World Cup players kick off about the ball

The World Cup had scarcely got under way before many of the players started to complain about the tournament’s chosen football. Made by Adidas, the Jabulani (which means ‘rejoice’ in Zulu) was developed by a specialist team at Loughborough University in Leicestershire, U.K.

The central problem, at least as far as some of the players are concerned, is that the ridges on its skin cause it to ‘bend’, creating some confusion for the goalies. England’s David James has already said, “The ball is dreadful. It’s horrible…” although he did acknowledge, “it’s horrible for everyone.” Coach Fabio Capello even went so far as to suggest that it behaved differently at altitude than at sea level.

While there are strict FIFA rules regarding the size and weight of the World Cup footballs, there is nothing to stop manufacturers displaying their creativity by experimenting with different surfaces. The last World Cup saw the introduction of the Teamgeist, a ball that also challenged goalies’ skills. Like the Jabulani, it gained a reputation as a ‘bender’, but its surface was almost freakishly smooth, making it difficult for goalies to grasp, as well as causing problems for strikers, since it also tended to drop abruptly at the end of its trajectory.

Professor Derek Leinweber heads the School of Chemistry and Physics at the University of Adelaide in Australia and has a particular interest in the physics behind footballs. He posits that the Jabulani’s rough ridges will create turbulence around the ball, resulting in longer flights, but he added that its relatively small size and heavy weight will result in faster, harder play, which will mean that the referees will need to stay on their toes.

The World Cup final in 2006 featured a special gold ball and in 2010 the gold Jo’bulani, so named for the Johannesburg venue, will make its debut.

Last word on the Jabulani, though, must go to Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano. Noting the ball’s tendency to change direction when travelling through the air he dubbed it “supernatural”.

What challenges the players can only result in a thrilling contest for spectators. We confidently predict that the Jabulani will give us all cause to rejoice.

New post on at Tuesday, 15 June, 2010, 9:06 am and is archived in Lifestyle, Sport. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.