How to Inflate a Hardened Football

A football is composed of an air bladder, surrounded by a thick skin, often leather, and is thrown about the field of play. To properly play football, you must keep the ball properly inflated. Over time, this can become difficult as the skin of the ball can harden, creating the risk of tearing the skin during the inflation process. To avoid this, you must take care when inflating the ball.

Things You'll Need

  • Liquid soap
  • Inflation pump
  • Pressure Gauge
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lubricate the needle of the inflation pump using liquid soap.

    • 2

      Insert the pump needle into the valve hole located on the football.

    • 3

      Inflate the ball, using the inflation pump, to around 80% of the recommend air capacity. You can find the recommended pressure amount on the ball.

    • 4

      Check the ball's air pressure using a pressure gauge to ensure it is properly inflated.

    • 5

      Wait 24 hours, then inflate the ball to the recommended amount. This will allow the hardened skin to expand gradually, preventing sudden tears or other damage.