Q. What Size Soccer Ball do I need?
A. This is a question we are asked a lot. It depends on the age of the person using the Ball.
Here is a simple chart to help you:
|
Size 3 |
7 and under |
|
Size 4 |
8 - 11 years old |
|
Size 5 |
12 years old and up |
Q. What are the regulation sizes & weights for Soccer Balls?
A. FIFA criteria for Size 5 balls, Inspected Category
|
Ball Size |
Circumference |
Weight |
|
5 |
68 - 70 cm
26 ¾” - 27 ½’ |
410 - 450 grams
14 ½ - 16 oz. |
USSF criteria for Size 3 & 4 balls
|
Ball Size |
Circumference |
Weight |
|
3 |
23 - 24 inches |
11 - 12 oz. |
|
4 |
25 - 26 inches |
12 - 13 oz. |
Please Note: If a size 4 soccer ball measures 25 ¼” when you inflate it the first time, it is of regulation size. Most
balls will stretch a little as they are used. The stretching process can add up to ¾” and the ball would
still be of regulation size.
Q. Can I return a Product?
A. Yes
Please ship all returns and / or exchanges by UPS or other track-able means
(U.S. Post “SIGNED RECEIPT” or Fed-EX). All returns and / or exchanges must
be accompanied by a copy of the Invoice along with a short explanation for the
return and / or exchange.
Defective items:
We will replace or issue a credit for the defective items, please specify in your note.
New Items:
We will exchange or issue a credit for the new item, please specify in you note.
Please return products to:
American Challenge
C/O Returns Department
60 South 2nd Street, Unit W
Deer Park, NY 11729
Please Note: We cannot accept COD's or packages marked "Bill Recipient".
Please keep the receipt or tracking number of your returned package in the event it is delayed or lost.
All refunds will be for merchandise only; we cannot refund shipping costs unless the item was sent in error.
If you have a question concerning a return, please feel free to call us, 1.800.638.9112.
The Customer Service department is open from 9:00am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday, Eastern Standard.
Q. What/Who is FIFA?
A. FIFA, Federation Internationale De Football Association, (International Federation Of Football Association) is the
World governing body of Soccer. Find them on the web at www.fifa.com
Q. What does it mean when the guarantee states “Guaranteed against manufacturing defects”?
A. A Manufacturing Defect in a Soccer Ball is when the ball is made and something is not done properly.
The four areas that are of relevance to the Customer are; Valve, Bladder, Shape and Stitching. If any of these four
things are not done properly the ball will not perform properly or it will fall apart.
Valve - The valve is where the Needle goes so that you can inflate the ball. If the valve is not glued correctly to the
inside of the ball it will either come loose and cause the ball to wobble or it will separate from the ball and you will
not be able to insert the needle to inflate the ball. If the Valve has fallen into the ball, it is probably defective and
you can send it back to use for exchange once we have inspected it for damage.
Bladder - The bladder is the “rubber balloon” that is inside the ball and it holds the air. If the bladder is punctured
during the sewing process the ball will loose air once it is inflated. All our bladders are inflated before
manufacturing to make sure that they do not have holes and the balls are all inflated after they are sewn to make
sure that the bladder has not been nicked by a needle during the sewing process. On occasion the bladder does
get nicked and passes inspection only to have a small hole or nick become apparent after the ball has been used.
If your ball looses air slowly, the best thing to do is inflate the ball and listen to hear the air escape. If you can find
the point were the air is coming out, you can then see if there is a thorn hole or fence hole causing the problem. If
there is no apparent hole, then the ball is probably defective and you can send it back to use for exchange once
we have inspected it for damage.
Shape - A soccer ball is round. Or as defined by FIFFA - Spherical. When we make a soccer ball we use 4 layers of
lining to make sure that the ball will retain the correct shape; round. Each layer is individually stretched and glued to
the outer casing material in opposite directions from each other so that there is the least amount of give and take
between the layers. Our intent is for the final product not to stretch or “pull” out of shape. If the ball wobbles in the
air then it is quite possiblely out of round. If this happens, then the ball is probably defective and you can send it
back to us for exchange once we have inspected it for damage.
Stitching - The thread that we use to sew our soccer balls is of the highest quality. We use a polyester thread that
is pre-stretched to insure the least amount of give in the ball. The sewers’ that sew our balls take special care to
double knot the thread on every panel to help insure that the knots do not come loose. In over 30 years of
manufacturing soccer balls we have never had a ball returned to us because the stitching has come undone or torn.
There have been a few instances were the material has torn away from the stitches, but that has usually been
caused by over inflating the soccer ball. If the stitching on your ball comes undone, then the ball is probably
defective and you can send it back to use for exchange once we have inspected it for damage.
Q. What are the “Laws of the Game”?
A. There are 17 Laws of the Game. FIFA has a great site were you can view the laws:
www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,1584,3,00.html
Search Camps Request A Catalog Frequently Asked Questions Contact Us About Us Privacy Policy
