The Adidas Jabulani ball was one of the stars of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and yet, also managed to cause a lot of controversy throughout the competition. The ball was described as the roundest ball ever made. This ball has had more criticism than any other for a long while.
The ball is made up of 8 spherical mould panels made from 2 seperate materials that are thermally stuck together to create one big piece of leather. The ball included the World Cup logo as well as colours from the South African Flag. When FIFA announced this as the official match ball for the World Cup and it immediately created a media frenzy. The roundness of the ball, which was created this way to improve the aerodynamics, was criticized as the players complained it's travel was too unpredictable when flying through the air after a kick. It was slated by many managers and players as the said it was a "nightmare" ball to be playing with at such a big tournament. The material of the ball made it lighter, this is part of what created it's unpredictability.
This was developed from the idea of other footballs being tested of the materials used which means in the future. The design could be seen as a foundation for other balls so the design can begin to be improved and eventually improve the standards of the ball and game.
The development of footballs means that the game has been influenced as the ball can create a different game with how the shaping and material is, if the ball is heavy then players will not need to apply as much pressure to it although it means that it will go slower so it's easier to intercept. If a ball is light like the Jabulani, players will need to learn to control it proper to get a maximum performance.
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