What is a Basketball made of?
What is a Basketball made of?
A pebbled composite or leather cover over nylon winding and a butyl rubber bladder.
A leather ball is not usable straight from the box: the tanned surface is slick until the finish is worn off, which is why NBA balls were broken in by hand for years and why the 2006 switch to a synthetic microfibre cover was abandoned within two months after players complained about grip and cuts. Composite covers now dominate because they play the same wet or dry and need no breaking in. The seam channels are as functional as the pebbling — they give the shooting hand a reference the fingers can find without looking.
Component by component
| Part | Material | Why that material |
|---|---|---|
| cover | full-grain leather (indoor), composite leather (indoor-outdoor), or rubber (outdoor) | Leather grips best but is ruined by concrete; rubber survives a playground and grips least. |
| pebbling | moulded raised dots, about 35,000 of them on a size 7 ball | The dots hold a thin layer of hand moisture and give the fingertips something to load against on a shot. |
| winding | nylon or polyester thread wound over the bladder | The winding holds the sphere true under pressure so the ball does not develop flat spots. |
| bladder | butyl rubber | Butyl is far less permeable to air than natural rubber, so the ball holds its 7.5-8.5 psi for months. |
Other sport and games objects
- Tennis ball A pressurised hollow shell of vulcanised rubber, covered in a glued-on wool and nylon felt.
- Golf ball A moulded polybutadiene rubber core inside an ionomer or urethane cover, dimpled all over.
- Soccer ball Polyurethane outer panels over a laminated fabric backing, wrapped around a latex or butyl bladder.
- Cricket ball A cork core tightly wound with wool yarn, cased in four pieces of dyed leather with a stitched seam.
- Bowling ball A dense shaped weight block inside a filler, wrapped in a polyester, urethane or reactive resin coverstock.
Common questions
- What is a Basketball made of?
- A pebbled composite or leather cover over nylon winding and a butyl rubber bladder.
- What is the cover of a Basketball made of?
- Full-grain leather (indoor), composite leather (indoor-outdoor), or rubber (outdoor). Leather grips best but is ruined by concrete; rubber survives a playground and grips least.
- What is the pebbling of a Basketball made of?
- Moulded raised dots, about 35,000 of them on a size 7 ball. The dots hold a thin layer of hand moisture and give the fingertips something to load against on a shot.
Related pages
- Tennis ball A pressurised hollow shell of vulcanised rubber, covered in a glued-on wool and nylon felt.
- Golf ball A moulded polybutadiene rubber core inside an ionomer or urethane cover, dimpled all over.
- Soccer ball Polyurethane outer panels over a laminated fabric backing, wrapped around a latex or butyl bladder.
- Cricket ball A cork core tightly wound with wool yarn, cased in four pieces of dyed leather with a stitched seam.
- Bowling ball A dense shaped weight block inside a filler, wrapped in a polyester, urethane or reactive resin coverstock.
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Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place