Assessment of Soccer Ball Inflation Pressurizations and Risk of Brain Injury

Abstract In this study, we employ a finite element analysis to determine brain injury risks resulting from impacts caused by a soccer ball to the player’s head at various ball inflations. The repetitive ball-head impacts in soccer are a cause for concern considering the literature showing neurodegeneration in soccer pressures. Standard soccer ball inflation pressurizations for a size 5 ball are in-between approximately 60kPa and 110kPa; the effect of these pressurizations on injury risks has not been widely studied. This finite element analysis implements previously validated finite element models of an adult 50th percentile human head and regulation size 5 soccer ball. The results of the simulations are evaluated using existing kinematic injury metrics (HIC15 and BrIC) and peak pressure, Von Mises stress, and maximum principal strain values throughout the brain. The results of our simulations show increasing HIC15, peak pressure, and peak maximum principal strain values for increased ball pressurizations. It is found that increasing the ball pressure increases the rate of energy transfer from the soccer ball to the head, which translates to higher injury metrics and brain stresses and strains. Additionally, the peak contact area between the soccer ball and the head is inversely proportional to the ball pressurizations. Increasing soccer ball inflation pressures can lead to increased brain injury risks due to soccer heading.