QUICK FACT: Soccer Ball History

Category: The Beautiful Game

Did you know that the modern soccer ball may have originated from a human head? While no one knows exactly how the “soccer ball” came into existence, many forms and variations have been documented throughout history. One of the earliest documented forms of a “ball” was made of animal skin from China around 250 BC. Other historians have noted games played with cloth, hides and even skulls. Even today, there are many different brands and styles of the soccer ball. The official rules from FIFA state that a soccer ball must be:

  • spherical
  • made of leather or other suitable material
  • has a circumference of 27 to 28 inches
  • has a weight of 14 to 16 ounces