A ball bladder is a hollow rubberized sphere/oval that is inflated through a valve. The shape is dependent on the type of ball. When inflated with a pump or compressor, the bladder expands the outer layers of a ball, and this gives it its shape and bounce. The ball bladder looks like a balloon but with heavier and thicker skin.

There are two main shapes to bladders – round and oval. It should be clear by shape, but round bladders go in balls like soccer, volleyball, netball, basketball, and spherical-shaped balls. While oval bladders go into rugby, AFL gridiron balls.

The heart of the ball is the bladder, and easily overlooked when choosing the right ball for you. Sounds simple right? Not really, as there are different materials, grades, thicknesses, valves, and constructions – which makes things tricky. There are also bladders that are specifically made for Futsal balls which have a low bounce. Here we will keep to the main points to make things as easy as possible.