Not sure which size to pump up?
A straight answer on size 3 or size 4, and when to move up.
See the size guideHow to Inflate a Football for a Child
Kit, Rules & Safety
A ball that rings like a drum is not a better ball.
To inflate a football for a child, pump it to the number printed on the ball, add the air slowly and stop while it still gives a little.
For years I pumped every ball until my thumb could not dent it, because hard felt like proper. Then my child's first kick off the fence came back like a cannonball, hit the shed door and ended the session. The ball was fine. My pump arm was the problem.
Start here
How to Inflate a Football for a Child: The Short Answer
Pump the ball to the pressure printed beside the valve. Wet the needle, push it in straight, add air in slow strokes and stop when the ball gives a little under your thumb.
Children's balls usually ask for far less than the 8.5 to 15.6 psi that Law 2 of the Laws of the Game on the ball gives for a match ball (the FA's copy of Law 2). That range describes a size 5, so the printed number always wins.
- Read the pressure printed beside the valve.
- Wet the needle and go in straight.
- Pump in slow strokes, pressing the ball now and then.
- Stop at the printed number, or when it springs back under your thumb.
A decent ball carries its recommended pressure beside the valve (a retailer's blog). FIFA's testing manual for footballs says a tested ball must be tested "within the range indicated on the ball".
No source found says what pressure suits a child of any age. The printed number is the maker's best guidance, nothing more.
Not sure which size to pump? Start with what size football your child needs. For a ball that needs no pump, see which soft ball is safest indoors.
The numbers, with the maths
How Firm Should a Kids Football Be? Pressure for Size 3 and 4
The number to follow is the one on the ball. For the rest, here are the two makers' figures, one from Select's own table and one second hand through a retailer, set beside the Law.
To swap units, multiply bar by 14.5 to get psi, and divide psi by 14.5 to get bar. Half a bar is about 7 psi.
| Ball | Bar | Psi | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size 3 | 0.4 to 0.6 | 5.8 to 8.7 | Select's table for its kids' balls |
| Size 4 | 0.5 to 0.7 | 7.3 to 10.2 | Select's table for its kids' balls |
| Size 4, training ball | about 0.41 to 0.55 | 6 to 8 | A retailer's blog giving Mitre's advice |
| Size 4, match ball | about 0.48 to 0.69 | 7 to 10 | The same retailer's blog |
| Size 5, for comparison (the Laws) | about 0.6 to 1.1 | 8.5 to 15.6 | IFAB Law 2 |
Law 2 gives 0.6 to 1.1 atmosphere, which the Law itself converts to 8.5 to 15.6 psi. One atmosphere is 1.013 bar, so a strict conversion gives 8.8 to 16.2 psi. The Law's printed figures follow the grams per square centimetre it also quotes, so the forms agree within about 4 percent (IFAB).
Why websites disagree
The Law describes a size 5 match ball, so sites that quote 8.5 to 15.6 psi for every size are borrowing the adult range. Makers print their own, lower ranges for smaller balls, and sites differ even on size 3 (one training site's size 3 figure, an Australian retailer's age table).
Balls submitted to FIFA's quality programme are tested within the range indicated on the ball, so the printed number is the one that counts (FIFA). That is two makers, one of them stated second hand, so the print on your ball wins.
If nothing is printed, aim for the middle of Select's range for the size: about 0.5 bar or 7 psi for a size 3, and about 0.6 bar or 9 psi for a size 4. That is a fallback, not a standard.
The FA's heading guidance adds a one-line headline, "Don't over inflate the footballs", and it is written for heading practice (the FA's heading guidance headlines). Treat it as a heading-practice note, not a pressure rule for your child's ball. For heading itself, see should children head the ball.
No gauge? Start here
Ball Too Hard for a Child? The Thumb Press and Drop Check
A gauge settles it, because balls that feel about right can be off by enough to change the bounce (a retailer's pressure guide). A thumb press is a rough check that catches the two extremes.
- Too soft: your thumbs sink in and the ball looks squashed on the ground.
- About right: a small dent that springs straight back.
- Too hard: no dent at all, and it rattles your hands when it bounces.
Here is a trick that helps. Pump one ball to its printed number with a gauge once, press it and remember the feel. Use that memory next time.
The drop check
Drop the ball from waist height onto a hard flat surface. One brand says it should come back to between half and two thirds of the height you dropped it from (uhlsport's inflation guide).
That is a rule of thumb from a single brand. It has not been tested on children's balls.
Cold sheds and warm kitchens
Air pressure falls when air cools, so a ball pumped up in a warm kitchen can feel soft after a night in a cold shed. Check before play.
If it is too hard
Put a wet needle in without the pump and let the air out in short hisses, pressing the ball between bursts. Then check again.
No study ties firmness to injury or enjoyment in young children. The check is about control and comfort for small feet, not a safety threshold.
Six steps, two minutes
How to Pump Up a Football With a Needle, Step by Step
The method is the one retailers and brands give (a UK retailer's inflation guide, uhlsport, a retailer). FIFA's own testing manual uses a gauge and a lubricated needle (FIFA).
- 1
The printed number. Find the pressure beside the valve and note whether it is bar or psi. Use the conversion line if you need to switch.
- 2
A needle that fits. Push the needle firmly into the pump hose. A ball needle is a different fitting from a bike or car valve, so a bike pump needs this needle too.
- 3
A wet needle. Dip the needle in water or rub it with a little saliva before every use. FIFA's manual specifies glycerine for its tests, and the retailer says a dry needle can damage the valve (retailer guide).
- 4
Straight in. Sit with the ball steady on a rug and push the needle straight into the valve hole, never at an angle and never twisting (retailer guide). Keep your free hand clear of the needle's line.
- 5
Slow strokes. Pump in short, steady strokes, pressing the ball every ten strokes or so, or reading the gauge if the pump has one (uhlsport). A child can count the strokes out loud.
- 6
Straight out. Pull the needle straight out. The valve is one-way, so the air stays in (retailer guide). Press the ball once more and check there is no hiss.
If it ends up too hard, put the wet needle back in and let a little air out.
So you pump less often
Keeping a Kids Football Firm Between Kickabouts
Store the ball indoors at room temperature, away from direct sun and radiators, and never sit on it (a retailer's pressure guide). Check the pressure every two or three weeks and before play (uhlsport).
For a slow leak, wet the valve with a drop of soapy water and watch for bubbles. If there are none, wet the seams. A ball that goes flat in a day or two usually has a leaking valve or bladder, and a new ball is cheap compared with the frustration.
A ball that feels slightly soft is easier to control than one that feels hard. If in doubt, go a little under the printed number. That is one dad's experience, not a research finding.
Need a ball that never needs a pump? Foam is one of the four options in which soft ball is safest indoors.
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say About Pressure
Law 2 of the Laws of the Game for 2026/27 gives a ball a pressure equal to 0.6 to 1.1 atmosphere at sea level, 8.5 to 15.6 psi. The ball is 68 to 70 cm round and weighs 410 to 450 g at the start of the match (Law 2 of the Laws of the Game on the ball, the FA). The Law describes a size 5 match ball and gives no figure for a size 3 or 4. It is the outer official range, not guidance for a child's ball.
The FIFA Quality Programme testing manual of October 2022 says balls are inflated to a defined pressure with a gauge and a glycerine-lubricated needle. It adds that "the pressure value at which the ball is tested at must be within the range indicated on the ball" (FIFA). That is a test procedure for certified balls, not parent guidance, and most children's balls are not certified.
Select's table for its kids' balls and a retailer's blog on Mitre's advice for a size 4 give the other figures (Select, the retailer). That is one maker's undated table and a second-hand attribution that could not be confirmed on the maker's own site. Makers differ.
The FA's heading guidance headline reads "Don't over inflate the footballs: use the lowest pressure authorised by the Laws of the Game" (FA). It is one line inside heading guidance for training, not a pressure standard for garden play. The lowest pressure the Laws allow, about 8.5 psi, sits at the top of Select's size 3 range.
The HSE's compressed air safety guidance names skin penetration, bodily entry and explosions as headline dangers (the HSE's compressed air safety guidance). It is industrial guidance from 1998 and is not about footballs.
No source found says what pressure is best for a child, and none measures injuries from firmer or softer balls in young children. I would rather say the printed number is a sensible default than pretend a study picked it.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Inflating a Child's Football
How do I inflate a football for a child?
Read the pressure printed beside the valve. Wet the needle, push it in straight, pump in slow strokes and stop at the printed number (FIFA, retailer, uhlsport). Pull the needle straight out.
How firm should a kids football be?
It should give a little under your thumb and spring straight back. A gauge is the precise check, and the number printed on the ball is the target (retailer). There is no tested figure for a child.
What pressure should a size 3 or size 4 football be?
One maker's table gives 0.4 to 0.6 bar (5.8 to 8.7 psi) for a size 3 and 0.5 to 0.7 bar (7.3 to 10.2 psi) for a size 4 (Select). The Laws' 8.5 to 15.6 psi is for a size 5 match ball (IFAB). Follow the number on your ball.
What if there is no pressure printed on the ball?
Aim for the middle of that maker's range for the size, about 7 psi for a size 3 and 9 psi for a size 4, and check the feel. That is a fallback, not a standard (Select).
My child's ball feels too hard. What do I do?
Put a wet needle in without the pump and let a little air out in short bursts, pressing the ball between each one. Check again with a thumb press or a gauge.
Can I use a compressor or a bike pump?
A bike pump works only with a ball needle fitted. A compressor or air line should stay an adult tool, never go past the printed pressure and never point at anyone (HSE).
How often should I check the pressure?
One brand says every two or three weeks and before play (uhlsport). A ball pumped up in the warm can feel soft after a cold night, so check before a kickabout.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what you need.
Want a ball that needs no pump?
Foam, socks, balloon or futsal: which soft ball suits indoors.
See the soft ballsWant the whole Kit, Rules & Safety shelf?
Boots, shin pads, mouthguards and more, in one place.
See Kit, Rules & SafetyTonight's five minutes
Find the number on the ball.
Before the next kickabout, turn the ball until you see the pressure printed beside the valve. Write it on a sticky note by the pump, pump to that number and press the ball once so your thumb remembers the feel.