How To Fix A Basketball That Won’t Hold Air – Get Hyped Sports
Every single basketball will eventually start leaking in some way, whether you want it to or not, with even the best cared for balls becoming a problem. It’s essential to know how your basketball can leak and what you may stop the air from escaping.
Your basketball may have dirt, or something else stuck in the valve that needs to be cleaned out to help it seal properly. If you have a small leak, you can melt the hole shut with a hot melt, patch it with a kit, or you may have to resow the seam that has been broken and needs to be resealed.
You must understand just how your basketball can suddenly start leaking air when you least expect it. Many things can cause this issue, and people have made the mistake of disposing valuable balls that can be fixed within a few minutes.
Why Would a Basketball Keep Losing Air?
Three things can cause your basketball to leak, each one of them usually being fixable with just a bit of patience. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the potential causes of basketball leaks, as this will ensure that you know what you need to fix them.
Focusing on these three will allow you to comfortably have your favorite ball for a lot longer, with most leather balls fixable until their last puff of air. You must ensure that you know how to fix and identify the most common ways to damage a basketball.
Valve Leak
Oddly enough, a valve leak or damage is most familiar with the basketballs cared for the most, as the valve becomes damaged because it is often used.
The valve will often be damaged because the needle is wrong, dirt is stuck in the valve or aging.
Most people often rule out valve leaks as they assume the valves will not be damaged no matter how many times they pump the basketball. However, it takes one needle accidentally dropped to entirely ruin a valve as the valves are made of plastic.
Small Holes
A leather basketball is not so likely to suffer from small holes as they use an internal bladder system, and when pumped to the correct pressure, it will not be damaged.
However, most other basketballs can quickly develop tiny holes that must be patched or fixed.
Rubber basketballs have no internal bladder, with composite basketballs differing from manufacturer to manufacturer. These holes can be made by anything from overinflating to having the ball roll or bounce onto something small and sharp, making these the most common problems.
Seam Leaks
Rubber basketballs and composite basketballs do not have seams as they are one solid piece of material containing the air, making seam leaks unlikely. However, select composite basketballs and all leather balls seam leaks can cause damage to the bladder, causing leaks.
Seam leaks are natural for all balls made using the bladder system as the materials stretch and change over time. This means that the seams start to open, and the soft, sensitive internal rubber bladder can be damaged by the seams themselves or by sand stuck inside the ball.
How To Fix Each Type Of Leak
Now that you know the most common types of leaks for your basketball, you need to know how to fix them. However, depending on how the ball is damaged, the required work to fix the ball will be different, with the type of ball creating further confusion.
A few things cannot be fixed, with holes large enough to put your finger through, meaning that the ball needs to be replaced. Repairing the ball properly will easily and comfortably have you enjoy the ball for a lot longer than the manufacturer expected.
Fixing a valve leak
This is the most touch-and-go type of leak you can find with your basketball, whether a leather ball or a rubber ball. You need to ensure that you can do everything that may need to be done to your valve before attempting to fix them.
Generally, we recommend not trying to fix a valve that is holding no air at all; once you remove the needle, the valve lets all the air out, you have to consider replacing it. Knowing when this will happen is important and how to fix the ball otherwise is what will help your ball last forever.
Wet needle: This is the repair that you should always hope works, get some soapy water, and dip the needle into the water. Insert and remove the needle multiple times from the valve; this cleans out any dirt or debris stuck inside the valve that stops it from closing.
Inset Toothpick: A temporary fix that should only be done if you have no other choice is to insert a needle to plug the basketball. If the valve has been broken entirely and cannot block the air, you can insert a toothpick and break it off flush with the valve.
Replace Valve: This will require a unique tool and is only ever worth doing with a leather basketball. The valves can be replaced without breaking the ball’s seams or removing the bladder; with a new valve, most balls will be perfectly usable for another few games. Here are some great replacements on Amazon that we found.
See Our Complete List Of Helpful Basketball Articles Here.
Fixing a Hole
Leather balls rarely, if ever, get a hole as the materials are stronger than their rubber counterparts, with only needles or thorns pressed into them easily breaking through. If your ball is overinflated, it will be more prone to developing these holes, whether they’re leather or rubber.
To fix a small hole causing the ball to lose air slowly, you must identify whether the ball has an internal bladder. Most rubber basketballs do not have bladders inside; composite balls may or may not have an internal bladder, while all leather balls have bladders.
Patching Kit: Basketball patching kits consist of a needle inserted into the area where the hole is and a liquid inserted. This liquid is sucked out of the hole and then hardens, sealing the hole and keeping the air inside; this only works on rubber balls. Here is an example of a patching kit.
Hot Knife: Using a hot knife will not work on all rubber basketballs, will not work on leather, but will quickly seal a vinyl basketball. These basketballs look similar to others, but you can easily seal most small holes on a basketball with only a hot, blunt knife.
Replace Bladder: We recommend doing this every few years anyway as the bladder will be damaged and deformed as the ball is used. Replacing leather or composite basketball bladder requires a few special tools that you may not want to buy, but you can send the ball away to have it done.
Repairing The Seam
We don’t recommend you attempt when you have a composite or rubber ball as the cost and time needed to do it are overwhelming. Rubber balls do not have seams to start with, just seam lines, while composite balls are not much more expensive than redoing the seam.
You will require more than just a needle and thread, which many people assume you need; you will also require the sealant. The seams on modern leather basketballs are hidden by the black lines that crisscross the entire ball; these give the balls their iconic look.
We highly recommend that you send the ball to a professional to have this done; not only will they be able to test the health of your bladder, but they can also reseal everything as well. The threading and stitching required to repair a seam are tight and need stronger thread than usual.
Conclusion
Your basketball can have multiple reasons that it will be leaking air out of it at a steady pace, with most people assuming it’s easy to fix. Knowing how to and when to repair your basketball will allow you to enjoy the basketball for a lot longer.
Whatever you do, please don’t try to fix a basketball that has any cut in it larger than a few inches!
How can i repair a small hole in a basketball?
This technique works well with minute punctures. The bare essentials to perform this operation are a small sachet of super-glue(per leak), like Feviquick, and a disposable syringe (its a good idea to by a second in case the glue.
First pump up the Basketball until it is relatively firm. Now immerse the ball in a half-filled bucket of water (half-filled so the water doesn't come splashing down all over you), making sure that all of the ball is completely below the surface. Locate all the leaks by the stream of bubbles emerging from the surface of the ball. Encircle and cross the leak(like a cross-hair)( using a permanent marker (contrasting colour) or a ball point pen, if you don't mind the tiny marks on your ball, as this will help locate the leak quickly.
Now you may release the part of the air from the ball (using the nozzle provided with your basketball) to make sure that air is no longer emerging from the puncture.
This is the tricky part. The next few steps must be executed quickly so its best you read this part through before attempting the following....
BE VERY CAREFUL HANDLING THE SYRINGE. DO NOT ACCIDENTALLY INJECT YOURSELF OR ANYONE ELSE WITH THE SUPER GLUE AS THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE LETHAL. IF YOU CHOOSE TO PERFORM THIS OPERATION MAKE SURE YOU DO IT IN THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER ADULT, AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, WHO IS IN A POSITION TO FETCH HELP IN CASE OF ANY EMERGENCY.
Open your sachet/bottle of super glue and dip the needle of the syringe into the glue itself. Draw the glue into the syringe and make sure there aren't any air bubbles.
Now locate the leak, which you have marked with the marker pen and insert the needle through the skin. Let the syringe be inserted up to half its entire length. Now turn the ball until your syringe is dangling underneath the ball itself. At this point, inject a tiny amount of super glue into the ball while keeping the ball above the syringe itself. Carefully removed the syringe from the ball and apply a couple of drops of super glue to the punctured area on the outer surface. Do not apply too much here as the glue will tend to spread and solidify unevenly ruining the appearance of the ball.
Keep the ball in the same position (with the puncture directly at the bottom) for a period of time until the super glue dries completely.
Repeat the process for each of the leaks, one at a time. Use multiple syringes (a syringe can rarely be reused after it has drawn super glue as the glue solidifies inside) to repair multiple punctures.
After this step, you may now pump up the ball and repeat the immersion test to see if all the leaks have been properly sealed. If yes, then you are ready to play ball. If not, then its most likely you injected the super-glue in the wrong spot or were too careless with the ball's position while injecting the glue.
In theory, the super-glue instantly binds with the material inside the ball forming an airtight crust. The excess glue pools around the puncture, while a certain amount trickles into the air passage of the leak itself. This created a sort of board-pin like structure that proves to be quite sturdy and is also complimented by the increased air-pressure once the ball is properly pumped. The glue on the outer surface reinforces the punctured region preventing the passage from reopening in the near future.
This answer is:
How to repair a soccer ball?
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How to repair a soccer ball?
Despite the fact that the design of most soccer balls from trusted manufacturers is durable and practical, for a number of reasons various “emergencies” can occur with a game projectile. Shards of broken glass, pointed ends of metal fences, constant pumping, improper operation - all this can lead to various types of damage. The list of possible damage to football equipment includes:
- Damage to the chamber (puncture formation)
- Damaged nipple
- Damage to the tire (seam rupture)
What to do if a soccer ball hits?
The most annoying thing is when the ball breaks down at the most inopportune moment, for example, before a long-awaited important match or training in good weather. So, what to do if a soccer ball is punched? In such a situation, you have three options. You can send the damaged ball to rest and purchase a new ball from the sports shop. Also, you can give it to the workshop for repair, but this will entail additional financial costs. Well, finally, you can try to repair the projectile on your own. By choosing this option, you will save your money, but at the same time you will have to make some efforts and spend some amount of precious time.
Any repair starts with problem diagnosis. If tire damage can be determined visually, then with the nipple and the camera the situation is a little more complicated. In order to make sure that the nipple is functioning normally, you need to apply soapy water or saliva to its opening. The absence of constantly appearing bubbles will indicate the working condition of the valve. In this case, you should look for damage on the camera itself. If the "hole" is large enough, then it can be detected by simply putting a hand to the camera. When you encounter a microscopic puncture, finding it will be a bit more difficult. To do this, you will need to carefully open the seam, remove the camera and place it in a vessel with water (bath or basin). The puncture will be in the place near which the water will bubble. Be sure to mark this area with a pen or marker.
How / How to seal a soccer ball?
Now that the problem has been identified and you have decided to repair the projectile with your own hands, two reasonable questions arise: “how and with what can you glue a soccer ball?”.
It should be noted that some manufacturers and sellers of balls supply a so-called “repair kit” for cameras (or “first aid kit”) complete with a projectile, which includes: special active adhesive, patches of various sizes, a set of auxiliary tools, as well as repair instructions, following which even the most inexperienced master can fix the problem with the camera.
The process of repairing a damaged chamber of a football apparatus consists of several successive stages. First you need to slightly rip the seam so that the threads begin to diverge. Then, with a knife (or scissors), cut the threads along the seam and pull the tube out of the tire, being careful not to damage the nipple.
There are two options for this step. You can simply replace the punctured chamber with a new one, or repair it by sealing the puncture area with a patch. If you chose the second option, proceed to the next step.
Before starting restoration work, bleed all the air out of the chamber. Sand the selected patch with sandpaper for a firmer grip. There is a need to clean the puncture area, use alcohol or acetone. On the fragment marked during the diagnosis, apply a thin layer of activating glue and let it dry a little for several minutes. Then we apply a pre-treated patch to the puncture area. Take two small wooden blocks, attach them to the patch and place them in a vise for 4-5 hours.
By the way, self-adhesive patches for chambers with a pre-applied adhesive layer are commercially available, which greatly simplify and speed up the process of repairing the soccer ball chamber.
After the specified time, release the camera from the vise and place it back into the tire. At this stage, it is extremely important to make sure that the sealed chamber does not let air through. To do this, pump up the ball with a pump and set aside for 20 minutes.
If the chamber continues to blow air, try another patch. It is also possible that there are other punctures and cuts that need to be identified and repaired following the algorithm described above.
If, after repair, the chamber holds air securely, you can proceed to stitching the ripped seam. Also, the actions performed at this stage are applicable to situations where the chamber is intact, but there are damage to the seams in the ball structure. Next, we will tell you how to sew up a soccer ball at home.
How and how can a soccer ball be sewn up?
Before you start sewing, you should prepare improvised means - needles, thread, pliers, a piece of wax. Cut a piece of thread about 50 centimeters long, press it against a piece of wax and stretch it several times in both directions. This will allow you to more easily pass the thread through the eye of the needle and through the holes in the tire panels. In order not to accidentally pierce the chamber, it is recommended to use blunt needles when stapling, which will be more convenient to pull with pliers.
Then we determine the sequence of joining the joints for several seams, and thread the thread into the needle hole. It is necessary that both ends of the threaded thread have the same length. One of the ends must be inserted into another needle. The seam is applied in a zigzag way, similar to lacing shoes. Pull the thread tightly to complete the stitch. After creating a seam, place both free ends of the thread under the tire and tie in a few knots. Next, shorten the ends to about 2 centimeters with scissors and tuck them in. When the required number of stitches has been made, proceed to tying the last knot. To do this, first pass both needles between the panels to be connected, and then, after removing the needles, tie a few strong knots and shorten the end of the thread. After that, it remains only to very carefully fill the ends of the thread inward. Do not use sharp objects to avoid damaging the camera. Now you can slightly stretch the material of the tire and the seams, in order to verify the integrity of the resulting structure and pump up the repaired projectile. That's it, your soccer ball is ready to play again!
Where can I repair a soccer ball?
If you do not have the ability and desire to do repairs yourself, but you do not want to throw away an item dear to your heart, you can give it to a repair shop. Such workshops are often available at sports shops. For a fee, professional craftsmen can, for example, repair a nipple, or perform even the most complex types of tire or tube repair work. The tire of the ball can also be sewn up at a shoe repair shop, and you can patch a punctured inner tube at a center where car tires are repaired.
From this article, you have gained the following useful knowledge:
- What to do if a soccer ball was hit
- How to fix a broken ball
- How to sew up the cover of the ball
- Where footballs are repaired
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Rating: [5 out of 5] Date added: 06. 10.2022 author: Guest
The nipple fell into the inside of the ball. What can be done?
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Hello. Nipel flew out into the sword, tried to get it, it doesn’t come out. What should I do ?! Help(
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Very good article. Thank you. Helped me.
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malades No comment...
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From a hole in the basket to three-point shots. The evolution of basketball rules
February 4, 2016 13:00
From a hole in the basket to three-point shots. The evolution of the rules of basketball
From the hole in the basket to three-point shots. Evolution of Basketball Rules
In January 1892, the first rules of basketball were published and the first ever official match was played. Matchtv.ru tells how, when and why the rules of the popular game changed.
The first basketball rules, written by an ordinary physical education teacher James Naismith, included only 13 points. The first basketball basket was an ordinary wooden bucket for collecting fruit, from which even the bottom was not immediately thought to be cut. So after each hit, I had to climb onto the ladder and get the ball. Then they thought of making a small hole in the bottom to push the ball through it with a special stick.
Yes, and the first basketball was a little like a modern one.
It took decades for basketball to become more dynamic, spectacular and understandable to the audience.
Dribbling
You won't believe it, but 124 years ago in basketball it was forbidden to move around the ball with the ball - it could only be passed from one player to another. Just imagine that once basketball was deprived of one of the most spectacular components - dribbling.
In the 19th century, having received the ball, the players, like idols, froze in place and looked for a teammate. Only at 1901 basketball players were allowed to move with the ball, hitting it on the floor. After another 8 years, players got the opportunity to shoot after dribbling.
Three second zone under the ring
The three second rule dates back to the early 1930s. Without him, the secret to success in basketball was too simple: whoever is taller wins. To give a chance to less high, but technical players, a rule was introduced: no one can be near the ring for more than three seconds. The limited area gradually changed its shape and size, and for the fact that it was highlighted in a different color on the site, it received the slang name “paint” (paint). It became easier for short players to get under the basket, and basketball became more spectacular.
The accidental invention of the block shot
Do you think there have never been goalkeepers in basketball? Wrong! Until 1944, ultra-tall players essentially replaced goalkeepers: they took a place under the ring and, in a jump, brushed off everything (or almost everything) that flies in its direction. It is clear that such tactics harmed the entertainment and sports spirit: instead of an exciting game, there were running and high jump competitions.
72 years ago this shop was closed - it was forbidden to touch the ball that had passed the highest point of its trajectory. So, quite by accident, one of its most striking elements appeared in basketball - a block shot. By the way, Timofey Mozgov's bread.
Attack time limit
Another fact that is hard to believe now: the first basketball game ended with a score of 2:1.
It's just that before the teams played their attacks for a long time, trying to bring them to the right one. Especially popular was the tactic of deliberately dragging out time. The players of the team that led the score did not even try to attack someone else's ring, and it was possible to take the ball away from them only by breaking the rules.
In order not to kill the interest of the audience, at 19In 1954, the NBA introduced a 24-second attack time limit. The speed of the game immediately increased, and then the effectiveness. Now not a single basketball game in the world ends with a sad football score.
Three-point arc
The best team in the world right now is the Golden State Warriors. With the 2015 NBA Finals victory over the Clevelands, the Warriors proved once again that basketball isn't just for the big ones. The light and undersized (by basketball standards) five has become the main feature of the Golden State, which is talked about even in Russia. And three-point shots helped the Californians in this. Without them, the Warriors would have had no chance against the huge Timofey Mozgov and his partners.
In the NBA, a three-point arc was drawn on the court in 1979, and in international basketball, immediately after the 1984 Olympics. Short and fast players finally have their trump card against powerful but less mobile centers. Previously, everyone tried to get closer to the ring, but now the ball scored from a long distance has risen in price by one and a half times. If before the appearance of the arc, the main stars in basketball were mainly giants (Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain), then bright snipers came to the fore: Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan.
And, of course, the greatest sniper of our time, Stephen Curry.
Text: Konstantin Kucher
Photo: Getty Images, hoophall.com
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However, depending on how the ball is damaged, the required work to fix the ball will be different, with the type of ball creating further confusion.
Insert and remove the needle multiple times from the valve; this cleans out any dirt or debris stuck inside the valve that stops it from closing.
If your ball is overinflated, it will be more prone to developing these holes, whether they’re leather or rubber.
The threading and stitching required to repair a seam are tight and need stronger thread than usual.
Locate all the leaks by the stream of bubbles emerging from the surface of the ball. Encircle and cross the leak(like a cross-hair)( using a permanent marker (contrasting colour) or a ball point pen, if you don't mind the tiny marks on your ball, as this will help locate the leak quickly.
Draw the glue into the syringe and make sure there aren't any air bubbles.
So, what to do if a soccer ball is punched? In such a situation, you have three options. You can send the damaged ball to rest and purchase a new ball from the sports shop. Also, you can give it to the workshop for repair, but this will entail additional financial costs. Well, finally, you can try to repair the projectile on your own. By choosing this option, you will save your money, but at the same time you will have to make some efforts and spend some amount of precious time. 
When you encounter a microscopic puncture, finding it will be a bit more difficult. To do this, you will need to carefully open the seam, remove the camera and place it in a vessel with water (bath or basin). The puncture will be in the place near which the water will bubble. Be sure to mark this area with a pen or marker. 
First you need to slightly rip the seam so that the threads begin to diverge. Then, with a knife (or scissors), cut the threads along the seam and pull the tube out of the tire, being careful not to damage the nipple. 
This will allow you to more easily pass the thread through the eye of the needle and through the holes in the tire panels. In order not to accidentally pierce the chamber, it is recommended to use blunt needles when stapling, which will be more convenient to pull with pliers. 
After that, it remains only to very carefully fill the ends of the thread inward. Do not use sharp objects to avoid damaging the camera. Now you can slightly stretch the material of the tire and the seams, in order to verify the integrity of the resulting structure and pump up the repaired projectile. That's it, your soccer ball is ready to play again! 
10.2022 author: Guest 
.. 
Matchtv.ru tells how, when and why the rules of the popular game changed. 
And three-point shots helped the Californians in this. Without them, the Warriors would have had no chance against the huge Timofey Mozgov and his partners. 
