How to Draw a Soccer Ball: Easy Step-by-Step Drawing Tutorial for Kids

The soccer ball is one of the most iconic shapes in the world of sports, and learning to draw one is a fantastic art-meets-STEM project! The classic black-and-white soccer ball is actually a mathematical shape called a truncated icosahedron — it’s made of 12 black pentagons and 20 white hexagons fitted together perfectly. Drawing this pattern teaches kids about geometry, symmetry, and spatial thinking while creating something they recognize and love.

In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll guide you through drawing a realistic soccer ball with its classic pentagon-and-hexagon tiling pattern. This guide uses 9 easy steps that break down the complex pattern into manageable pieces. While this tutorial is slightly more challenging than our animal drawings, it’s perfect for kids in Grade 3 and up who are ready for a geometry challenge! If you’re in the mood for more ball sports, our Volleyball tutorial is a fun, simpler follow-up.

What makes this tutorial special is that it combines art with math. As kids draw the pentagon and hexagon pattern, they’re naturally learning about regular polygons, tessellation, and 3D perspective. It’s a wonderful cross-curricular activity for classrooms and homeschools. So grab your ruler and let’s kick off this drawing! ⚽

Materials You’ll Need

Step-by-Step Soccer Ball Drawing Tutorial

1

Draw the Circle

Start by drawing a large circle in the center of your paper. This is the outline of the soccer ball. Try to make it as round as possible — you can trace around a round object if you need help. The circle should be large enough to fit the pattern details inside.

Step 1: Draw the Circle

2

Draw the Center Pentagon

In the center of the circle, draw a small regular pentagon (five-sided shape with equal sides). This is the starting point for the entire pattern. Make sure all five sides are roughly equal length. This center pentagon will be colored black.

Step 2: Draw the Center Pentagon

3

Extend Lines from Each Corner

From each of the five corners of the center pentagon, draw a straight line extending outward. These lines should all be roughly the same length — about the same as one side of the pentagon. These lines form the framework for the surrounding hexagons.

Step 3: Extend Lines from Each Corner

4

Draw the Hexagon Outlines

At the end of each extended line, draw a V-shape that opens outward. These V-shapes, combined with the extended lines and pentagon sides, form the outlines of five hexagons surrounding the center pentagon. Each hexagon shares one side with the center pentagon.

Step 4: Draw the Hexagon Outlines

5

Complete the Hexagons

Connect the V-shapes to complete the five hexagonal shapes around the center pentagon. Each hexagon should have six sides. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly regular — the slight distortion actually helps create the 3D illusion of a curved surface!

Step 5: Complete the Hexagons

6

Add the Second Ring of Pentagons

In the spaces between the hexagons (at the outer ring), draw more small pentagons. These pentagons fill the gaps where hexagons meet. You should have 5 additional pentagons around the outside, each sitting between two hexagons.

Step 6: Add the Second Ring of Pentagons

7

Fill Remaining Spaces

Fill any remaining spaces between the outer pentagons and the circle edge with partial hexagon shapes. Near the edges of the circle, the shapes will be cut off by the circle outline — this is what creates the 3D effect of a sphere. Draw the lines to the edge of the circle.

Step 7: Fill Remaining Spaces

8

Refine and Outline

Go over all your pattern lines with a black marker to make them bold and clean. Make sure all the pentagon and hexagon shapes are clearly defined. Erase any leftover pencil marks or guidelines. The outline of the circle should be the thickest line.

Step 8: Refine and Outline

9

Color the Pattern

Color all the pentagons black and leave all the hexagons white (or very light grey for shading). This creates the classic soccer ball look! You can add light grey shading on one side of the ball to create a 3D shadow effect. Add a ground shadow underneath to make it look like the ball is sitting on a surface. ⚽

Step 9: Color the Pattern

The Math Behind the Soccer Ball

A standard soccer ball is a truncated icosahedron — one of the Archimedean solids. It has exactly 12 regular pentagons (black) and 20 regular hexagons (white), with 90 edges and 60 vertices. Every pentagon is surrounded by hexagons, and every hexagon is surrounded by alternating pentagons and hexagons. This mathematical precision is what gives the soccer ball its satisfying symmetry!

Tips and Tricks

• Use a ruler: Straight lines are essential for the pentagon and hexagon pattern.
• Start from the center: Building outward from the center pentagon keeps the pattern symmetrical.
• Slight imperfections are OK: The slight distortion actually adds to the 3D curved-surface illusion.
• Practice pentagons first: Draw several pentagons on scrap paper before starting the soccer ball.
• Shading adds realism: A gradient shadow on one side makes the ball look spherical.

Fun Variations

• Custom Team Colors: Replace black/white with your favorite team’s colors!
• Soccer Ball in Motion: Add motion lines and a slight oval shape to show the ball flying.
• Soccer Scene: Draw a full scene with a goal, grass, and a player kicking the ball.
• World Cup Ball: Design your own World Cup ball with unique patterns and stars.

Explore More Drawing Tutorials

If you enjoyed this geometry challenge, try our animal drawing tutorials! Check out our Hello Kitty Drawing, Bunny Drawing, Frog Drawing, or Monkey Drawing tutorials. For seasonal fun, try our Turkey Drawing guide!