It may not have occurred to you before, but one of the best and easiest ways to decide on a soccer ball for your children is to pick it out in accordance with their age. Never mind their experience in playing the game or random weird ideas like the length of their gait. Just take a look at the calendar!

Of course, there are tons of helpful online resources, such as this review, that can help you choose the very best equipment. Still, you should have some idea of what is what before you commit to a purchase, so here is a brief guide on different soccer ball sizes and the age groups they correspond to.

Size 1 is the smallest possible soccer ball that you can find commercially available. It has a circumference of 18”, approximately. For this reason, it is also called the mini ball. It is the perfect ball for toddlers who are just starting to develop their ability to kick, as well as for very young children.

They come in especially useful if you have a child who is less than 3 years old but is already starting to learn soccer. These balls are notable for their exceedingly small dimensions and light weight. These same characteristics also make it a steadfast favorite among adult professional players and their coaches, typically for the purposes of training their keep ups, dribbling, and other types of control drills.

Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, the next one in line is the Size 3 soccer ball, not a “size 2”. This is the single tiniest official soccer ball that is legally used in games, and it is being made and distributed for players who are 8 years old or younger. They are about 23” in circumference, and being a little larger than the size 1 they can withstand kicks that are harder.

Unless your child becomes a professional soccer player and spends the rest of their active life handling the proper adult size ball, this variety will be the one that they will spend the most time with. Therefore, it is advisable that you invest in one of high quality that will last you for at least several years. You can find some tips on choosing a good soccer ball in this handy article.

The Size 4 soccer balls are aimed at slightly older children than the size 3 variant. With a circumference of 25” it is meant to be used by young players aged 9 through 12. Being a little bigger than the size 3, it is also somewhat heavier, and this is the last soccer ball that young players will encounter before they officially make the transition to the adult ball that is used on the global scale. This ball variant is rather similar in size to the genuine adult ball, and this makes it an indispensable aid in home training for all players who are still within the effective age range.

Finally, last on our list, the Size 5 soccer ball is the one that is used in legitimate adult competitions. It is the largest available ball of all the previous ones we mentioned, coming in at around 27” at the circumference. This is the ball that is required to be used by all players who are 13 years old or older. Therefore, just like with the size 3 ball, you would do well to invest in a piece of high quality equipment so that your children can have the proper practice that they need.

When you go shopping for a size 5 ball for your young soccer player, you should make sure that it has been marked as approved by FIFA. This approval marking indicates that you are indeed buying a professional grade product instead of some counterfeit sham. You can learn more about FIFA’s soccer ball standards at their official relevant page: https://football-technology.fifa.com/en/standards/footballs/.

If a ball has been marked as approved by FIFA, you can be sure it was tested for water retention rate, bounce, weight, circumference and size in general, and all other relevant factors. Because FIFA approval is so widespread, affordable quality balls are easy to find.

It’s In The Game! – Top-5 Newcastle United Players On EA Sports FIFA 18

While Newcastle United take a break from their Premier League campaign thanks to the international fixture schedule, let us also withdraw from the world of real football and venture into the realm of video games.  

EA Sports’ FIFA is one of the most played games across the world and recently the latest edition of the game – FIFA 18, was released. As is the case, fans were waiting eagerly to see how their favourite players were rated, and there were some interesting ratings thrown our way.  

So, let’s take a look at the top five Newcastle United players on FIFA 18.

Florian Lejeune – 79 

The summer signing from Eibar, Florian Lejeune, is Newcastle’ best-rated player in the newest edition of FIFA, with an overall rating of 79. 

The Frenchman has seen his playing time curtailed due to an injury on the first day of the season against Tottenham Hotspur and as a result, the Magpies supporters have seen very little of him so far. But they will want him in their line-ups in the game without a doubt. A more than impressive 85 in physicality (PHY) and a decent enough 78 in defence (DEF), there could be a case made for better numbers in his passing (PAS) which stands at 59 and dribbling at 61 (DRI), while his pace (PAC) is at a lowly 49. 

Jonjo Shelvey – 77 

The English midfielder, minus his temperament, is one of the best players at Newcastle and it makes sense that he features in this list, with a rating of 77. 

Shelvey’s passing (PAS) is the highest-rated feature of his game, standing at 79, closely followed by his physical (PHY) attributes, which has been given a 77. His shooting (SHO) and dribbling (DRI) stand at 73, while his speed (PAC) and defensive (DEF) contributions are rated closely at 62 and 60 respectively.  

Henri Saivet – 77 

This one is a bit of a surprise for Newcastle fans, as they rarely see this midfielder in action. Henri Saivet as the joint second-highest rated player in the squad along with Shelvey. 

The Senegalese was loaned out to St. Etienne last season, where he made 35 appearances, but has rarely been used by manager Rafael Benitez and has made just one appearance so far this season, which was in a cup tie. The 26-year old midfielder falls behind Shelvey in three aspects – passing (PAS) 78, physicality (PHY) 70 and shooting (SHO) 71, but trumps the Englishman in his pace (PAC), which stands at 74, along with dribbling (DRI) and defence stats (DEF) which stand at 78 and 64 respectively. 

Chancel Mbemba – 76 

The young defender has seen his rating drop by one compared to FIFA 17, but features in Newcastle’s top five players in FIFA 18 with an overall rating of 76.  

Mbemba has been played out of position on most occasions this campaign, filling in at left-back, but retains his centre-back position in the game. His physicality (PHY) is the best-rated aspect in the game at 80, followed by his defence (DEF) which stands at 75 and pace (PAC) at 74. The 23-year old’s dribbling capabilities are rated at 64 while his shooting and passing are at an underwhelming 54 and 53 respectively. 

Ciaran Clark – 76 

Rounding off the top five best Newcastle players in FIFA 18 is centre-back Ciaran Clark, who is rated at 76, along with Mbemba and a number of other players in Jesus Gamez and Javi Manquillo.  

The Irishman, over the past year, has established himself as the cornerstone in the Toons’ backline and has forged a strong partnership alongside Jamaal Lascelles. As expected, it’s his defence (DEF) and physicality (PHY) that stand out the most at 76, while shooting (SHO) is his worst attribute, rated at 52, close behind passing (PAS) at 55 and dribbling (DRI) at 58.  

It is a bit of a surprise to see Matt Ritchie not be in the top-5 highest-rated players from Newcastle, while Dwight Gayle too misses out, as both of them are rated at 75.

Top-5 Leeds United Players On EA Sports FIFA 18

While Leeds United take a break from their EFL Championship campaign, thanks to the international fixture schedule, let us also withdraw from the world of real football and venture into the realm of video games.  

EA Sports’ FIFA is one of the most played games across the world and recently the latest edition of the game – FIFA 18, was released. As is the case, fans were waiting eagerly to see how their favourite players have been rated, and there were some interesting ratings thrown our way.  

So, let’s take a look at the top five Leeds United players on FIFA 18.

Pontus Jansson – 76 

This one’s expected given that the giant Swede is Leeds’ best defender and was one of the best in his position last season.

A mainstay in the Whites’ backline, Jansson is known to be an old-school, no-nonsense defender and it reflects in his ratings, with the EA rating him at 77 in defence (DEF) and 79 in physicality (PHY). Numbers in other aspects aren’t a stand-out, with pace (PAC) and dribbling (DRI) both at 62, passing (PAS) 52 and shooting (SHO) at an underwhelming 42. 

Felix Wiedwald – 76 

This might come as a surprise for the Leeds faithful, especially considering his recent displays. But goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald is their joint best player in FIFA 18 along with Pontus Jansson.  

The German stopper has drawn the ire of the fans in recent weeks, after having let in 9 goals in the last 4 games. He wasn’t really convincing enough at his previous club Werder Bremen either. But EA rates his reflexes (REF) at a very good 82 and has given his diving abilities (DIV) a 77. Wiedwald’s positioning (POS) stats stand at 73, handling (HAN) at 68 and kicking (KIC), which is supposed to be a stronger facet of his game, at 67 with his pace (PAC) at 38.  

Samu Saiz – 75 

Many Leeds fans would have wanted to see him as their best player, given the impact that he has made since arriving in the summer form Spanish second division side Huesca, but Samu Saiz is their second best with an overall rating of 75.  

Having won over the fans with his ability to create chances and his eye for a goal, the Spaniard has good numbers in the attacking facets of the game – with dribbling (DRI) at 77, pace (PAC) at 75, passing (PAS) at 74 and shooting (SHO) at 70. As expected, his physicality (PHY) is on a slightly lower side at 59 while his defence (DEF) stats are the lowest at 29. A skill move rating of three stars and a weaker foot rating of four stars are also quite impressive for the 26-year old.  

Pablo Hernandez – 74 

Samu Saiz’s compatriot and partner in crime in the Leeds attack, Pablo Hernandez is the third highest rated player for the Yorkshire-based outfit with an overall rating of 74. 

The Whites’ creator-in-chief has impressive numbers in the attacking aspects of the game with dribbling (DRI) being his highest-rated attribute at 78, followed by passing (PAS) at 73 and pace (PAC) at 71. His shooting skills (SHO) are slated to be at 70, although there could be an argument made for a higher rating in that aspect. Physicality (PHY) at 58 and defence (DEF) at 42 are very much agreeable. Hernandez is a four-star player in terms of skill moves, but his weaker foot usage stands at three-stars.  

Pierre-Michel Lasogga – 74 

Completing the top five for Leeds United is summer acquisition Pierre-Michel Lasogga, who was brought in to fill in the shoes left vacant by Chris Wood’s departure to Burnley.  

The German forward is known for his brute strength and physicality along with his clinical nature in front of goal, which is very well highlighted in his ratings, with both physicality (PHY) and shooting (SHO) standing at a high 80. The rest of his numbers aren’t really that great, with dribbling (DRI) at 62, pace (PAC) at 48 and passing (PAS) at 44. His defensive stats (DEF) are at just 35.