Fact Sheet About the Eir soccer balls Eir soccer balls are game balls made in high quality, FIFA approved materials. The ball is a product of three years of research by scientists in Denmark and Germany and supported by the German and Danish soccer associations. In Denmark, the Danish FA has given full permission to play with the ball. Most of our balls support refugee girls and are created by players, artist and designers. The Eir game ball is sized 4.5, speeds up the game by 13% and cuts down injuries 50%. Things we typically don’t know The average player suffers one serious injury per season with the greatest amount of injuries impacting 12 -19 year old players. There is actually 6x as many injuries in women’s soccer as in men’s. And women suffer more head injuries in soccer than men do in ice hockey with the number of head injuries second only to men’s football. With a 90% chance of a suffering second injury, many players retire from the game before they ever reach their prime. When women kick to a size 5 ball we lift our leg a little too high. Thus the pressure on the knee is as high as up to 80%. When women are heading to a size 5 ball – the head accelerates to a level where concussions occur. Girls typically start playing with too large balls at an early age. The inappropriate size slows down the game. Most other sports – e.g. basketball, hurdle and tennis – have adjusted the game to women to give the performer the best chance to succeed. In soccer girls from age 12 are still playing with a men’s size ball. Why? PRINT & SHARE Reduced weight (368 grams / 13.0 oz vs. 425-450 grams / 14.5-15.9 oz) and reduced size (67 cm / 26.4 in vs. 68-70 cm / 26.8-27.6 in) allows a higher speed of game from an early age. The player may turn, kick and pass faster and safer – and avoid most wear and tear injuries. With reduced weight, the head acceleration remains 17% below the level where concussions occur. The lower circumference means the foot’s contact with the ball is www: eirsoccer.com email: [email protected] Soccer brand for women different, which lowers the leg to a correct position whereby knee pressure previously up to 80% goes down to 2%. An extra layer on the inside minimizes the change of ball size under various weather conditions. All game balls are designed to give each player the best chance to develop skills and speed. Recommended ball sizes We recommend girls and boys from age 5-8 to play with the Eir TECH ball, and girls from 12/13 years and up to play with the Eir SENSATIONAL. We will introduce the Eir SKILLS ball targeting girls age 9-12 in the near future. fact sheet page 2 of 2