevent pollution.
Recycling a soccer ball is difficult because most
of the materials used to make a ball are glued,
stitched, or printed and cannot be separated out
for recycling. Wondering what to do with your
soccer ball when you are done with it? There are
two options: reuse it or throw it away. Which one
is better for the environment?
Share .votir love of (he sporl.
• Donate your used soccer ball to an organiza-
tion that sends the balls to children who
cannot buy their own.
• Donate your soccer gear-shin guards, cleats,
or clothes—that you've grown out of or no
longer need (see "Global Gear Giveaway" on
the back of this poster for more information).
• Organize a "swap" day at your school,
camp, or soccer club. Swap your gear for
something "new!"
Get Creative.
• Hang your old soccer ball from the ceiling of your
garage to mark where the car should stop.
The soft ball won't harm the car and may help
prevent you from hitting a wall, shelf, or other
item in the garage.
* If your ball just won't hold air anymore or is
too beat up to be donated, you can give it to
your dog or a neighbor's dog as a chew toy.
Larger dogs, in particular, love old soccer balls.
ioccer balls are made from a variety of raw
materials that come from the Earth. For example;
Crude oil and other materials extracted from the Earth
are used to make various kinds of plastic and
polymers, including polyurethane (PU),
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), butyl.
and silicone.
Natural latex rubber is extracted from plants.
Glue is made from natural substances such as
natural rubber, animal bones, fish, stafch, milk
protein, or casein, or from cyanoacrylate, a clear
plastic invented by Dr. Marry C:)D'.Tr.
Cotton is picked from plants, which grow
throughout the United States and other countries.
Preparing
the Materials
Most raw materials must be processed
before manufacturers can use them to
make products. For soccer balls, this means
converting raw materials into usable plastics and
other materials.
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The pover (sirrtV*1) of most soccer balls is visible
to everyone. It may be patterned with black and
white hexagons or a variety of different colors.
• The surface of soccer balls is made from
synthetic leather or rubber, which is typically
made from plastics such as types of
polyurethane.
Sfilrliiiis, or glue holds the hexagon panels of the
surface together.
• Some balls are stitched together using
polyester or similar thread, while other balls
use glue to hold the panels together.
The liningnf a ball plays an important role in its
strength, structure, and bounce. Layers of lining
are placed between the cover and bladder to
make sure the thickness of the ball is the same
throughout the panels.
• Lining is composed of polyester and/or cotton
bonded together.
When you buy a ball, try
putting a few drops of
silicone oil into the
valve. The oil will help
the ball retain air, and
make it easier to
insert the needle
. when refilling it.
'he bladder is the inside part of the ball that is
filled with air and is typically made from natural
latex rubber or butyl (plastic).
• Bladders made from natural latex rubber
provide the softest feel and proper bounce
from the ball.
• Bladders made from butyl can hold air longer
and retain the ball's shape better than
bladders made from latex rubber.
Using the Ball
Fast ftet
The first international
soccer match took
place in 1872
between Scotland
». and England. -
Getting the
Soccer Ball
to You
Putting
the Pieces
Together
A Ithough soccer balls can vary in size,
t\. weight, and quality, the process to make
them is similar:
Surface material is rolled out-usually several
layers of synthetic foam-filled panels are
glued (laminated) together to make a str<
yet smooth exterior.
ly several
•c
^
Soccer balls come in a variety of different sizes
for different age groups, so choosing the
right size can impact how you play. In addition,
the higher quality soccer balls will likely last
longer than cheaper, lower quality balls. One
way to ensure quality is to look for a soccer
organization's "approval" imprinted on the ball.
These designations let you know that the ball has
passed tests for proper shape, balance, bounce,
and other requirements at an independent
' laboratory.
Taking good care of your soccer ball will increase
its useful life.
Dei
• Check the air pressure frequently to maintain
proper pressurization.
• Remove excessive dirt with a damp cloth and
mild soap.
• Play on soft, smooth surfaces, such as grass or turf.
Don't:
• Use harsh chemicals for cleaning,
• Play on hard or rough surfaces such as gravel,
asphalt, or concrete.
• Play with a wet ball during freezing temperatures.
• Stand or sit on your soccer ball.
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Every material used to make a soccer ball, as
well as the finished ball itself, has to get from one
place to another—and ultimately to you! Soccer balls
are made overseas and are transported by plane, and
then truck or train, which requires the use of fossil
fuels for energy. Emissions created from the burning of
fossil fuels contributes to air pollution and global
climate change.
Product packaging helps protect an item from damage,
identify the contents, and provide information about
the product. But, since it uses valuable natural
resources such as paper (from trees), plastic (from
crude oil in the Earth), aluminum (from ore), or other
materials, excessive or unnecessary packaging can be
wasteful. The good news is that the packaging for
soccer balls is fairly minimal, usually consisting of a
cardboard box or often nothing at all.
• The lining, made of multiple sheets of fabric, is
glued to the cover. The lining goes between
the cover and the bladder to provide shape,
feel, control, and structure. Balls can have up
to four layers of polyester and cotton
lining-the more layers, the better the shape
and durability of the ball.
• Panels are cut into the exact number needed
to make one ball. The number of panels varies
for each design.
• Exterior panels are silk-screened with graphics
or logos, with each panel printed separately.
After printing, the material may have another
layer of clear urethane (or other clear plastic
substance) applied for protection.
• Holes are pre-punched in each panel and the
ball is either hand-stitched or machine-
stitched with a polyester thread. A hand-
stitched ball takes one person approximately
1.5 hours to sew. A machine-stitched ball
takes approximately 10 minutes to be stitched
together by many workers.
• The stitched ball is reversed so none of the
stitches will show and the bladder is inserted
and inflated.
• boi:wr balls that are used for professional
play nr those that include the seal of approval
of a soccer organization go through a series of
tests performed by an independent laboratory
" '. IB" ensure quality of performance.
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H
What te a life Cycle?
H
ave you ever considered wnere the products you use every day come from, or what happens to them
when you finish using them? Do you know how each of the products you use impacts the environment?
Just as living things are born, get older, and die, products also complete a life cycle. Each stage of a product's
life cycle can affect the environment in different ways. Some products have many different components, each
of which has its own life cycle in addition to the life cycle of the composite product. The stages of a product's
life cycle usually include:
^f IVh,Sit,n. A product's design can influence each stage of its life cycle and, in turn, the environment Design
affects which materials will be used to manufacture a product Fgr example, cheaper materials are often less
durable, which means the product will have 3 short useful life. Product design can prevent waste in many ways.
Products can be designed with modular components that can be easily replaced so that the entire product does
not have to be thrown sway if only one piece breaks. Items meant to last a long time can avoid trendy designs
so they are not thrown away when they go out of style.
if M;if rivals LxfratlHin. All products are made from materials round in or on the Earth. "Virgin" or "raw*
materials, such as trees or ore, are directly mined or harvested from the Earth, a process that can create
pollution, use large amounts of energy, and deplete limited natural resources. Making new products from
materials that have alreaoy been used (recycled materials) can reduce the amount of raw materials we need
to tafce from the Earth.
^ Material Proe^SS'Ht; Once materials are extracted, they must be converted into a form that can be used
to make products. For example, paper is made from trees, but the wood has to undergo several different
processes before we can use it
^ Moiitlfcf-itirinj*. Products are made in factories and require a great deal of energy to create. The
manufacturing process can also produce pollution. Many products require the use of packaging as well, to
prevent spoilage, damage, contamination, and tampering.
kfl£in£ and Transportation. The use of packaging can protect products from damage and provide
producfinformation. However, packaging consumes valuable natural resources and when used excessively can
be wasteful. Some packaging can be made from recycled materials. Finished products are transported in trucks.
planes, and trains to different locations where they are sold- Ail of these forms of transportation burn fossil
fuels, which can contribute to global climate change.
The way products are used can impact the environment. For example, products that are only used once
create more waste than products that are used again and again.
Y Krriftr/Kf n f linn/Disposal. Using a product over and over again prevents the need to create the
product from scratch,"which saves resources and energy while also preventing pollution. Recycling or re-
manufacturing products also reduces tne amount of new materials that have to be extracted from the Earth.
Throwing a product away means that it will end up in a landfill or incinerator and will not be useful again.
What'* in That Ball?
The materials used to make soccer balls have evolved over the years. Early balls were made of
stitched-up cloth, pig or cow bladders, and even animal and human skulls. Today's soccer balls are
made from synthetic leather and other raw materials so that they maintain their shape, and are fast in flight,
waterproof, soft to the touch, and safe to Head. The timeline at the bottom of this poser show how the
content and design of the soccer ball has changed over the years.
From tne list below, match the raw material found in the Earth to the product that is created and used to
make soccer balls.
Product
Plastic-
Natural latex rubber
Glue
Silicone
Cotton
§00rt«
Plants
Animal bones, fish, starch, milk protein
Plant extract
Crude oil
Earth's crust
ig :p2
J. Linden
developed one
of the first
inflatable
rucoer
bladders
forfcsl V.
1863
The newly formed
English Football
Association, or EFA
(named so because
soccer is known as
football in every
nation except the
United States), met
to decide on the
laws of the game.
No description of
the ball was
offered in the first
set of rules.
South American Soccer Smarts
I
Soccer is played all over the worid and is especially popular in South America,
wtipr? reducing waste is 35 important as it is in the United States. In many of
these countries environmental laws are not strict enough to enforce wise use of
natural resources, so common activities like logging and pollution can cause
environmental concern.
Use the following clues to determine which South American country is
being described.
To learn more about these countries, you can conduct your own research on
the Internet or at your scnool library, What kind of language, culture, and
vlimate do these countries have? Do triey face any particular kind of
environmental problems, such as air pollution? Why? What can be done to
improve the state of the environment of these countries?
. 1. This country has more than 1.920 recorded species of Girds and is home to
Carlos Valderrama, who led the country to three World Cups.
. £4, This country, which boasts both deserts and glaciers, suffers from extensive
lugging outside of protected areas. It also hosted the World Cup in 1962.
. 3* Due to the dense human population in the eastern part of this count/y, mammals
such as the giant anteater, maned wolf, Brazilian tapir, and jaguar are quickly
disappearing. In 1998, it also had the first Golden Goal scored ir a World Cup
match by Laurent Blanc.
4*
5*
No bigger than the state of Nevada, this country suffered an oil spill off the
coast of the Galapagos Islands in 2001. It also participated in the World Cup
for the first time in 2002.
This country has won three World Cups with the help of Pele, who scored
more than l.ODO goals in his career. The Amazon, the world's longest river, is
also found here.
Well-known striker Teonlio Cubillas, who scored 10 World Cup goats, is from
this South American country, which claims paper-making as a primary industry.
This country is the fifth-largest in South America, measuring roughly tne size at
France and Spain combined. The country lost to Spain 3-1 in the 1994 World Cup.
More tnan 30 percent of this country istafcen yp by the grassland plain of the
central Llanos, which is drained by the continent's third-largest river, the Rio
Orinoco. It is aUc the only South American country where baseball is more popular
thgn soccer.
Five rivers flow westward across this country and drain into the Rio Uruguay. It's
been more than half a century since this country won the World Cup.
10* This country's national parks preserve unique thorn forests, virgin rainforests,
flowering cacti, and extensive forests of monkey-puzzle trees. It is also home to
Diego Maradona, one of the best dribblers in soccer history.
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1872
The EFA revised the rules
of soccer, including that
the ball "must be
spherical with a
circumference of 27 to 2fi
inches." That rule remains
in today's Federation
Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA) laws,
EFA and FIFA are both
members of the
International Football
Association Board.
Global Gear Giveaway
One great way lo extend tne Itfe of your soccer bail is to give it to someone else when you're
finished with it. In many psrts of the world, balls and other sporting equipment are «ry expensive
and difficult to find. YDLJ can help ottiers and be environmentally friendly by sending your used sporting
equipment (either individually or by organizing a collection drive} to kids and teams who would otherwise
not have them,
Here are some tips for organizing a successful equipment drive in your school or community. You can
collect lots of used gear to donate, and prevent useful items from ending up in the trash.
1. Check in with the organization you will be working with on wHat kind of equipment they accept,
and only collect those items. (See the list of organizations below).
2. Set up bins, cardboard boxes, or trash cans in a central location so people can drop off their gear.
These can be set up at your school, church, local businesses, sports and recreation fields, etc.
3* Determine a time frame for your collection. For your first drive, a shorter time frame might be more
manageable, so as to control the amount of gear you receive. Pick a specific date to end the drive.
4. Try to get as many people as possible involved- Inform people through your school, local sports
leagues and teams, local newspapers of other media outlets, or simply word-of-mouth. Most people
will be more than willing to help out and happy to know that their old gear will be of use.
5. Make sure you record the amount you send off so you can report back to the families that
participated, as well as to local papers.
Crafts for Kicks
Do you have an old soccer ball tnat you can't use
anymore but can't bear to part with? Perhaps it
was the game ball from the first time you scored, or the
first soccer ball you ever received. Whatever its
sentimental value, an old ball sitting on the shelf isn't
very useful, so why not try to extend its life by turning
it into something else?
Kail Handler
I lui( Colli'H Used Sporting, Equipment
Make sure to check with the individual organizations to confirm their donation policies.
• The Payback program collects playable soccer gear and sends it to teams and organizations that
cannot afford even the most basic equipment-
• One World Running collects, washes, and sends new and "near-new" athletic shoes. T-shirts, and
snorts, along with medicine and school supplies, to athletes and children in developing countries.
^www.onewo rldrunning.com>
• Goodwill sorts and prices your sporting equipment (as well as olher items! and then sells it in one of
their 1,900 well-known retail stores across North America, The revenue from the stores helps fund
programs that give people job training and other career services,
* The Mike Reuse-A-Shoe program takes old, worn-out, unusable footwear and converts them into
basketball and tennis courts, running tracks, and athletic fields.
Make a decorative flower pot Dot of your soccer ball.
Too will need:
• An old soccer ball
• Sdssors
* Twn small potted plants
• A pencil
Directions:
1, With your pencil, draw a line around the center of
the soccer ball- This will he the line you follow to
cot your soccer ball in half.
2> Begin cutting the cover of tne soccer ball. You may
find that it is easier to cut along the panel stitching
rather than trying to cut a straight line.
3. When the soccer ball has been cut, begin removing
tbe lining and the bladder so that all that is left is
the two halves of the soccer ball cover.
4.Take your potted plant and place it, with its pot,
inside one Half of the soccer ball. Do the same thing
with the second ported plant and the other haif of
the soccer ball,
5. Place your plant and new holder in a spot that is
appropriate for the plant to grow. You might want
to put the holder on a plate to catch excess water.
For a more fitted pot holder, transfer the. plant from it's
existing pot directly into the half soccer ball. Before
doing this, line the soccer ball witn plastic wrap or
alominum foil to keep water from leaving. Add extra
soil as necessary to fill the soccer ball.
Hank the Shot
To make a bank out of your ball, you will need:
An old soccer ball
Scissors
A pencil
A thick sewing needle
rhnad
Directions:
1. Deflate your did soccer ball.
2. Cut a slit in tne ball. Pull out all of the lining
and tne bladder. As you begin pulling out the
insides of the ball, you may find that you need to
widen the slit you cut. do so with scissors
instead of allowing the ball cover to rip,
3. When all of the insides are out begin sewing
your ball back together. Leave about i Vi inches
open on the ball so that you can add coins to it.
4. Begin filling your ball with coins. Watch your
ball firm up as you add more and more money.
When the ball is full, cut the thread and take out
all of the coins. Use your coins to buy tickets to
a soccer match, donate the money to a charity.
or put trie money away in savings.
5. When you are ready to start collecting money
again, sew the slit back together, again leaving
an open slot for coins and start the process all
over again! You are giving your soccer ball a
second life as a bank, and using it over and over
again.
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Late lSSO*
Top-grade ball covers
were made with
leather from the rump
of a cow while lower
quality balls were made
from the shoulder.
Soccer Balls Throu^i the
1937
The official size and weight of
the soccer ball was changed
slightly when (he official
weight range was increased
from 13 to 15 ounces to 14 to
16 ounces.
Shipping Out
Transportation is a major part of the environmental impacts of soccer batls. Soccer balls are not
manufactured in the United States, which means they must be transported to your local sports
store by plane, beat, train, and/or truck. The fuel used during this transport releases carbon dioxide (C02),
a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. Kick your math skills into gear by answering
the questions below.
1* Out of all the forms of transportation, air travel creates the most C02 emissions. Therefore, mariy
soccer ball and equipment manufacturers are attempting to reduce the number of shipments of
products by air,
9* For example, one major soccer apparel manufacturer reduced its airfreight shipments by
5 percent from 2000 ta 2001 through improved planning and production. If tne company had
20.COO shipments in 2000, what was its number of shipments in 2001 ?
D* How many total shipments would the company have if it decreased its number of shipments by
another 3 percent in 200^
Jtt A one-way flight from Hong Kong, China (where many soccer balls are made), to Los Angeles,
California, in the United States is 7,233 miles. To make this trip an average airplane uses i,500 gallons
of fuel, which produces approximately 36.000 pounds of C03 emissions.
H> hc-w much fuel (in gallons) is required for a round-trip flight between these two cities?
D* If a manufacturer requires 500 air shipments a year from Honcj Kong to Los Angeles, how much
CO? will be emitted [in pounds)?
C".. What if the number of trips was reduced by 5 percent? How much less C02 (in pounds} would
be emitted?
(1« To put these numbers in perspective, the CO? emissions for a one-way trip from Hong Kong to los
Angeles is equivalent to the CO-^ emitted by 772 cars in one dayl Let's say 10 one-way flights
were made in one day. That's the equivalent in C0? emissions of how many cars?
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For rnore information, check out what these organizations Jre doing to protect the environment:
Adklas
http^/www.arjidas-sa lo mon.com/en/sustainability/environment/default.asp
http ^/www.n i ke.com/n ikeh iz/nikebELjhtm I ? page- 2 7
1960s
The first totally synthetic
ball was produced.
1980s
Synthetic |.
replaced the leather hall.
2002
A new ball made
entirely of synthetic
materials was
introduced as the
official soccer ball of
the 2002 World Cup.
Controversy ensued
as some players felt
that the materials
used made the ball
too light and bouncy
to control.
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
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1960
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1980
1990
2000
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