The Spalding name is a well known brand in all types of sporting balls. When you hear big names like Adidas & Nike you can be share Spalding is among a honorable mention in the sports arena. The company founded near Chicago in 1876 by Albert Spalding (now in Springfield, Massachusetts) has always specialized in the production of high-end balls for every sport. Perhaps best known for their basketballs, Spalding has been the official ball of the National Basketball Association since the early 80’s. Today, Spalding also makes some of the most technologically advanced soccer balls on the market.
As an example of Spalding’s forward-moving technology, the company recently developed a line of patented Never Flat soccer balls, guaranteed to stay inflated 10 times longer than traditional soccer balls. The Never Flat balls use a proprietary new bladder material with smaller “pores” in the material. They also feature a redesigned air valve and as a finishing touch, the Never Flat soccer balls are all filled to playing pressure with nitrogen gas before they leave the factory.
Most soccer balls are filled with compressed air, which when dry consists of about 78 percent nitrogen, 22 percent oxygen. Water vapor (humidity) can make up as much as 5 percent of the volume of air. Filling soccer balls with nitrogen eliminates the moisture, and replaces the skinny oxygen molecules with fat nitrogen molecules, reducing the rate the gas leaks through the soccer ball. The nitrogen combined with a less-porous bladder material result in a nearly maintenance-free soccer ball that delivers very consistent long-term performance. Spalding claims the air retention of the Never Flat soccer balls is ten times longer than that of comparable balls made of traditional materials and construction.
Spalding’s NF-5000 is at the top of the Never Flat line of soccer balls. The ball utilizes a premium Underglass Textured Polyurethane cover material for high level competitive play, has a dual density foam lining, is machine stitched, incorporates a butyl bladder and has nylon windings. This means the Never Flat soccer ball is ready to play at all times, even if it has been sitting dormant for months.
Spalding also makes more traditional FIFA Approved Match soccer balls like the TF-5000. The TF-5000 meets all FIFA & NFHS specifications and features a hand-stitched polyurethane cover with a latex bladder. This ball is available in size 5 only and designed for top-level competitive play.
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