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Are soccer balls filled with nitrogen?

Author

Emily Ross

Published Jan 18, 2026

Soccer Balls Are Filled with Helium

Apparently some people still believe this strange myth, but no, balls used in professional soccer matches are not filled with buoyant helium instead of oxygen.

What do they fill soccer balls with?

In fact, these players are just extremely good, and the gases inside the ball don't usually have a major significance when it comes to the crazy things that you watch the soccer players do to the soccer ball. So that's the quick answer for you, soccer balls are filled with regular air.

What is inside of a soccer ball?

The inner bladder of a soccer ball can be made from either natural or synthetic rubber that is gendy heated and forced into a mold. The outer panels are produced from sheets of synthetic leather backed with several layers of cloth, to strengthen the material.

Is football filled with nitrogen?

FIFA rules do not specify what gas should be used to inflate an international football ball, i.e., a US soccer ball. The only requirement FIFA levies on inflation is that the ball be pressurized to a gauge pressure of 600g/cm to 1,100 g/cm (8.5 lbs/in – 15.6 lbs/in). Thus, balls can be filled with air or nitrogen.

Which gas is filled in soccer ball?

Just plain old regular air. 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other stuff.

28 related questions found

What are professional footballs made of?

Ironically, though they are still called “pigskins,” nowadays all pro and collegiate footballs are actually made with cowhide leather. Recreational and youth footballs, on the other hand, are often made with synthetic material or vulcanized rubber. All Big Game footballs are made of handcrafted cowhide leather.

What happens if you fill a soccer ball with helium?

At atmospheric pressure, one litre of helium, being lighter than air, will only lift about 1 gram. So filling a small ball with helium would have a negligible effect on its behaviour. It certainly would not float.

What soccer balls do the pros use?

Size 5 soccer balls are the standard soccer ball size for ages 12 and older all the way up to professionals. If you pick up an adidas size 5 pro ball, you'll not only be playing with the official soccer ball size of the MLS, but you'll have the exact ball the pros use in the game.

What material is the ball made?

American footballs, called “pigskins,” are made of cowhide (a kind of leather) or vulcanized rubber. Modern football (soccer ball).

Where do the materials for soccer balls come from?

1 Gathering and Processing Materials Soccer balls are made both natural and man-made materials, including: Plastic, from petroleum Rubber, from plants or synthetic Cotton, from plants Animal products, including leather These materials must be processed in factories before they're made into a ball.

Where are soccer balls made?

Most of the world's soccer balls are produced in the Sialkot region of Pakistan. Pakistan alone accounts for 75 percent of total world production of soccer balls, and 71 percent of all soccer ball imports into the United States. The remainder ofproduction occurs mostly in China, India and Indonesia.

Is helium filled in football?

No helium was ever found. Fast-forward to 2006, when the Discovery Channel show “MythBusters” put the theory to the test. Using a mechanical kicker, it concluded that balls filled with either helium or air traveled about the same distance, declaring the myth “busted.”

What happens if you put helium in a basketball?

The helium is lighter than air so the ball will have slightly more uplift for it's weight so feel like it was in less gravity - so bounce higher (if you throw it at the ground at the same speed rather than drop it from a height). This would be a small effect probably changing the weight of the ball by about 22g.

Why are rugby league balls filled with nitrogen?

Rugby league is played with a prolate spheroid shaped football which is inflated with nitrogen. A referee will stop play immediately if the ball does not meet the requirements of size and shape.

What is the best soccer ball ever made?

Ranked! The 15 greatest match balls of all time

  • Adidas Tricolore. ...
  • Adidas Fevernova. (Image credit: Getty) ...
  • Nike Merlin Geo. (Image credit: Getty) ...
  • Adidas Telstar. (Image credit: PA) ...
  • Nike Total 90 Aerow. (Image credit: PA) ...
  • Mitre Ultimax. (Image credit: PA) ...
  • Adidas Tango. (Image credit: PA) ...
  • Adidas Finale. (Image credit: PA)

What is the lightest soccer ball?

Lionstrike Lite soccer balls are 20% lighter than regular soccer balls, which makes them much more responsive. That means children can gain confidence practicing techniques like: Kicking.

Which country makes the best soccer balls?

Arguably, Pakistan is the best maker of soccer balls. This is mainly due to their proprietary expertise that has been built up and refined over many years of manufacturing these objects.

Do pro soccer players use helium balls?

Soccer Balls Are Filled with Helium

Apparently some people still believe this strange myth, but no, balls used in professional soccer matches are not filled with buoyant helium instead of oxygen.

Can you bring an inflated soccer ball on a plane?

How To Bring A Soccer Ball On A Plane? You can bring your soccer ball on a plane, either in your check-in luggage or carry-on luggage. It is the airline's prerogative to indicate in what state the soccer ball is required to be in, fully inflated, semi-deflated, or fully deflated.

How much helium do soccer balls have?

Soccer balls are not filled with helium gas. Instead, they are pressurised with regular air that mainly consists of a combination of two elements called nitrogen and oxygen.

Is a football made from pig skin?

For decades, players and fans have referred to the ball as a “pigskin,” despite the fact that the ball is not made from the skin of a pig. Why? Today's footballs are made with cowhide. The Wilson Sporting Goods plate in Ada, Ohio, has made the official Super Bowl football for every game.

What are EPL footballs made of?

The inside of the football is made up of a latex or butyl rubber bladder which enables the football to be pressurised. The ball's outside is made of leather, synthetic leather, polyurethane or PVC panels.

Who made the first football ball?

Until the 1860, football, soccer and rugby were all played with a plum or pear shaped ball made of leather, encasing an inflated animal bladder. In Europe the first proper football invented is attributed to two shoemakers: Richard Lindon and William Gilbert who invented round and oval shaped balls.

Do NFL kickers use different balls?

How is the K-Ball different from a regular NFL football? It's not as if the kicking ball is a different size than a regular NFL football. It's just that they're considered harder and slicker than the average ball. When the K-Ball was first introduced in 1999, the original goal was that every kick had a new ball.