The new football that will be used for the first time in the World Cup’s opening game on Friday (9 June 2006) is likely to bamboozle goalkeepers at some stage of the tournament, a leading scientist has warned.
The Adidas ‘Teamgeist’ football has just 14 panels – with fewer seams – making its surface ‘smoother’ than conventional footballs which have a 26 or 32 panel hexagon-based pattern.
This makes it aerodynamically closer to a baseball and, when hit with a slow spin, will make the ball less stable, giving it a more unpredictable trajectory in flight.
“With a very low spin rate, which occasionally happens in football, the panel pattern can have a big influence on the trajectory of the ball and make it more unpredictable for a goalkeeper,” said Dr Ken Bray, a sports scientist at the University of Bath and author of the new popular science book How to score – science and the beautiful game.
“Because the Teamgeist ball has just 14 panels it is aerodynamically more similar to the baseball which only has two panels.
“In baseball, pitchers often throw a ’curve ball’ which is similar to a swerving free kick and the rotating seam disrupts the air flow around the ball in much the same way as a football does.
“Occasionally though, pitchers will throw a ’knuckleball’ which bobs about randomly in flight and is very disconcerting for batters.
“It happens because pitchers throw the ball with very little spin and as the ball rotates lazily in the air, the seam disrupts the air flow around the ball at certain points on the surface, causing an unpredictable deflection.
“With the world’s best players in Germany this summer, there are bound to be plenty of spectacular scoring free kicks.
“But watch the slow motion replays to spot the rare occasions where the ball produces little or no rotation and where goalkeepers will frantically attempt to keep up with the ball’s chaotic flight path.”
The ball, which has been used by teams competing in the World Cup in practice sessions, has already been criticised by England goalkeeper Paul Robinson and Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann for its light-weight and unpredictable behaviour.
Next stage:
England will meet Germany?
I think: The meets possibility reaches as high as 5
Therefore altogether has nine kind of situations:
1 Germany wins but the English victory, like this cannot meet one another
2 Germany to win but England to be even, all is the group first, also cannot meet one another
3 Germany to win but England negative, Germany first, England second, meets one another
4 Germany even but English victory, Germany second, England first, meets one another
5 Germany evenly but England even, Germany second, England first, meets one another
6 Germany to be even but England negative, Germany second, England second, does not meet one another
7 Germany negative but the English victory, Germany second, England first, meets one another
8 Germany negative but England to be even, Germany second, England first, meets one another
9 Germany negative but England negative, Germany second, England second, does not meet one another
So I think :England meets Germany one another unexpectedly has 5 possibilities
http://www.fifaworldcup-yahoo.co.uk
Dr Han (Super football fans)
PAIN IN BRISTOL– http://www.backachetherapy.co.uk
This edition’s football looks awesome and it sure gives you a kick. If it unsettles goalkeepers we’re surely going to see more goals and that would be a great watch.
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This was not evident in the Trinidad and Tobago vs. Sweden game, where T and T goalie Shaka Heslop managed to save all balls.
See here.