Balls.

Author
Discussion

ferrisbueller

Original Poster:

29,378 posts

228 months

Saturday 10th June 2006
quotequote all
Feck! They don't have move around a lot don't they? Hitting a cross field pass is hit or miss because they curl away into the distance.

The bend seems to vary with speed but it doesn't appear to matter how you hit them, in terms of actually trying to put some curl on it, they bend like a bendy thing bending.

Madness. 30 yd shots it is then. Could be just the ticket for England. No need for neat passing, get within 35 and hoof it. Owen can snaffle up the rebounds.

focusonme

691 posts

226 months

Saturday 10th June 2006
quotequote all
I'm sure it's only been getting incrementally worse over the years, rather than these balls being substantially worse than any other competition ball ever used. If it makes for more spectacular football, we should be happy. Long range shots, goalies diving all over the place, and our favourite footballers wont go and die of brain diseases early in life, all good things.

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

250 months

Saturday 10th June 2006
quotequote all
I remember back in the late Eighties they changed to a lighter ball in the English league and there was a bit of a dispute about it all,when the ball got spanked it went like a rocket.

Robbo1

842 posts

283 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
I don't get it - there's a minimum weight for footballs, so how come they come up with a "lighter" ball for every single tournament? Were the balls from World Cup 2002, Euro 2004, etc. really that much over the weight limit?

staceyb

7,107 posts

225 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
I thought it was something to do with the actual shape of the ball, apparently the balls in the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's weren't actually round, they didnt have the technology to make a perfectly round ball, but now the technology is there to make round balls and this is what make them swerve more.

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

250 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
staceyb said:
I thought it was something to do with the actual shape of the ball, apparently the balls in the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's weren't actually round, they didnt have the technology to make a perfectly round ball, but now the technology is there to make round balls and this is what make them swerve more.


I admire your knowledge of balls

staceyb

7,107 posts

225 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
ZR1cliff said:
staceyb said:
I thought it was something to do with the actual shape of the ball, apparently the balls in the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's weren't actually round, they didnt have the technology to make a perfectly round ball, but now the technology is there to make round balls and this is what make them swerve more.


I admire your knowledge of balls


Its legendary.

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

250 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
staceyb said:
ZR1cliff said:
staceyb said:
I thought it was something to do with the actual shape of the ball, apparently the balls in the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's weren't actually round, they didnt have the technology to make a perfectly round ball, but now the technology is there to make round balls and this is what make them swerve more.


I admire your knowledge of balls


Its legendary.


Wahey

I remember seeing Stevie Nichol hit a lightened ball at Anfield in the late 80's,the bloody thing screamed into the net

staceyb

7,107 posts

225 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
ZR1cliff said:
staceyb said:
ZR1cliff said:
staceyb said:
I thought it was something to do with the actual shape of the ball, apparently the balls in the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's weren't actually round, they didnt have the technology to make a perfectly round ball, but now the technology is there to make round balls and this is what make them swerve more.


I admire your knowledge of balls


Its legendary.


Wahey

I remember seeing Stevie Nichol hit a lightened ball at Anfield in the late 80's,the bloody thing screamed into the net


probably would have but was it straight or did it swerve?

matt.m

287 posts

219 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
they're really those 99p balls you can buy from cheap sea side stalls and repainted.

Edited by matt.m on Thursday 15th June 13:39

nel

4,770 posts

242 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
Isn't there an issue with the WC balls also having reduced stitching? Seem to recall that we were warned that there would be more goalie mistakes than usual this WC just because the reduced stitching ball is a slippery character!

staceyb

7,107 posts

225 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
dunno
2002 ball



2006 ball



they look pretty similar to me

ZR1cliff

17,999 posts

250 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
staceyb said:
ZR1cliff said:
staceyb said:
ZR1cliff said:
staceyb said:
I thought it was something to do with the actual shape of the ball, apparently the balls in the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's weren't actually round, they didnt have the technology to make a perfectly round ball, but now the technology is there to make round balls and this is what make them swerve more.


I admire your knowledge of balls


Its legendary.


Wahey

I remember seeing Stevie Nichol hit a lightened ball at Anfield in the late 80's,the bloody thing screamed into the net


probably would have but was it straight or did it swerve?


Cant really say as i was to one side but it looked like it went as straight as an arrow and at a very fast pace.

D_Mike

5,301 posts

241 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
that photo looks like a "traditional" ball with the world cup ball design printed on it... the real ones are made from two panels.

pies

13,116 posts

257 months

ferrisbueller

Original Poster:

29,378 posts

228 months

Thursday 15th June 2006
quotequote all
New ball has less panels and has been constructed such that it distorts in a different way, hence giving different aerodynamic properties.

telecat

8,528 posts

242 months

Friday 16th June 2006
quotequote all
So given the current WC ball has a Sanitary towel on it will the next one have "wings"??

telecat

8,528 posts

242 months

Friday 16th June 2006
quotequote all
staceyb said:
dunno
2002 ball



2006 ball



they look pretty similar to me


The "new" ball is a Replica with the pattern on it but not constructed in the same manner.