World Cup Ball Development

The Development of FIFA World Cup™ Match Balls

adidas has been producing high-performance match balls since 1963 and is the world’s leading football producer. Still, it took adidas well over three years of extensive research and development to present the adidas +Teamgeist™, its best performing ball ever. Thanks to a revolutionary 14-panel ball configuration, players can now show their true skills, as the quality and performance characteristics are exactly identical every time they kick the ball.

The adidas Innovation Team (a.i.t) has rigorously tested the new Match Ball for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, first under the toughest laboratory conditions possible, later also with professional players and clubs on the field of play. Scientific tests were conducted together with the Sports Technology Research Group of the University of Loughborough, one of the leading institutions of its kind worldwide. These tests confirmed that the adidas +Teamgeist™ is more round, precise and consistent than any top competitor match ball.

FIFA designed a quality concept to guarantee the highest standard of balls for the best players in the world. Only after a series of stringent tests is a ball awarded the “FIFA Approved” hallmark. Tests executed in the adidas football laboratory in Scheinfeld and at the Testing Centre of the University of Loughborough prove the adidas +Teamgeist™ does not only meet these “FIFA Approved” standards, it exceeds practically each of them.

The robotic leg

The adidas football laboratory in Scheinfeld features a high-tech robotic leg which is used for a variety of ball tests. The machine is able to repeat an identical kick in the exact same angle and with exactly the same speed and power, time and time again. Extensive tests conducted with the robotic leg show that the +Teamgeist™ is 30% more accurate than top competitive balls tested. A high-speed camera is set up parallel to the impact to analyze the impact on the ball. The new 14-panel configuration, featuring fewer seams, makes the ball perform significantly more uniformly, no matter where the ball is hit.

Circumference test

A consistent circumference is important to allow optimal control during dribbling or driving a football. In order to calculate the average circumference, each individual match ball is measured at 10 different points.

• The FIFA Approved Standard: 68.5 cm – 69.5 cm
• The adidas +Teamgeis™t: 69.0 cm – 69.25 cm

Permanent roundness test

Only a perfectly round ball allows a player to fully capitalize on his skills. The more perfect the sphere is, the more balanced a ball will be in flight, the higher will be its accuracy and the predictability of its flight. The new panel shape harmonizes the energy displacement and minimizes the amount of corners, while the larger panels allow for a cleaner kicking area.

The diameter of the ball is measured in 16 different places, after which the average is calculated. The difference between the highest and the lowest diameter must be within very strict limits.
 

• FIFA Approved Standard: max. 1.5% difference
• The adidas +Teamgeist™: max. 1.0% difference

Water absorption test

A wet and heavy ball behaves quite differently from a dry one. It flies through the air more slowly, has a low bounce and is more difficult to curl. adidas’ patented Thermal Bonding technology makes a football virtually waterproof. As a result the new Match Ball shows completely homogenous performance characteristics when playing in dry or wet conditions.

For the water absorption test, the ball is pressed and rotated in a container of water 250 times, after which the ball will be weighed. The water will also be weighed before and after the water uptake test.

• FIFA Approved Standard: Water absorption: no more than 10% weight increase
• The adidas +Teamgeist™: Water absorption: no more than 0,1 % weight increase

Perfect weight test (420 – 445 grams)

Each professional game is played with a number of balls. These different balls all need to perform the same. Consistency in weight is crucial. If the ball is too light or too heavy, it might move unexpectedly in flight.

• FIFA Approved Standard: Weight between 420 and 445 grams
• The adidas +Teamgeist™: Weight between 441 and 444 grams

Shape & size retention test

During an average game the ball is kicked approximately 2,000 times. However, in the last minute of overtime, the ball needs to perform identically to the way it did in the first minute of the game.

In order to test the shape and size retention, the ball is fired against a steel plate 2,000 times at 50 km per hour for the FIFA Approved hallmark. After this test, only minimal changes in air pressure and roundness are allowed and the air valve and stitching must remain undamaged.

• FIFA Approved Standard: 2,000 cycles at 50 km per hour
• The adidas +Teamgeist™: 3,500 cycles at 50 km per hour

Drum test

The drum test was developed by adidas to guarantee high quality and durability of the printed surface, the unique design and look of the ball. The adidas +Teamgeist™ is the first ball ever to feature a complete underglass print technology, providing the +Teamgeist with the best and strongest surface material ever and guaranteeing the ball is more durable and will hold its unique look much longer.
 

Uniform rebound test

Players need to be able to anticipate how the ball will respond in order to control a pass using their chest, thigh or foot.

For this test, the ball is dropped ten times onto a steel plate from a height of 2 meters. The difference between the highest and the lowest bounce must be no more than 10 cm.

• FIFA Approved Standard: No more than 10 cm
• The adidas +Teamgeist™: No more than 2 cm (143 – 145 measured at 20°C) or (135 – 136 measured at 5°C)

Loss of pressure test

If the ball loses air during the game, it will be difficult to predict and may not respond consistently, making long passes and deep crosses almost impossible.

For this test, the ball is inflated fully and three days later its air pressure is measured. It must not have lost more than a specified percentage of its air.
 

• FIFA Approved Standard: Loss of pressure max. 20%
• The adidas +Teamgeist™: Loss of pressure max. 11%
   

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Last revised: September 07, 2008 07:59 +0100 GMT