WHEN THE BALL UNDERSTANDS THE STRIKE
NITROFOAM™ now brings greater responsiveness and control to the new Premier League match ball
August 20, 2026
When striking the ball, the player determines direction, power and spin. The new official Premier League match ball, Stellar NITRO™, is designed to respond directly to that input and translate it into predictable performance. PUMA’s NITROFOAM™ technology is being used inside a football for the first time.
The foot strikes the ball with full force. Now the ball has to perform: absorb the input cleanly, respond immediately and fly exactly as the player intends. If a ball becomes unpredictable, even a well-placed strike can miss its target.
We wanted to introduce a new level of responsiveness while maintaining the consistency, control and predictability players expect from an elite match ball.”
– David McKenzie, Senior Director Teamsport Design at PUMA
– David McKenzie, Senior Director Teamsport Design at PUMA
David McKenzie
This is precisely where Stellar NITRO™ comes in. The nitrogen-infused foam, previously used by PUMA primarily in its performance footwear, is designed to create a more direct response. “The biggest challenge was finding the right balance,” says David McKenzie, Senior Director Teamsport Design at PUMA. “We wanted to introduce a new level of responsiveness while maintaining the consistency, control and predictability players expect from an elite match ball.”
But it wasn’t just about simply putting NITROFOAM™ into a football. David explains: “We wanted to understand how we could improve the connection between player and product.” To achieve this, the team approached the entire ball as a performance system.
At the moment of contact, the NITROFOAM™ layer inside the ball compresses and then bounces back. PUMA refers to this response as “energy return”: the ball reacts to the energy transferred by the player’s strike. That response is designed to be fast, direct and clearly perceptible at the foot.
Stellar NITRO™ was tested both in the laboratory and with players on the pitch. The tests examined factors including speed, spin, launch angle and flight stability. The measurements showed how consistently the ball responded. Just as important, however, was how that behaviour felt to the players.
But it wasn’t just about simply putting NITROFOAM™ into a football. David explains: “We wanted to understand how we could improve the connection between player and product.” To achieve this, the team approached the entire ball as a performance system.
At the moment of contact, the NITROFOAM™ layer inside the ball compresses and then bounces back. PUMA refers to this response as “energy return”: the ball reacts to the energy transferred by the player’s strike. That response is designed to be fast, direct and clearly perceptible at the foot.
Stellar NITRO™ was tested both in the laboratory and with players on the pitch. The tests examined factors including speed, spin, launch angle and flight stability. The measurements showed how consistently the ball responded. Just as important, however, was how that behaviour felt to the players.
For players, a clean strike is about confidence.”
They described the ball as feeling clean, lively and responsive at contact. “For players, a clean strike is about confidence,” says David. “It is the feeling that the ball responds exactly as they expect when they make contact.”
That confidence matters particularly for powerful shots, driven passes and set pieces. Players need to feel how cleanly they have struck the ball and trust that direction, speed and rotation will be translated reliably.
NITROFOAM™ alone is not enough to ensure that the ball responds consistently. The panel construction and surface also play a decisive role in its flight. Stellar NITRO™ features a 4+4 construction made up of eight panels in two different shapes. Their symmetrical arrangement is designed to support balanced and stable flight. The textured surface also influences how the ball interacts with the airflow.
That confidence matters particularly for powerful shots, driven passes and set pieces. Players need to feel how cleanly they have struck the ball and trust that direction, speed and rotation will be translated reliably.
NITROFOAM™ alone is not enough to ensure that the ball responds consistently. The panel construction and surface also play a decisive role in its flight. Stellar NITRO™ features a 4+4 construction made up of eight panels in two different shapes. Their symmetrical arrangement is designed to support balanced and stable flight. The textured surface also influences how the ball interacts with the airflow.
“NITROFOAM™, the panel construction, the surface texture and the overall design all work together,” McKenzie explains. “Innovation is not just about adding something new. You have to make sure that every element works with the others.”
This does not mean that Stellar NITRO™ automatically makes every strike faster or that the ball generally flies higher or further. “Our focus was never simply about making the ball faster,” David emphasises. “We wanted to create a more responsive experience and give players a stronger sense of connection and confidence at contact.”
In certain situations, players may perceive the more dynamic response as additional speed or distance. The decisive factor, however, is that the ball continues to respond consistently and predictably. At lower kick velocities, the tests did show an improvement in ball speed.
On the pitch, NITRO™ could meet NITRO™ for the first time: in Stellar NITRO™, the official Premier League match ball, and in the ULTRA NITRO™ 7, PUMA’s first football boot featuring NITROFOAM™ ELITE. In the boot, the technology supports a direct and responsive feel at contact; in Stellar NITRO™, it helps translate the player’s input into a consistent and predictable response.
Both are driven by the same development ambition: to create a direct and intuitive connection between the player and their equipment. “The ball is more than just a new product,” says David. “It represents our ambition to continue exploring how design and technology can create stronger connections between athletes and their equipment.”
This does not mean that Stellar NITRO™ automatically makes every strike faster or that the ball generally flies higher or further. “Our focus was never simply about making the ball faster,” David emphasises. “We wanted to create a more responsive experience and give players a stronger sense of connection and confidence at contact.”
In certain situations, players may perceive the more dynamic response as additional speed or distance. The decisive factor, however, is that the ball continues to respond consistently and predictably. At lower kick velocities, the tests did show an improvement in ball speed.
On the pitch, NITRO™ could meet NITRO™ for the first time: in Stellar NITRO™, the official Premier League match ball, and in the ULTRA NITRO™ 7, PUMA’s first football boot featuring NITROFOAM™ ELITE. In the boot, the technology supports a direct and responsive feel at contact; in Stellar NITRO™, it helps translate the player’s input into a consistent and predictable response.
Both are driven by the same development ambition: to create a direct and intuitive connection between the player and their equipment. “The ball is more than just a new product,” says David. “It represents our ambition to continue exploring how design and technology can create stronger connections between athletes and their equipment.”
Beyond the Premier League, the technology will also be used in PUMA’s match balls for Serie A and La Liga.
