Ever wondered if you can fill a football with water for training? You can — and it’s one of the most effective ways to build throw-in distance. This guide covers exactly how to do it, what you need, and why it works.
What You Need
To fill a football with water you only need two things:
- A standard football
- A Tap Adapter (£29.99) — a small device that screws directly into the ball’s valve and connects to any tap
No specialist equipment. No expensive pre-weighted balls. The Tap Adapter turns any football into an adjustable weighted football for training in under a minute.
Why Fill a Football With Water?
Adding water increases the weight of the ball, forcing your muscles to work harder with every rep. Over time, when you switch back to a standard ball, your throw-in distance increases.
The key difference between this and using a medicine ball is specificity. When you fill a soccer ball with water, you are still training with a ball that is the same size, shape and feel as the one you use on match day. Your body is practising the exact movement — just with added resistance.
Professional clubs are now using this method as part of their throw-in training programmes. It was also featured in The Telegraph, where a journalist was taught the technique from scratch and saw results within a single session.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill a Football With Water
Step 1 — Attach the Tap Adapter to the ball’s valve
The Tap Adapter screws directly into the standard valve on any football. It takes a few seconds and requires no tools.
Step 2 — Add a small amount of washing up liquid
Before filling with water, squeeze a small amount of washing up liquid into the ball through the adapter. This is essential. As the ball moves during training, the washing up liquid mixes with the water and creates an internal foam that maintains the ball’s bounce. Without it, the ball loses its bounce and becomes difficult to train with continuously.
Step 3 — Connect to a tap and fill
Connect the adapter to any standard tap and run the water. You control exactly how much goes in.
Step 4 — Set the weight to your level
Less water means a lighter ball with less resistance. More water means heavier and more demanding. Start lighter and increase the volume as your strength and technique improve. This is progressive overload applied directly to throw-in training.
Step 5 — Remove the adapter and train
Once filled, remove the Tap Adapter and the ball is ready to use. It behaves like a normal match ball — same size, same bounce, same feel — just heavier.
How Much Water Should You Add?
There is no fixed amount. The right weight depends on your current ability and training goal.
- Beginners — a small amount of water, just enough to notice added resistance
- Intermediate — enough to make the throw noticeably more challenging but still achievable with good technique
- Advanced — a heavily filled ball for maximum resistance training
The adjustability is what makes this so effective as a weighted football for training. You are not locked into a fixed weight. As you improve, you simply add more water.
Does the Ball Still Bounce?
Yes — and this is the question most players ask. The washing up liquid is the reason. As the ball moves during training, it creates an internal foam that cushions the ball from the inside and maintains its bounce. You can train continuously without stopping to reset.
What Makes This Different to a Medicine Ball?
Medicine balls are a common alternative but they have one major problem — they are the wrong size and shape for throw-in training. When you train with a medicine ball, your body is adapting to throwing a medicine ball. When you fill a soccer ball with water, your body is adapting to throwing a football. The movement is sport-specific, which is exactly what you want.
A tap adapter football also costs significantly less than any specialist weighted training ball and works with any football you already own.
Used by Professional Clubs. Featured in The Telegraph.
This is not a gimmick. Professional clubs are using the water-filled football method as part of their throw-in training. When The Telegraph covered Long Throw Coach, a journalist with no prior technique was trained using this exact method and the improvement was immediate.
The Tap Adapter was designed specifically for this purpose — to make weighted throw-in training accessible to every player, at every level, with equipment they already have.
Ready to Get Started?
The Tap Adapter is £29.99 and works with any standard football. Screw it in, fill, and train.
Buy the Tap Adapter — £29.99 →
Start building your throw-in distance today.