FIFA testing
certifications
ensure that footballs, pitches (natural and
artificial), goal-line technology, and wearable player trackers meet
strict safety, durability, and performance standards.
Governed by the
Laws of the Game | IFAB,
products must be evaluated by
Inside FIFA
accredited test institutes.
Key Certification
Categories
-
Football Turf:
Certifies the interaction between the player, ball, and surface. It
includes
FIFA Quality
for community use and
FIFA Quality Pro
for professional arenas. Innovative synthetic systems without infill
are also now strictly validated.
-
Footballs:
Evaluated across multiple strict conditions. The
Best FIFA Certifications In 2026 - Labosport
guidelines highlight that these undergo tests for weight,
circumference, bounce, and water absorption to earn the
FIFA Quality,
FIFA Quality Pro,
or
FIFA Basic
marks.
-
Wearable EPTS:
Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems undergo Wearable Safety
Tests to ensure they do not cause injury during matches.
-
Match Technologies:
Covers Goal-line, Offside, and Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
technologies.
To get a system or installation certified, manufacturers and
facility managers must work with an authorized provider.
The
FIFA Quality Programme for Footballs
enforces a rigorous three-tiered certification system designed to ensure
shape retention, aerodynamic accuracy, and pressure control. All balls
used in official international competitions must carry one of these
certified stamps.
The Three Certification Tiers
-
FIFA Quality Pro:
The highest tier required for
professional match play.
It features the tightest laboratory tolerances.
-
FIFA Quality:
The mid-level standard built for
club-level matches
and highly competitive training environments.
-
FIFA Basic:
The entry-level standard replacing the old "FIFA Inspected" tier. It
confirms match-grade quality for
youth and amateur play.
The 7 Core Laboratory Tests
According to the official
FIFA Quality Programme Testing Manual,
every ball must undergo a sequence of engineering tests performed by
independent, accredited testing institutes (such as EMPA in
Switzerland):
|
Technical Attribute
|
FIFA Quality Pro Standard |
FIFA Quality Standard |
FIFA Basic Standard |
|
1. Weight Limits |
420 to 445 grams |
410 to 450 grams |
410 to 450 grams |
|
2. Circumference Scope |
68.5 to 69.5 cm |
68.0 to 70.0 cm |
68.0 to 70.0 cm |
|
3. Roundness Deviation |
Max 1.5% sphericity error |
Max 1.8% sphericity error |
Max 2.0% sphericity error |
|
4. Uniform Rebound |
135 to 155 cm drop bounce |
125 to 155 cm drop bounce |
115 to 155 cm drop bounce |
|
5. Water Weight Gain |
Max 10% weight increase |
Max 15% weight increase |
Max 15% weight increase |
|
6. Pressure Retention |
Max 20% loss over 72 hours |
Max 20% loss over 72 hours |
Max 25% loss over 72 hours |
|
7. Shape & Size Retention |
2,000 crashes at 50 mph |
2,000 crashes at 31 mph |
Not mandatory for Basic |
Note:
For the water absorption test, sample balls are submerged in a tank and
mechanically rotated hundreds of times to simulate playing on a
completely waterlogged pitch.
Step-by-Step Licensing
Process
Application:
Manufacturers register with FIFA, pay testing fees, provide liability
insurance, and sign the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry
(WFSGI) code of conduct against forced/child labor.
Sample
Submission:
The manufacturer sends a minimum of
10 identical sample balls
from a random production line to an accredited lab to prevent the
submission of hand-crafted "perfect prototypes".
Laboratory Testing:
The lab executes the seven structural tests above.
Licensing & Audits:
If the balls pass, the manufacturer pays a royalty fee to print the
official logo on the ball. To maintain the license, factories undergo an
independent annual audit
(costing ~$10,000), and FIFA performs random spot-checks by purchasing
retail units to test them dynamically.
FIFA TESTING LABS & PROCESS
There is currently no official, FIFA-accredited independent testing
laboratory for footballs located in
Pakistan.
While Sialkot, Pakistan is the global hub of soccer ball
manufacturing—producing roughly 70% of the world's footballs, including
the Adidas "Trionda" official match ball—the
official FIFA-accredited test institutes for footballs
are located outside of the country (such as
EMPA in
Switzerland). Local exporters must ship production samples abroad
to secure the official FIFA Quality or Quality Pro stamps.
However, the local manufacturing ecosystem in Sialkot operates with
high-tech internal labs and local certification support:
1. In-House Factory Testing
Labs (Sialkot)
To bypass the risk and cost of failing the final test in Switzerland,
top FIFA-licensed manufacturers in Sialkot—such as
Forward Sports (the World Cup ball
manufacturer) and
Bola Gema—have
built multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art internal laboratory
facilities.
These private factory labs
are equipped with the exact engineering machinery
specified by FIFA, where they conduct pre-qualification testing,
including:
-
Pneumatic Shooting Cannons:
Crashing balls 2,000 times against steel plates at 50 mph to test shape
retention.
-
Automated Sphericity Calculators:
Laser-scanning the ball across dozens of axes to ensure roundness
deviation stays below 1.5%.
-
Water Submersion Tanks:
Mechanically rotating balls in water to test precise weight gain
percentages.
2. Local Sector Support &
Testing Infrastructure
Exporters looking to align
with international standards
can access testing equipment and standardization guidance
via local trade organizations:
-
PSGMEA (Pakistan Sports Goods
Manufacturers and Exporters Association):
Located
in Sialkot, the association provides testing advisory, regulatory
navigation for FIFA licensing, and is actively lobbying for a
state-backed, internationally accredited laboratory on Pakistani soil.
-
SIA (Sialkot International Airport)
& Local Logistics:
Because samples must be sent directly from random production lines to
European labs, dedicated freight networks operate out of Sialkot to
handle secure chain-of-custody shipping for testing samples.
How to Proceed with
Testing
I f you are a manufacturer in Pakistan looking to test your soccer
balls for official certification,
you must follow the official
FIFA Football Licensee Process:
-
Generate a test application number :
via the
Inside FIFA Innovation Portal.
- Manufacture your batch and select
10 identical samples
from the production line.
- Ship the samples along with your official test number
directly to FIFA's designated European test institute
(typically
EMPA
in Switzerland). |
