of a 32-panel soccer ball

Abstract: The current paper details the development of a finite-element model of a manually stitched, textile reinforced 32-panel soccer ball used in elite competition. The model included material anisotropy, a stiffer regionrepresentativeof thepolyesterfibrebasedstitching, anda latex bladder membrane which was pressurized through inflation. A stiffness proportional damping coefficient was included within the material model to describe kinetic energy loss characteris-tics. The model was validated through experimental impact testing at speeds representative of play. It was found that the combined effects of material anisotropy, panel stitching, and panel configuration had a profound effect on the impact characteristics of the ball