How to Draw a Football (Easy Step by Step)
A football is a fun first sports drawing because it is built from just a few simple shapes: a pointy oval, two curved lines, and a row of short stripes. Add a few speed lines and it looks like it is flying through the air.
- Easy
- 8 minutes
- 6 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a football step by step
How to Draw a Football · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The big oval
Draw a big tilted oval with pointy ends, like a lemon lying on its side. Make one pointy end up on the right and the other down on the left.
Step 3: Curved end stripes
Near each pointy end, draw a curved line that cuts across the tip, from one side of the outline to the other. These make the ends look like caps.
Step 4: The lace line
In the middle of the ball, draw one short straight line slanting up to the right, the same direction as the long way of the oval.
Step 5: The laces
Draw five short lines across the lace line, like the rungs of a little ladder. Keep them about the same length and evenly spaced.
Step 6: Speed lines
Below and to the left of the ball, draw three short flat lines, one under the other, to show the ball zooming through the air. Make each one a different length.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your football? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a campfire or how to draw a s'more next.
Tips for drawing a football
- Sketch the oval lightly first. If one side looks wobbly, turn the paper and redraw that side with a smooth, slow line.
- The curved lines near the ends should bend the same way as the edge of the ball. Start at the outline and curve across the tip to the outline on the other side.
- Draw the short lace stripes across the middle line and keep them the same length. Counting five stripes helps them look even.
Free football coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this football coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your football drawing
Color the ball a warm brown and leave the laces and the end stripes white, with a dark brown outline. For a twist, color the speed lines in your favorite team colors.
Football fun fact for kids
A football is nicknamed a pigskin, but modern footballs are made of cowhide leather, not pig skin.
Questions about drawing a football
What shapes do I need to draw a football?
You need one big oval with pointy ends, two curved lines, one straight line, and a row of short lines for the laces. The speed lines are extra.
How do I make my football look like it is moving?
Add a few flat lines below and to the left of the ball, on the side it came from. Make them different lengths so it looks fast.
How do I draw the laces so they look even?
First draw one short straight line in the middle of the ball. Then add five short lines across it, spacing them the same distance apart.
