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What PSI should a football be

Updated: 21.10.2026

The referee has the gauge, the coach has a pump, and the two numbers on the touchline do not match. What PSI should a football be is a law question first and a pump question second. IFAB Law 2 and The FA’s 2026/27 text both put a size 5 match ball at 8.5–15.6 psi at sea level, which the same sentence also writes as 0.6–1.1 atmosphere. The Products Compared editorial team set this out on 19 October 2026 from those laws and from the ball makers’ own care pages. The pump still has to reach the number you set, which is why the [ball compressor comparison](/hub/compressors/ball-compressor) sits beside this page.

The referee has the gauge, the coach has a pump, and the two numbers on the touchline do not match. What PSI should a football be is a law question first and a pump question second.

Our top picks

HYVOHEX HYVOHEX P100

Best overall

HYVOHEX HYVOHEX P100
9.6/10about £17.99
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Pumteck Pumteck AP1-M

Best value

Pumteck Pumteck AP1-M
9.4/10about £16.98
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GPUTEK GPUTEK AP1-P

Rank 3

GPUTEK GPUTEK AP1-P
9.2/10about £24.99
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On this page
  1. 1.The Law 2 pressure
  2. 2.Read the ball, not only the law
  3. 3.Other balls are not footballs
  4. 4.Pumps that stop at 12 psi

The Law 2 pressure

Law 2 is the match window, not a single target. At sea level a football must be at least 8.5 psi and no more than 15.6 psi. The FA page for 11-a-side, Laws of the Game 2026/27, prints both the atmosphere figures and the psi figures in the same rule. If someone quotes 0.6–1.1 atmosphere, they are quoting the same sentence. IFAB states the pressure at sea level. Some competitions also require a FIFA Quality Programme mark on the ball. That mark is about the ball, not the pump. The needle and bladder steps are on the how to inflate page.

Read the ball, not only the law

The print beside the valve is the setting inside the law. A maker can specify a narrower band, and that band has to sit inside 8.5–15.6 psi if the ball is sold for Law 2. Set the print. Do not set 15.6 psi just because it is the legal maximum. Mitre’s care advice is the lower end of the printed range, and at least 24 hours before a new ball is used. Samba’s sheet tells you to check the pressure at playing temperature, because a warm changing room and a frosty touchline will not read the same an hour later. Law 2’s window is the 11-a-side ball. A size 3 or size 4 should follow the pressure printed on that ball. The FA’s Law 2 page does not state a size 3 exception.
HYVOHEX HYVOHEX P100

Testsieger

HYVOHEX HYVOHEX P100
9.6/10about £17.99
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Other balls are not footballs

A rugby union ball is not a football at a different shape. World Rugby Law 2 sets 9.5–10.0 psi, and Gilbert’s care page says 9–10 psi. A football preset left at 12 psi is already high for that rugby ball. Gilbert’s netball page says 10 psi and tells you not to use a compressor or an airline. Spalding’s inflation guidance for its basketballs is 7–9 psi. Indoor volleyball under the FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 is 4.26–4.61 psi. A football preset, or a pump left at 10 psi from the previous ball, will overshoot a volleyball by a wide margin. Set the sport you are holding, then set the next ball from its own print. Pump type sits on the buying guide.

Pumps that stop at 12 psi

Three pocket listings in this comparison state a 12 psi maximum: the GPUTEK AP1-P, the Motorenbau pump and the older Pumteck. They can set a legal football printed at 12 psi or below. They cannot reach a ball printed at 13, 14 or 15 psi. The Pumteck AP1-M states 2–15 psi, which still sits a fraction under 15.6. The HYVOHEX P100, the ETENWOLF P300 and the TONUNI A8 state 17 psi, so the top of the football window is inside their claimed range. Those maxima are listing figures. The FORZA 230 V listing does not state a ball-pressure maximum. It shows a gauge in psi, kPa and bar, plus a thermal cut-out and a relief valve. FORZA’s UK page quotes that valve at 125 psi, which protects the pump. You still set the print on the ball by watching the gauge.

Common questions

What psi is a legal football?
At sea level, IFAB Law 2 and The FA’s 2026/27 Law 2 both say 8.5–15.6 psi, also written as 0.6–1.1 atmosphere. The number you set is the one printed on the ball. A ball below 8.5 psi or above 15.6 psi is outside the law. Check it at the ground with a gauge.
Is the range the same at sea level only?
The law states the pressure at sea level. For ordinary club pitches in the United Kingdom you use 8.5–15.6 psi and the print on the ball. Do not invent a high-altitude table for a local park. If a competition is played high enough that sea level matters, use that competition’s instruction.
Should every size use 8.5–15.6 psi?
Use 8.5–15.6 psi for a ball played under Law 2, and use the pressure printed on a smaller ball. We did not find a size 3 or size 4 exception in The FA’s Law 2 text, so this page does not invent one.
What psi is a rugby ball?
World Rugby Law 2 sets 9.5–10.0 psi. Gilbert’s care page says 9–10 psi. A pump left on a 12 psi football preset is already above a legal rugby union ball. Set the print on that ball.
What psi is a netball?
Gilbert’s netball care page says 10 psi, and it tells you not to use a compressor or an airline. Set 10 psi with a ball pump and a gauge. A football pressure of 12 or 15 psi is too high for that netball.
Can a 12 psi pump do every football?
No. It can do a football printed at 12 psi or below. It cannot do a ball printed at 13–15.6 psi. The GPUTEK AP1-P, the Motorenbau and the older Pumteck state 12 psi. The Pumteck AP1-M states 15 psi. The HYVOHEX, ETENWOLF and TONUNI state 17 psi.
Is a preset labelled football the same as Law 2?
No. A preset is the pump maker’s shortcut. Law 2 is 8.5–15.6 psi at sea level, and your ball may print a narrower band inside it. Confirm the number on a gauge the first time you use a preset. The icon is not the referee’s gauge.

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Sources

Public UK sources and the manufacturer page below. amazon.co.uk listings checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. IFAB Law 2: The ball (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. The FA Law 2 (2026/27): The ball (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. World Rugby Law 2: The ball (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. FIVB Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Gilbert: netball ball care (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Gilbert: rugby ball size and care (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Spalding: how to inflate a basketball (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Mitre ball care (Pendle Sportswear PDF) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  9. Sports Ball Shop: ball pump buying guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  10. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  11. FORZA UK: electric ball pump 230 V (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  12. legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 20 October 2026)