Balls

[passinginterest]

Something I've noticed this year and find very irritating is the ridiculous variety of match balls used.

Often you start a game with a ball that's hard, heavy or whatever, you have a few kicks and it's fine, then the second ball comes on and it's a totally different brand, different weight etc. first kick of it is totally random and you're left shaking your head, wondering what the hell?

Some of the balloons passed off as match balls are a disgrace, probably 2 for €15 in Champion Sports jobs, others are so heavy and old it's like playing with a brick.

How hard would it be for junior leagues to insist that all clubs provide match balls that are the same brand? With clubs facing some form of punishment if they don't provide them on the day, or if they only have one, or they haven't pumped them, etc etc etc...

[leather]

Agree with you on the ball situation... imo it should be a FIFA match ball, Mitre, Addidas, Nike, or whatever brand that meet the rule..
it would also help if clubs stopped trying to take each other footballs... becomming a joke...

refs check for ring shin pads bootsnets coner flags why not get them to check the balls.?

[abbeyvale]

Agree with you on the ball situation... imo it should be a FIFA match ball, Mitre, Addidas, Nike, or whatever brand that meet the rule..
it would also help if clubs stopped trying to take each other footballs... becomming a joke...

refs check for ring shin pads bootsnets coner flags why not get them to check the balls.?

some of the refs do check the balls in fairness, but more than half of them never kicked a ball in their life so dont know what to check for really.

[Goals4fun]

would it not make more sense if the ref's were supplied with 3 footballs. Then they could bring them to the match. they would be the same standard for everygame. There could be no bitching from either sideline then. It wouldn't cost that much to do !!

[Shilts]

I have to agree with all the above. For instance, teams are playing with old footballs where all the markings have been worn off - how many kicks does it take to kick off the markings??? Any football with no markings left will also have been kicked well out of shape. But this is small potatoes compared to the unpumped balloons that come in to play after the only 'match ball' has been kicked into the trees by the cultured centre half
The home team should provide 3 footballs (FIFA approved + pumped + round) for inspection by the ref before the game. Then it becomes easy to enforce. It should be like checking the lines on the pitch... but that's another storey

[The Ref]

For your information, Law 2 of the Laws of the game provides:

The ball is:
• spherical
• made of leather or other suitable material
• of a circumference of not more than 70 cm (28 ins) and not less than 68 cm (27 ins)
• not more than 450 g (16 oz) in weight and not less than 410 g (14 oz) at the start of the match
• 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)

There is a piece of equipment that will check to see if the ball meets these requirements (I got mine in the Soccer Shop in Sth Great Georges St. many years ago) and most referees I know do check the ball prior to the start of a game (even if it is only the thumb check).

The quality of footballs has dis-improved in the last 20 years, when I started out the Mitre was the ball of choice for most clubs, and the ball would be perfect from the start to the end of each season (even if it was a bit like a rock) now the clubs are using the cheapest ball available which don't last any length! but they do meet the minimum standards required for a ball

[littleman]

Ok lads for what I'm about to tell ye I'll probably have a contract out on me from all the sports shops in the country.

Close yer eyes an think back to the last time ye had to buy a ball in just for the sake of it !!! Champion sports .It went something like this I'd say

"Hello sir how can I help you. You'd like to buy a matchball.Ok Sir we have one for 25euro one for 45 an one for 55.The one for 25 is ok sir but the one for 45 has a double bladder an a gortex inside,soft touch great ball but the one for 55 has all that as well but it is superb to play with for the better footballing side" anyone every heard that before,I bet you bought the ball for 45 or 55.


All the bigger brands that make matchballs want you to buy the most expensive ball,the Premiership or Champions league ball because they put the idea in your head that the more expensive the ball the better it is,they tell you that it needs to be Fifa inspected or Approved even International match standard ya,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,NO wake up lads

They forget tell you that they also make matchballs specificially for junior football..Those rules are for the pro game an those shops an sports brands know it an also stock matchballs for junior football that dont have those requirements but neglect to tell you because everyone would then buy the matchball for 25euro instead of the one they want you to buy for 45 or 55 euro.

I was at an AGM this season when a certain salesman brought in his stuff to pawn off on us knowing full well we had to buy matchballs from him as it was part an parcel of the junior cup we have to play in.I think everyone knows what cup an who I'm talkin about.He gave us a brochure an we had a look.He had a matchball for 55 an another for 45.I said to him that in his brochure that there was another ball for 25 euro an he said that was only suitable for junior football,he said this in front of 50 people from clubs at a junior league AGM.The stuff he wanted to pawn off on us were the League of Ireland ones because I found out later they had a small fortune of the things to get rid of.an buy the way I had to then buy 4 of the 45 euro balls(180 euro) off him,which if I'd have known of the websites I know of now on the internet I would have paid 100 euro ecluding post an packaging for the same 4 balls.

Moral of the story here lads is value for money an a good decent ball should go hand in hand.I got fed up of gettin ripped off each time I had to get a match ball so what I did was get on the o'l internet an do a little surfin.

Anyone interested in savin themselves an moreso their clubs a fortune should try Newitts.com click on brands,click Mitre then click matchballs or you could also try Prodirectsoccer,click shop,they have matchballs named under their specific brand .After seein the money you will save I dont think you will be goin to the local sports shop any more.Or maybe then again ye might to ask him why they were chargin you double.

[whitestripe]

[QUOTE=The Ref;953256]For your information, Law 2 of the Laws of the game provides:


The quality of footballs has dis-improved in the last 20 years, when I started out the Mitre was the ball of choice for most clubs, and the ball would be perfect from the start to the end of each season

I would prefer to play with an imaginary ball then one of those cabbages,

[Abbey Road]

An imaginary ball with imaginary white soccer socks i hope Whitestripe??

Agree with leather!Most of the time your football gets lost or robbed during games so clubs obviously get ****ed off with this situation and thus the balls purchased are cheaper and not up to the standard required.All referee's should also check with each team the amount and the quality of balls that are to be in use for that particular game.Something that is never done!!!!

[see's it]

was it carew park afew years ago who kept booting f'views footballs down to garryowen so they could use a different ball?

is there a rule on who provides the ball for matches?

[whitestripe]

The View were forever at that, kicking out the ball so they could introduce those Errea balls they play with. Can't say I blame them, why not?

Not sure if there is a ruling on this? But it would be an idea if every club played with the same ball, the Mitre Ultimax or Pro Max would be my ball of choice but they are not cheap with the Ultimax coming in at €60 and the Pro Max at €44. I am sure some deal could be done with Mitre.

Surely there is an official ball for LOI, why not make this compulsory with the Junior leagues around the country. Each team must have at least 3 pumped and in good wear before the start of a game.

Refs are definately stricter these days and gone are the days you would be laughed at for suggesting the ball is soft, yet I do see the odd john doe making its way onto the pitch with cries of "get on with it" from the ref.

no such things as imaginary white socks, they are very real!

[Abbey Road]

was it carew park afew years ago who kept booting f'views footballs down to garryowen so they could use a different ball?

is there a rule on who provides the ball for matches?

Another insinuation that's going to cause unrest on this thread!

The ref normally looks at a few balls and decides which one he is happy with.Probably not the rule but who know's what is the rule

[see's it]

unrest on foot.ie? are you mad

[Abbey Road]

unrest on foot.ie? are you mad

Maybe??But the thread is about footballs!Then again without the unrest the site would not be as interesting.

[whitestripe]

Probably best if every club got these, the training balls are very good and last the distance. Cheap at €10

http://www.umbro.ie/footballs.html

[2legged tackle]

Its simple, if it has the FIfa logo it should be fine.
Perfectly Fine.
As for them Mitre multiplex footballs(bricks) should be left on the sites.
Fine in the Lower leagues in Clare.

[papa-j]

.after the only 'match ball' has been kicked into the trees by the cultured centre half

You must have been watching a lot of our games this year - perfect match report

[Shilts]

For your information, Law 2 of the Laws of the game provides:

The ball is:
• spherical
• made of leather or other suitable material
• of a circumference of not more than 70 cm (28 ins) and not less than 68 cm (27 ins)
• not more than 450 g (16 oz) in weight and not less than 410 g (14 oz) at the start of the match
• 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)

There is a piece of equipment that will check to see if the ball meets these requirements (I got mine in the Soccer Shop in Sth Great Georges St. many years ago) and most referees I know do check the ball prior to the start of a game (even if it is only the thumb check).

Most refs check the ball 2 seconds before kick off. I can't recall ever seeing a ref or lino checking the replacement balls (maybe they do at eircom league level). When a ball is lost over the ditch and a replacement ball is kicked in, it hardly ever is checked by the ref - for fear of delaying the game. As for checking that the pressure is between 0.6 and 1.1 atmosphere... You 'avin a laugh mate???

[littleman]

Here we are talkin about matchballs an some of ye stil take the time to drop names an stick the knife in.Dont know why somepeople try to start posts in the first place.

The only time a ref every asked me for anything to do with a game before it started was where his match fee was,check balls your havin a laugh all right.Most of um wouldnt know the difference between a Mitre Max an Pepsi Max

[balls]

refs in south tipp always check the balls. if a dodgy ball comes in most players refusde to play with it anyway. I have been buying / minding footballs forr my club for years and must say the 25euro match balls dont last as long as the 50euro balls. also 50 euro balls are much nicer to play with fact