The first question is:
Local league rules will specify what size ball your child will be using. The following is a general guideline:
Size 3 - U8 and below
Size
4 - U10 to U12
Size 5 - Above U12
The official FIFA size ball is the 5.
No.
But there are practical considerations.
Balls gets scattered & moved all around a practice field. I have found it worthwhile to have my kids use balls with unique colors - easy to find, hard to lose.
For the same reason I recommend you shop for soccer balls AWAY from your hometown.
If every kid has the same orange ball, what have you gained?
Here are some good examples of unique color combinations.
Yes.
Here is a good reference guide for quality issues! However, until your child needs a size 5, I wouldn't worry about it. In my opinion, cheaper is better for the younger ages as long as it meets the size & color requirements.
I would rather have 2 cheap soccer balls than 1 expensive ball any day.
What is it, you ask?
This is a small (size 2 I think) soccer ball, sometimes also called a mini ball.
The great thing about these skills balls is that kids naturally love to play with them. They are great for practicing turns, feints, dribbling, shooting, and of course juggling.
Why is it called a skills ball?
Think about it. If your child can learn to do all of these soccer skills with a small ball, what happens when they move to a size 3 or 4 ball? It becomes a piece of cake!
Make sure you get the right size!
Another great place to look for one is on Amazon!
So that you can see what amazon has to offer, I have put below current search results for "soccer ball".
Soccer-for-Parents is excited to now offer our Simple Soccer Rules to parents "on the go". This is our own free android app (sorry ipeople) that installs in seconds and contains everything on our normal rules page along with a link to the official FIFA rules and USYSAA rules. Here is the free app!
(ad free version here)
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