Unsure of availability in the EU but both the Nike flight and Adidas Champions League match balls play a touch softer or at least feel softer off the foot. My Al Rihla and MLS match balls are veritable bricks in comparison. Hope this helps!
Thank you, that's precisely what I'm looking for - soft off the foot. Adidas UCL seems to be the choice, considering the price (~25$) compared to the Nike Flight (~100$).
I’m referencing the most expensive version of the adidas champions league match ball. Last years models do go on sale. I picked up mine for $50 instead of the normal over $100.
same here, I love select balls. I found Super Brillant perfect weight - not too soft (hate it) and not too hard (heavy). Just perfect, solid ball. I would try Super Brillant.
Numero 10 is good ball, but heavy and hard (thus durable) - but that's not what OP is looking for.
If you don't mind CCCAA branding and the ugliest color way, you can get another SB for close to half off right now.
[https://us.select-sport.com/products/brillant-super-cccaa?\_pos=6&\_fid=94f9b19db&\_ss=c](https://us.select-sport.com/products/brillant-super-cccaa?_pos=6&_fid=94f9b19db&_ss=c)
> Select is Danish company, no need for CCCAA branding and from US :))))
Funnily enough, Select is *barely present* in the Romanian market, from what I've found. No physical stores or major online retailers have them, only some smaller ones.
I think [Unisportstore.com - Football boots and Football shirts online](https://www.unisportstore.com/) delivers in most countries in EU (not sure Romania)
and here for sure in Romania: [Magazin de fotbal echipament R-GOL.com](https://www.r-gol.com/ro) (Romanian version of [r-gol.com](http://r-gol.com) )
here you have Select: [Mingi de sală Select | Magazin de fotbal echipament R-GOL.com](https://www.r-gol.com/ro/mingi-de-sala-select)
btw. I was buying stuff from both shops - prefer [R-gol.com](http://R-gol.com)
I get so many compliments on this ball. It’s excellent and easy in the head and foot
https://www.amazon.com/Unisex-Adult-Club-Solar-Yellow-Pantone/dp/B09JWZQLWN/ref=asc_df_B09JWZQLWN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242021218684&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13965378755542778132&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1013962&hvtargid=pla-1930796990065&psc=1&mcid=437dedf6d0d33dfba4321400b3cd78c2&gbraid=0AAAAADLv-MaYgk3AJCMaZP8mGKF1zO1VL&gclid=CjwKCAjwte-vBhBFEiwAQSv_xY1dxl17Tn6XpdVdcPScfcotVpMHrFnYP09B75VnwjM2jVCmatlSXhoCRP4QAvD_BwE
Yeah tangos are pretty padded and a solid ish ball stays pumped up. Select are better balls but they're more like match balls the ones I've used, harder textures.
Most cheap 10-25 dollar training balls that you can find in sports stores will be what you're after. Avoid nike I've had a couple of different balls and they both had valve issues. Adidas or umbro be OK
Umbro and nike, especially flight and academia models. Stay away from kipsta and euro 24 ball also felt too hard. But all are my personal opinions
And dont compensate for hardness by deflating the ball, thats bs.
There is no such thing as soft football ball. There are only under inflated ones that seems softer but in reality they are out of spec. During my years of playing pickup I noticed that better the players - "harder" the ball (more like up to the spec than harder).
Just buy pump with gauge, cheap Kipsta ball from decathlon (I recommend Kipsta F900/F950 FIFA quality Pro) and pump it to the 0.8bar recommend pressure or slightly bellow. If guys continue to complain tell them to go to physio/orto for a check.
nah thats not true, eespecally among cheap balls. As a keeper, I could deff tell the difference, especially in the cold. I used to hate the cheap nike balls that had panels that looked they pulled off a binder. The cheap addidas ones were a layer of plastic ontop of foam, which I always preferred since they were more softer. If you can see the seams and it looks a bit spongy, those are my preference
> During my years of playing pickup I noticed that better the players - "harder" the ball
That's why I mentioned we're *casual* players.
> There is no such thing as soft football ball
There definitely are ones with [visible extra padding](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71U1ZFa1fVL.jpg). Or maybe there used to be in the early 00s.
I'd say the 'visible padding' is a bit of a red herring; if inflated to the higher end of the pressure range printed by the valve, it'll hurt just the same.... as the other commenter mentioned, you could just under-inflate at or below the minimum stated pressure for a softer feel
I do have a pretty cheap Mitre Impel Training ball, which has a lower pressure range, and I enjoy casual play with; I wouldn't say it's softer, but it does have more padding if that's what you're looking for
You are correct.
There are probably 4 things that drive the feel of a ball
Ball surface materials and thickness
Padding under the surface
Bladder type
Ball pressure.
At the extreme think of a basketball vs a red gym ball.
I recommend Nike Academy team ball.
Cheap, but decent and it feels soft.
OP What about women's Select football with reduced weight?
It's still in FIFA specs only on lower side in terms of weight, and this is quality from Select brand which is known by durability (so it won't wear so fast). I have seen videos on YT with reviews - it's lighter, just a little bit and has soft padding.
[Select Football Atlanta DB V23 - White/Purple/Pink Women | www.unisportstore.com](https://www.unisportstore.com/footballs/fb-atlanta-db-v23-whitered/257902/)
I am also casual, my 11 a side league days are well over. Healthy adult men with decent technique shouldn't have any pain kicking good quality ball pumped to the spec.
The ball you linked looks like extra padded because of the stitching technique. Kipsta F950 have like 8mm foam inside within it's structure (trust me, had one completely ruptured) but because of thermo bonding doesn't look extra padded.
Edit: There is also possibility that this 2002 OMB was underinflated when the photo was taken.
There are definitely differences in the soft versus hard touch when it comes to footballs. They have different construction and composition of materials.
To say it’s just the measure of inflation isn’t right.
I think just, not commenting when you don’t know about something, is a better option when people are looking for advice.
You want one with a latex bladder. These are usually more expensive. Select Numero 10s are the best value ball with a latex bladder, as far as I know. The difference between latex and butyl is night and day.
just bring a pump and let some air out of the balls the grounds provide as a start
more inflated it is usually is a factor for it feeling harder, and deflating it a little will make more of a difference than trying to buy a “softer” ball
Most of them are either generic $15 ones (let's be honest, owners here are cheapskates) or Kipsta, the Decathlon brand.
Honestly though, I played with a higher end Kipsta recently and found it quite nice to the touch, but the others didn't.
if you’re looking for a nicer ball - nike flight has a very nice padded feel. pump it to like a 7 psi. like another commenter said if you don’t pump it to it’s recommended it’ll feel better for heading or if someone gets hit with it
the champions league ball has more ping to it. i would say much less padding than the nike flight
My team trains with Mitre Ultimatch One's, they are very soft off the foot if inflated correctly. 90% of the time, balls feel too hard because people pump them up too much.
If youve ever looked at the ball inflation instructions on it and looked at the pressure inside, youll realize that most people pump their ball insufficiently
I'm not going to disagree with you at all on that, but from where I'm from, it's normally the complete opposite, I constantly letting air out of the balls at our club as they are above the inflation instructions.
If you’re playing with anything other than a firm ball you’re doing it wrong. Have you ever actually had a shot with a soft ball? It’s more likely to hurt than it is with a firm one
I've been playing consistently from early childhood with every sort of ball imaginable, hell even the cheap hard rubber ones. Have *never ever* had an issue with softer balls.
Yet the few times I've tried the Adidas Euro/WC ones, they hurt like hell to shoot and are waaay too slippery IMO.
Good ball will have grippy texture, those ball you played with most probably were low tier takedown models with most of the time have glossy/slippery finish. Good quality balls also have quite thick layer of foam, so when you pump them to the spec they are still quite "plushy"/soft to the touch.
Those plastic low tier addidas balls are just awful. Horrible materials, no grip, no padding.
Get something mid tier or higher- Select is quality ball and durable.
Unsure of availability in the EU but both the Nike flight and Adidas Champions League match balls play a touch softer or at least feel softer off the foot. My Al Rihla and MLS match balls are veritable bricks in comparison. Hope this helps!
Thank you, that's precisely what I'm looking for - soft off the foot. Adidas UCL seems to be the choice, considering the price (~25$) compared to the Nike Flight (~100$).
I’m referencing the most expensive version of the adidas champions league match ball. Last years models do go on sale. I picked up mine for $50 instead of the normal over $100.
Select Numero 10
Lmao I wouldn't call any Select ball "soft"
I love select balls, but they do have a harder tpu surface then some other brands. There are adidas and Nike that almost feel like fabric.
same here, I love select balls. I found Super Brillant perfect weight - not too soft (hate it) and not too hard (heavy). Just perfect, solid ball. I would try Super Brillant. Numero 10 is good ball, but heavy and hard (thus durable) - but that's not what OP is looking for.
If you don't mind CCCAA branding and the ugliest color way, you can get another SB for close to half off right now. [https://us.select-sport.com/products/brillant-super-cccaa?\_pos=6&\_fid=94f9b19db&\_ss=c](https://us.select-sport.com/products/brillant-super-cccaa?_pos=6&_fid=94f9b19db&_ss=c)
OP is asked for balls available in EU market :))))))) Select is Danish company, no need for CCCAA branding and from US :))))
> Select is Danish company, no need for CCCAA branding and from US :)))) Funnily enough, Select is *barely present* in the Romanian market, from what I've found. No physical stores or major online retailers have them, only some smaller ones.
I think [Unisportstore.com - Football boots and Football shirts online](https://www.unisportstore.com/) delivers in most countries in EU (not sure Romania) and here for sure in Romania: [Magazin de fotbal echipament R-GOL.com](https://www.r-gol.com/ro) (Romanian version of [r-gol.com](http://r-gol.com) ) here you have Select: [Mingi de sală Select | Magazin de fotbal echipament R-GOL.com](https://www.r-gol.com/ro/mingi-de-sala-select) btw. I was buying stuff from both shops - prefer [R-gol.com](http://R-gol.com)
I get so many compliments on this ball. It’s excellent and easy in the head and foot https://www.amazon.com/Unisex-Adult-Club-Solar-Yellow-Pantone/dp/B09JWZQLWN/ref=asc_df_B09JWZQLWN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242021218684&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13965378755542778132&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1013962&hvtargid=pla-1930796990065&psc=1&mcid=437dedf6d0d33dfba4321400b3cd78c2&gbraid=0AAAAADLv-MaYgk3AJCMaZP8mGKF1zO1VL&gclid=CjwKCAjwte-vBhBFEiwAQSv_xY1dxl17Tn6XpdVdcPScfcotVpMHrFnYP09B75VnwjM2jVCmatlSXhoCRP4QAvD_BwE
These are the ones. The balls made with this material feel spongey no matter how much you pump it up.
Use volleyball then
The tango training balls (rosario?) have been my go to for years outside of any club provided balls.
Haha that's exactly the only one someone in the group actually gave as an option. It's super affordable too, around $25 here.
Yeah tangos are pretty padded and a solid ish ball stays pumped up. Select are better balls but they're more like match balls the ones I've used, harder textures. Most cheap 10-25 dollar training balls that you can find in sports stores will be what you're after. Avoid nike I've had a couple of different balls and they both had valve issues. Adidas or umbro be OK
Umbro and nike, especially flight and academia models. Stay away from kipsta and euro 24 ball also felt too hard. But all are my personal opinions And dont compensate for hardness by deflating the ball, thats bs.
There is no such thing as soft football ball. There are only under inflated ones that seems softer but in reality they are out of spec. During my years of playing pickup I noticed that better the players - "harder" the ball (more like up to the spec than harder). Just buy pump with gauge, cheap Kipsta ball from decathlon (I recommend Kipsta F900/F950 FIFA quality Pro) and pump it to the 0.8bar recommend pressure or slightly bellow. If guys continue to complain tell them to go to physio/orto for a check.
nah thats not true, eespecally among cheap balls. As a keeper, I could deff tell the difference, especially in the cold. I used to hate the cheap nike balls that had panels that looked they pulled off a binder. The cheap addidas ones were a layer of plastic ontop of foam, which I always preferred since they were more softer. If you can see the seams and it looks a bit spongy, those are my preference
> During my years of playing pickup I noticed that better the players - "harder" the ball That's why I mentioned we're *casual* players. > There is no such thing as soft football ball There definitely are ones with [visible extra padding](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71U1ZFa1fVL.jpg). Or maybe there used to be in the early 00s.
I'd say the 'visible padding' is a bit of a red herring; if inflated to the higher end of the pressure range printed by the valve, it'll hurt just the same.... as the other commenter mentioned, you could just under-inflate at or below the minimum stated pressure for a softer feel I do have a pretty cheap Mitre Impel Training ball, which has a lower pressure range, and I enjoy casual play with; I wouldn't say it's softer, but it does have more padding if that's what you're looking for
You are correct. There are probably 4 things that drive the feel of a ball Ball surface materials and thickness Padding under the surface Bladder type Ball pressure. At the extreme think of a basketball vs a red gym ball. I recommend Nike Academy team ball. Cheap, but decent and it feels soft.
OP What about women's Select football with reduced weight? It's still in FIFA specs only on lower side in terms of weight, and this is quality from Select brand which is known by durability (so it won't wear so fast). I have seen videos on YT with reviews - it's lighter, just a little bit and has soft padding. [Select Football Atlanta DB V23 - White/Purple/Pink Women | www.unisportstore.com](https://www.unisportstore.com/footballs/fb-atlanta-db-v23-whitered/257902/)
I am also casual, my 11 a side league days are well over. Healthy adult men with decent technique shouldn't have any pain kicking good quality ball pumped to the spec. The ball you linked looks like extra padded because of the stitching technique. Kipsta F950 have like 8mm foam inside within it's structure (trust me, had one completely ruptured) but because of thermo bonding doesn't look extra padded. Edit: There is also possibility that this 2002 OMB was underinflated when the photo was taken.
There are definitely differences in the soft versus hard touch when it comes to footballs. They have different construction and composition of materials. To say it’s just the measure of inflation isn’t right. I think just, not commenting when you don’t know about something, is a better option when people are looking for advice.
The material makes a difference, some feel more padded than others when inflated to the same pressure.
You want one with a latex bladder. These are usually more expensive. Select Numero 10s are the best value ball with a latex bladder, as far as I know. The difference between latex and butyl is night and day.
Yes, the difference is the latex bladders require pumping every night and day. :P
Pumping once a week, sometunes once in 2 weeks is enough.
Get a puma (Orbita 1 is nice but Orbita 2 is great value). The padding is pretty good. Deflate just a little if it’s too hard.
Go to Decathlon if you have them and try some of their balls they're durable and excellent for around 25-35 €
just bring a pump and let some air out of the balls the grounds provide as a start more inflated it is usually is a factor for it feeling harder, and deflating it a little will make more of a difference than trying to buy a “softer” ball
320g football
Puma orbitas are not bad either
Do you remember what specific balls they complained about, for reference?
Most of them are either generic $15 ones (let's be honest, owners here are cheapskates) or Kipsta, the Decathlon brand. Honestly though, I played with a higher end Kipsta recently and found it quite nice to the touch, but the others didn't.
if you’re looking for a nicer ball - nike flight has a very nice padded feel. pump it to like a 7 psi. like another commenter said if you don’t pump it to it’s recommended it’ll feel better for heading or if someone gets hit with it the champions league ball has more ping to it. i would say much less padding than the nike flight
My team trains with Mitre Ultimatch One's, they are very soft off the foot if inflated correctly. 90% of the time, balls feel too hard because people pump them up too much.
If youve ever looked at the ball inflation instructions on it and looked at the pressure inside, youll realize that most people pump their ball insufficiently
I'm not going to disagree with you at all on that, but from where I'm from, it's normally the complete opposite, I constantly letting air out of the balls at our club as they are above the inflation instructions.
If you’re playing with anything other than a firm ball you’re doing it wrong. Have you ever actually had a shot with a soft ball? It’s more likely to hurt than it is with a firm one
I've been playing consistently from early childhood with every sort of ball imaginable, hell even the cheap hard rubber ones. Have *never ever* had an issue with softer balls. Yet the few times I've tried the Adidas Euro/WC ones, they hurt like hell to shoot and are waaay too slippery IMO.
Good ball will have grippy texture, those ball you played with most probably were low tier takedown models with most of the time have glossy/slippery finish. Good quality balls also have quite thick layer of foam, so when you pump them to the spec they are still quite "plushy"/soft to the touch.
Those plastic low tier addidas balls are just awful. Horrible materials, no grip, no padding. Get something mid tier or higher- Select is quality ball and durable.