Adidas unveiled its World Cup match ball Friday to coincide with the official group draw. The 32-team soccer tournament kicks off June 11 in Johannesburg and Cape Town, with preliminary-round fixtures split among nine host cities.
The Jabulani (which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu) is the 11th World Cup ball Adidas has designed. The Jabulani features eight 3D panels molded together on the inside, making it as round as any ball preceding it. The surface features grooves designed to make the ball's flight path true, limiting instances where the ball will duck and dip in mid-air. The ball is also easier to grip, thanks to thousands of small raised bumps.
The technology behind the ball incorporates a study done by Adidas that showed that that altitude at the World Cup will have an impact of up to 5% on a ball's speed. That means, according to the study seen by The Associated Press, that a free kick from 20 yards during the final at the Soccer City stadium in high-altitude Johannesburg will reach the goal line 5% faster than it would at the Moses Mabhida stadium in sea-level Durban. The translates into a free kick travelling at an average 126 km/h at high altitude, compared to 120 km/h at sea level.
Adidas said that while the Jabulani may not account for variances in altitude, it should follow whatever path the kicker desires.
The Jabulani also features 11 different colours – representing not only the number of players in a team's starting lineup, but also the 11 official languages and the 11 communities of the host country. The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 11.
The ball, which is went on sale following Friday's World Cup draw, will sell for $150.
