soccer ball evolution

World Cup Match Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:21:00 +0000

Mexico, 1970 ( Telstar )

Adidas started to make soccer balls in 1963 but made the first official FIFA World Cup ball in 1970. The first ball used in the World Cup to use the Buckminster type of design.The first ball with 32 black and white panels. The TELSTAR was more visible on black and white televisions (1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico™ was the first to be broadcast live on television).

West Germany, 1974 ( Durlast )

The TELSTAR was again used. Another version was the Chile Durlast ball which did not have the black panels.

Argentina, 1978 ( Tango Durlast ) .
The ball design represented elegance, dynamism and passion.

Spain, 1982 ( Tango Espana )

Adidas introduced a new ball which had rubber inlaid over the seams to prevent water from seeping through. The first ball with water-resistant qualities. General wear from kicking however meant the rubber began to wear after a short time and needed to be replaced during the game. The last genuine leather world cup ball.

México, 1986 ( Azteca )

The FIFA World Cup Mexico, saw the introduction of the first polyurethane coated ball which was rain-resistant. The first synthetic match ball, with good qualities on hard and wet surfaces.

Italy, 1990 ( Etrvsco )The first ball with an internal layer of black polyurethane foam.

USA, 1994 ( Questra )FIFA World Cup USA, 1994, official ball which was enveloped in a layer of polystyrene foam.This not only made it more waterproof but allowed the ball greater acceleration when kicked. The new game ball felt softer to the touch. Improved ball control and higher velocity during play.

France, 1998 ( Tricolore )

By 1998, FIFA World Cup France was played with a ball which sported the French red-white-blue tri-color. A complete departure from the old traditional black and white pattern. The first official World Cup colored soccer ball. The TRICOLORE used underglass print technology with a thin layer of syntactic foam.

Korea Japan, 2002 ( Fevernova )

For FIFA World Cup Korea Japan, 2002, Adidas created a new ball made up of thicker inner layers to increase the accuracy of the ball in flight.

Germany, Berlin and Final Balls 2006 ( Teamgeist ) All new Adidas "2006 World Cup Germany" Match Ball

For FIFA World Cup Germany, 2006

The adidas +Teamgeist™ Berlin, the Match Ball especially produced for the final game in Berlin on July 9th, was officially unveiled by the President of the Organizing Committee, Franz Beckenbauer at the Brandenburger Gate in Berlin. The golden adidas +Teamgeist™ Berlin will only be used in one game, the single most important game in global football, the FIFA World Cup™ final.´

Balls in the 2000

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:03:00 +0000

Developments in soccer ball design is continuing. Many companies have recently come out with new high tech materials and designs for soccer balls. The object is to develop the optimum soccer ball that is flight accurate, water proof, fast in flight and transfers all of your kicking force to the ball (does not absorb energy), has soft feel, and is safe to head the ball. Optimum soccer balls should also adhere to ball specifications given by governing bodies such as FIFA.

New balls such as Adidas' Roteiro, Finale and Fevernova, Nike's Geo Merlin, Spalding's Infusion, Puma's Shudah, and Mitre's ISO use the latest design innovations and high tech materials.

Ball in the 2000

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:03:00 +0000

1st World Cup Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:59:00 +0000

The picture is showing one of the ball that was being used in the first 1930 World Cup final between Argentina and Uruguay called “Tiento”. This leather football was used in the final match and taken by an Uruguayan team player. It may have even played a part in the outcome of the first world cup in 1930. Argentina and Uruguay could not agree on which ball to use. So they decided to use an Argentinean ball the first half and a ball supplied by Uruguay the second half. As it turned out, Argentina was ahead at halftime 2-1. However; Uruguay came back to win the match in the second half 4-2 using their ball!

Uruguay hosted and won the first World Cup Tournament 1930. The Uruguay team as shown in the picture above is a first team which titled champion for the first worl cup.

Balls in the 1900's

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:02:00 +0000

By the 1900's ball were made with stronger rubber and could with stand heavier pressure. Most balls produced by that time used rubber bladder . The balls were made from inner tubes covered with heavy brown leather. These balls would bounce easier and yet could be kicked. Most balls had a tanned leather cover with eighteen sections stitched together arranged in six panels of three strips each. Each section was stitched together by hand with five-ply hemp and a small lace-up slit was on one side. All of the stitching was done with the ball cover inside out. Once completed, the cover was reversed with the stitching on the inside. An un-inflated bladder was then inserted through the slit. A long stem neck (aperture) extending from the bladder was used to inflate the ball. Once inflated, the tube was inserted through the 15 cm slit and then the opening was laced up tight. You can imagine how often that these soccer balls had to re-inflated. Even during a game.

These balls were good for kicking but was painful when heading due to the heavy stitching and the water absorption characteristics of the leather. Water absorption of the leather during rain made the ball very heavy and caused many head injuries. Other problems of the old leather balls were the various quality of cowhides used. Footballs varied in thickness and quality and the leather often degraded during the match.

Ball in the 1929 and 1933

During the world War II there were further production enhancements. The addition of a carcass made of strong cloths between the bladder and outer cover made controlling the shape easier, provided damping, and made the ball stronger. However; soccer balls played a crucial role in the outcome of matches due to the ball actually bursting during a game. The reason for the low quality balls just after World War II was blamed on the poor quality of the leather covers.

Water absorption was improved by using synthetic paints and other non-porous materials to coat the leather. Also, a new type of valve was invented that eliminated the laced slit on soccer balls.

In 1951 a white ball was first permitted to help spectators see the ball easier with the advent of floodlights. White soccer balls were un-officially used as early as 1892. The leather was simply white washed to produce the white ball. Orange balls were also first introduced in the 1950's to help see the ball in the snow.

Different countries favored different types of soccer balls in the early days of international soccer. This caused much controversy. FIFA standardized the size, weight and type of balls with the introduction of and international board.

Balls in the 1800's

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:34:00 +0000

Vulcanized rubber ball design by Charles Goodyear 1855

In it’s early years of invention, the soccer ball was made using the pig’s bladder .
The creation of the ball was genuinely depending on the quality or conditions of the bladder. Being the core material, the bladder gave the most significant impact on the ball’s features. The better the quality of the bladder, the more perfect and proficient ball will be formed.

However, as the technology started to enhance, the research and development were adapted further.Consequently, the formation of the soccer ball had also undergo its revolution. This was when rubber started to be used to construct a ball.

The history of the rubber ball started in 1836 when Charles Goodyear patented the vulcanized rubber. In 1855, the first batch of vulcanized rubber soccer balls (footballs) were designed and produced by Charles Goodyear. Being the masterpiece of football history, it is now being displayed at the National Soccer Hall of Fame which is located in Oneonta, NY, USA.

Mass production of soccer balls started as a direct consequence of the English Football League that was founded in 1888. Mitre and Thomlinson's of Glasgow were two of the first companies to mass produce soccer balls during that time. They touted that the key element in a quality football was how well it could retain it's shape. Strength of the leather and the skills of the cutters and stitchers were the main factors in producing a football that would retain it's shape. The top grade covers were made with leather from the rump of a cow while lower quality balls were made from the shoulder. Advances in ball design came with the development of interlocking panels instead of the previously used leather sections that met at the north and south poles of the ball. The balls were then produced with a more acceptable round shape.

Match ball used in the FA Cup Final of 1893

Wolves 1 Everton 0

Ancient Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Tiger) — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:49:00 +0000

Ancient Ball

Kicking a ball or any object comparable to it has always been an enjoyable activity. History had proven that the game seemed to be the all-time-favourite among human ages ago.

It is interesting to learn from the history that early balls varied from stitched up cloth, human and animal skull to pig or cow bladder. In fact, even the human’s head were being used as a ball. This showed that people in the early years, by many means, tried to enjoy the art of kicking a ‘ball’.

History reported that the Chinese community during Ts’in and Han Dynasties (255 BC – 220 AD) played the game related to ball kicking called ‘tsu-chu’. In this game, the ball, made by animal-skin, were dribbled through gaps in a net stretched between two poles.

Based on history, in other parts of the world, the ancients of Egyptian, Greek and Roman also played game, football of a kind, as their routine. According to pre-medieval legend, the game involved one village versus another village. The villagers of each team would try to gain point by kicking the skull in the opponent village’s square.

The Medieval tradition was to take pig bladders used from live stock killed in preparation for winter nourishment and blow up them. Using their feet and hands, the game was played in the way of keeping the "ball" in the air.

However, eventually the animal bladder balls were covered with leather for better shape preservation.

Nevertheless, no matter how the pattern of the games and the balls varied, it still shared the same spirit, excitement and amusement.