Category: Soccer
Women’s World Cup 2015 Match Ball
For FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada, 2015
Adidas unveils Match Ball for
2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup™
FIFA and Adidas celebrate women’s football 05-Dec-2014Adidas today unveiled the official match ball of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, the Adidas conext15. The ball features a new green, red and blue ribbon design inspired by the elements of nature: earth, wind and fire.
The Adidas conext15 features the same ground-breaking technology that was used so successfully in Brazuca, the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The ball has a new structural innovation with a unique symmetry of six identical panels alongside a different surface structure that provides improved grip, touch, stability and aerodynamics on the pitch
Thank you Jacques Barralon for the above picture.
Engineered to the same specifications as the Equipment Tricolore (the Official Match ball of World Cup France 98′), the Adidas Equipment Icon was FIFA’s Official Matchball for the Women’s World Cup in 1999. This ball was the first one designed specifically for the Women’s World Cup. Unlike traditional soccer balls, the Equipment Icon uses the same syntactic foam technology which debuted in the Equipment Tricolor at France 98′. According to Adidas, “syntactic foam’s tight, uniform matrix of gas-filled micro-balloons distributes energy more equally, enabling more rebound characteristics that make the ball faster and more accurate off the foot”. The Equipment Icon’s design features colorful “icons” from the eight venue cities of Women’s World Cup 99′ including: San Jose, San Francisco, Portland (OR.), Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, and Washington D.C. These icons are integrated into the Adidas “Tango” pattern, with an overlay of stars in honor of the US flag. FIFA approved. The Equipment Icon is only the second ball to feature the Adidas Equipment logo.
Sizes: 5
Information and pictures supplied by Alexander Djolev from Sofia, Bulgaria
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 soccer ball that was in color. The TRICOLORE used underglass print technology with a thin layer of syntactic foam.
The above picture was provided by Sebastiano Calì from Italy. Thanks!
The above Tricolore soccer ball (football) picture provided by Sheridan Bird. Visit www.sheridanbird.com.
Thank you Jacques Barralon for the above picture.
Featured a newly engineered hi-tech syntactic foam layer. This new foam material had better compression and more explosive rebound characteristics, making the ball softer and faster than its predecessor, Questra. The first World Cup ball in color was a revolutionary concept in ball surface design.
Graphics
Was the first ever multi-colored Match Ball. France’s flag and national colors (the Tricolore) and the “cockerel” the traditional symbol of the French nation and Football Federation, inspired the ball’s name and design.
Etrvsco Unico – Italy, 1990
The first ball with an internal layer of black polyurethane foam.
The above picture was provided by Sebastiano Calì from Italy. Thanks!
The above picture was provided by Jacques Barralon – The “R” indicates the official ball while “TM” was used for balls made after the 1990 World Cup.
This ball was a high-tech product which was manufactured entirely from quality synthetic fibers. The lowest covering consisted of textiles impregnated with latex for form stability and resistance to tearing, the neoprene layer made the ball water-tight and the outer skin made of polyurethane layers was used for abrasion resistance and good rebound properties. The name and intricate design took their inspiration from Italy’s magnificent, ancient history and the contributions and fine art of the Etruscans. Three Etruscan lion heads decorate each of the 20 Tango triads.
Azteca: México, 1986
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.
The above picture was provided by Sebastiano Calì from Italy. Thanks!
The above “red letter” ball picture was provided by Jacques Barralon
The above “black letter” ball (made in France) picture was provided by Jacques Barralon
A completely new model was developed for the World Cup in Mexico. The Azteca Mexico was a hand-sewn ball, and for the first time, synthetic material, rather than leather was used to produce it. The ball consisted of an outer polyurethane wearing coat and three lower layers, which mutually complemented one another with their different “Adicron” structures. These were intended to ensure the ball’s resistance, ability to retain its shape and its waterproof properties. With its never-before-achieved performance on hard ground, at high altitude, and in wet conditions, Azteca represented a massive leap forward for the game. Its elaborately decorated design was inspired by the hosting nation’s native Aztec architecture and murals.
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.
The above picture was provided by Sebastiano Calì from Italy. Thanks!
Thank you Jacques Barralon for the above four pictures
In Spain, 1982, the Tango España, the new generation of the Tango. The Tango España, made of real leather, was the head of a family whose members were specialists in particular fields. For example, the Tango Mundial was the top of the range model tested in the wind tunnel, the Tango Alicante was the special floodlight model, the Tango Malaga for hard grounds and the Tango Indoor for indoor football. The range of models was available not only in the basic white color, but also in orange and yellow.
Tango Rosario
Adidas Mundial
Above picture provided by Dino Maas
Soccer ball design experienced another revolution in 1978 with the introduction of the Adidas Tango. Adidas had created what would become a ‘football design classic’. Twenty panels with ‘triads’ created the impression of 12 identical circles. For the following five FIFA World Cup tournaments, the Match Ball design was based on this design. Tango featured improved weather resistance qualities, and took its inspiration from the deep passion, emotion and elegance of Argentina.
Two adidas match balls were used for Germany ‘74. Telstar made a repeat appearance with new black branding replacing the previously gold branding. Adidas introduced a new all-white version named Adidas Chile (after an all-white ball used at Chile 62). The materials and techniques used in the Telstar and Chile were identical to those used four years earlier.
The above Telstar ball has the signatures of the famous 11 (Maier, Vogts, Breitner, Schwarzenbeck, Beckenbauer, Bonhof, Hoeneß, Overath, Grabowski, Müller, Hölzenbein) and even the substitute players. The players signed the ball just after they had won the world cup in Germany in 1974.
Above picture provided by Jacques Barralon
The above four pictures are from Soccer Ball World visitor Peter Pesti
Super Lux version for high visibility!
1974 Apollo ball picture provided by Jacques Barralon
Researchers at Yamagata University in Japan are using finite-element analysis to simulate how people kick footballs. This illustration shows the deformation on a leg and ball, ranging from pink (the lowest) through blue, green and yellow to red (the highest). These studies have confirmed what most footballers know. If you kick the ball slightly off-centre with the front of your foot – and with your ankle bent into the shape of an “L” – the ball will curve in flight. This causes the applied force to act as a torque, which gives the ball a spin, enabling the Magnus effect to come into play.
First published in Physics World magazine, June 1998 pp25–27. https://physicsworld.com/a/the-physics-of-football/