Football (association football)

Football is the game device of the same team sport football.

History

In China, they already played in pre-Christian times with leather balls that were filled with feathers and animal hair. The first consisted of a variety of materials such as footballs and hydrocarbon radicals and are held together by networks. Between the years 220 and 680 was invented there, the air-filled ball

In the 1930s, the Argentines then invented the bladder with valve. The disadvantage of the untreated leather was that it vollsog with water in the rain and was so heavy. Only by impregnating it was possible to reduce this effect. With the Football World Cup 1954 in Switzerland was the plaything of lohgegerbtem ( lohgegerbtes or altgegerbtes leather is the name for rohgares, mainly with oak and spruce bark in the pit tanned leather ) instead of oiled cowhide with 1.8 mm thickness used which had a diameter of 21.5 centimeters.

By the end of the 1960s, the football of Stitched leather strips was (usually six groups of two or three adjacent strips ) and was filled with a pig's bladder. This was initially tied together at the upper end, so that the air could not escape.

With the Football World Cup 1970 in Mexico then a ball with five-and six corners has been introduced. The Telstar Durlast was the first official ball of the World Cup, in the previous World Cups always chose the host on the gaming device. Composed of twelve pentagons and 20 hexagons football developed world to a de facto standard. Geometrically, such a football is a truncated icosahedron, that is a perfectly symmetrical icosahedron, the twelve corners were leveled to pentagons.

With the FIFA World Cup 1986 for the first time a football was used, which was full synthetic and is thus largely insensitive to moisture. Today, high-quality balls are no longer sewn, but adhered in order to prevent the influence of moisture.

Shape and dimensions

According to the rules of the Football World Federation ( FIFA), a football is legal if it

• Is spherical,
• Is made of leather or other suitable material,
• A circumference of between at least 68.5 and a maximum of 70 cm,
• Start the game with a minimum weight of 410 grams, but has less than 450 grams and
• A pressure between 0.6 bar and 1.1 bar has.

This corresponds to the ball size 5, which is commonly used in men's professional sports.

In the minor leagues for the matches are determined at the county level, the recommendations of the DFB are non-binding.

For Kleinfeld-/Jugendspiele the rules see the following balls before:

• Easy Game Ball Size 5 (350 g) - D- Juniors,
• Easy Game Ball Size 5 (290 g) - E-/F-Junioren,
• Light-play ball Size 4 (290 g) - G- juniors.

A ball size 4 has a circumference 63.5 to 66 cm and a weight of 350-390 g

A ball size 3 has a circumference from 58.0 to 60.0 cm and a weight of 300-320 g

Footballs in size 1 (diameter of about 15.5 cm / circumference approx 45 cm) and size 2 ( circumference approx 46 to 48 cm, weight about 225 g) are rarely used in official sports operation and more used in the private recreational sports.

Production

Classic soccer balls are made by hand as follows

Approximately 75 % of more than 40 million pieces per year of world production of soccer balls from the area around the city of Sialkot in the Punjab (Pakistan ). The soccer balls are made with a few exceptions of very poorly paid Approaching, often by children under 14 years. Pro Ball seamstresses earn about 60 cents. To restrict child labor, hire some sporting goods companies only companies that centrally in large factories under controlled working conditions employ their workers (see Fair Trade ). Others, however, move production to China, as wages are still low there. The plastic balls manufactured since 2004 must not be sutured, but are glued, this threatens the income and thus the basis of life tens of thousands of Pakistanis.

Official game balls

Until the World Cup of 1966, the game ball was in each case determined by the host and usually came from a manufacturer from the country of the host. Since 1970, all official match balls at the World and European Championships and the Summer Olympics by Adidas are made. Since the 2000 /01 season, Adidas is also delivering the UEFA Champions League with a ball called "Finale " and since the 2010/11 Bundesliga consistent with the " Torfabrik " Ball.

FIFA World Cup

Each further developments were made ​​by the selected developer company for the FIFA World Cup.

The top star of Swedish manufacturing was selected from a list of 102 submitted balls. He was of yellowish leather which is processed in the then usual oblong panels. The Topstar has been used as a second official match ball also in the subsequent World Cup 1962.

Mr. Crack the ball was a Chilean manufacturer of yellowish leather. Due to a quality defect in the FIFA Topstar 1958 admitted again as a second official match ball.

The Challenge 4 Star was produced by the British manufacturer Slazenger and was, like his predecessors made ​​of leather, which were joined together in the longitudinal panel design. The ball used in the final had a reddish- brown color.

The Telstar was, as usual for footballs at that time, made entirely of leather. Unlike other balls he, however, was made ​​of 32 hand -stitched panels and consisted of twelve black pentagons and 20 white hexagons ( this corresponds to a truncated icosahedron ). The black and white design of Telstar was particularly well known. The Telstar - whose name derives from "Star of Television" was derived - was easier to see against brown balls in the black and white television. In addition to the black - white model also white and brown - red models were produced for the World Cup.

In this World Cup two game balls were used. The Telstar witnessed his comeback with a black instead of the previous gold-colored lettering. In addition, one led by the success of Telstar with the Chile held an all new model in white one. This ball was named after the round white ball was played with during the 1962 World Cup in Chile.

In football, there was design in 1978 with the introduction of the Tango, a significant development. 20 identical triads gave the visual impression of twelve identical circles. The classic honeycomb pattern was replaced with it, because the game balls for the next five FIFA World Cups based on this basic design. The Tango was also marked by a higher weather resistance.

Compared to the tango of 1978 the design was changed only slightly. However, the Tango España was an important technical innovation used. The Tango España - still entirely of leather - had waterproof sealed seams for the first time. Thus, the water absorption of the ball decreased dramatically in wet weather game, and the weight gain was minimized.

The Azteca was the first fully synthetic match ball at a World Cup. The use of synthetic materials, increased durability and reduced water absorption on. The Azteca showed previously unattainable capabilities in hard soils, at altitudes and in a humid climate. Both the design of the ball was marked by the cultural past of the country as well as the name, which was derived from the Aztecs.

The Etrusco Unico asked the next stage of development of synthetic materials dar. He was the first match ball with an inner layer of black polyurethane foam. Thus, the Etrusco Unico was completely water -repellent. The ball could be playing better and reached faster firing speeds. Each of the 20 Tango triads adorned three Etruscan lion heads.

The Questra was the first match ball with a high-tech layer of white polyethylene foam with very high energy return. By PE layer Questra was at the foot more controllable, but broke up at the same time significantly faster from the foot, which manifested itself in higher shot velocities. The name and design are under the American motto of " Quest for the stars " (Eng. Reaching for the Stars ).

The Tricolore was the first multi-colored World Cup match ball. Inspired the name and the design by the French flag, the tricolor and the so-called " Gallic rooster", the traditional symbol of the French and the French Football Federation. The Tricolore also had a newly developed layer of " syntactic foam " - a dense, regularly arranged matrix of gas-filled, individually sealed and especially durable micro balls. Thanks to this foam, the ball was durable and convinced with improved energy return and dimensional stability.

The FevernovaTM was in his asian colorful design since 1978, the first game ball for a FIFA World Cup with a different design than the Tango design. The improved syntactic foam layer of the FevernovaTM gave the ball in combination with the three-layer fabric even more precise and predictable flight path.

The team spirit was officially presented during the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 in Leipzig on 9 December 2005. The novel arrangement of 14 panels in the form of six " propellers " and eight " turbines " a total of more rounded structure is achieved. Mathematics is related to a truncated octahedron construction. Team spirit has only a maximum deviation of 0.1 % from the perfect sphere, which should bring about a marked improvement in terms of accuracy and control. The reduction of the interface also results in a better load capacity. The individual panels are not sewn to each other, but are welded together. For the first time at a World Cup match balls with all the names of the two teams playing and the date, time and the venue were labeled. In the finale a gold-colored version of the ball with the name team spirit Berlin was used.

The name comes from the language of the Zulu, where Jabulani has celebrated the importance. The ball weighs 440 grams and has a circumference of 69 inches. The special surface texture is (similar to a golf ball ) to improve the aerodynamic characteristics, the newly developed "bubble" allows better rebound characteristics. For the finale, the ball was provided with a special gold-colored design and bears the name JO'BULANI.

The name was determined by the fans in 2012 by voting and won against bossa nova and Carnavalesca.

FIFA Konföderationspokale

Also, different balls have been developed for some of the FIFA Confederations Cups.

• Pelias II - Germany 2005

The Pelias II was a graphically updated version of the ball of the Olympic Games of Athens, whose design was influenced by the national colors of Germany, black, red and gold. Like the Roteiro 2004, he was made ​​with the new adhesive technology and also contained a counterweight to the valve.

• Kopanya - South Africa 2009

The Kopanya is exactly like the Europass in its construction. The name comes from the Kopanya Southern Sotho, an official language in South Africa and means something like " coming together ". The design of the ball has been designed based on the artistic work of the Ndebele people in southern Africa. The complex shapes and the black contours are traditional elements of the Ndebele, which were combined with the colorful swings in blue, yellow, green and red, which are characteristic of modern Ndebele artists. A silver shimmer gives the ball a futuristic touch.

• Cafusa - Brazil 2013

"The name Cafusa represents a combination of three words that do are an essential part of Brazilian culture, namely carnaval futebol and samba (Carnival, football, samba ). This, together with its vibrant colors, the ball is a perfect embodiment of the Brazilian identity dar. also the constellation "Southern Cross ", which is also seen on the national flag of Brazil, is reflected in the design of the ball. "

UEFA European Championship

For the UEFA European Football Championship Game the following balls were used.

The Questra Europe was an evolution of the cue ball Questra the 1994 World Cup for the games in England in 1996. Was its design, for the first time at a European Championship, adapted to the host country, and so adorned three metallic - blue lion and a red rose, the hexagons. The Questra Europe was the first black football at a major football tournament.

The Terrestra Silverstream was the official match ball for the UEFA Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands. The tournament was held for the first time by two countries, therefore, the design was adapted to the rivers, for which the two host countries, Belgium and the Netherlands are famous. Of the population they are because of their glow in the morning sun ( in local languages) silver lining, so called " Silver Streams ".

The Roteiro for Portugal in 2004 was the first time not sewn together, but thermally bonded and consisted only of the plastic polyurethane, which should prevent the absorption of water and make the ball more durable. Also, was opposite the valve a little weight, which should compensate for the imbalance in order to improve the trajectory ( " Power Balance technology "). He was named after the logbook of the famous Portuguese navigator and explorer Vasco da Gama. The aqua- metallic color of the ball with blue strip should still remember the sky and the sea, while fine silver lines represent the coordinate system.

The match ball of Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland is a further development of the team spirit and was presented at the group draw for the UEFA EURO 2008 December 2, 2007 in Lucerne. The structure of the panels 14 is opposite the World Cup ball. Especially the surface structure PSC-Texture was also renewed called reminiscent of goose bumps. It aims to ensure more grip and control in various weather conditions. Visually, the ball is kept very classic, the 12 black dots on a white background surrounded by red and silver lines, and the two flags of the host country are incorporated into the design as well. The name symbolizes the mutual orientation of the two countries, but also stands for the ball on the field. As with the 2006 World Cup has its own game ball was used for the final, the Europass gloria, a silver version of the game ball.

The official match ball of the UEFA Euro 2012 was presented on December 2, 2011 in Kiev, on the edge of the draw.

Africa Cup of Nations

The wawa aba is the first specifically for the African Cup of Nations ( Africa Cup of Nations ) designed game ball. He, too, is manufactured by Adidas and has the same properties as the Europass. Contrasting he is kept in red, yellow, green and black, the colors of the host country Ghana, but also apply as a pan- African colors, and thus stands out sharply from the classic color scheme with white as the keynote from. The design shows typical African elements, and the name wawa aba ( German: Seeds of Obeche - tree) stands for strength and flexibility.

The Comoequa based on the Tango 12 and is this similar in design, but the basic color is yellow. The name comes from the river Como, which flows through both host nations, and the equator together.

Olympic Summer Games

In the Olympics, especially modified footballs were used.

• Questra Olympics - Atlanta 1996

As Questra Europe, in June of the same year was used at the World Championships in England, the Olympic Questra the Olympic Flame was one of only optically matched Questra the World Cup 1994. Merely adorned instead of stars or the lions hexagons.

• Gamarada - Sydney 2000

The Gamarada was a graphical overhaul of the Terrestra Silverstream the European Football Championship 2000. Instead of silver he was red and orange and should therefore correspond to the colors of the Australian outback. The name was taken from the Aboriginal language and means something like "friend".

• Pelias - Athens 2004

Named after Pelias from Greek mythology was the first soccer ball, which was newly developed for the Olympic Summer Games, and not just received a graphic adaptation.

• Magnus Moenia - Beijing 2008

The also " Great Wall Star" called plaything of the Beijing Olympic Games was based on the technology of team spirit II, who was at the FIFA Club World Cup 2007 in use. This is so the referee signaled crossing the goal line. The design is based on the colors of the host country. The ball is held strong in red with gold Chinese characters中国that mean to German "China".