Brandon Maskell

The prized Jabulani! Get ready for more spectacular goals this summer

Many people, parents in particular, want to know how on earth a soccer ball can cost $150? Whether you play soccer every day or casually watch it on TV, a soccer ball with that kind of price tag is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

Kids from poorer countries around the world play soccer just fine with balls made of tape or other materials found on the streets. So what difference is a high-priced soccer ball going to make? In an attempt to clear up this great mystery, we take a look at the latest and greatest premium soccer ball - the new adidas Jabulani, which is the official soccer ball of this summer’s 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Jabulani, which means “to celebrate in Zulu,” rings in at $149.99!

Before we get too deep into what makes this ball so expensive, let’s get some quick background on the Jabulani. After a long wait and plenty of speculation among blogs of the world, the Jabulani was unveiled in Cape Town, South Africa on December 4, 2009. The pattern on the ball uses 11 colors to represent the 11 players on each team, the 11 official languages of South Africa and 11 South African communities that make the country so diverse. Along with being the official ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Jabulani was the official match ball of several top competitions, including the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, the 2010 African Cup of Nations and will also be used in the 2010 MLS season. As you can tell, this ball is a pretty big deal.

So know that you know the history behind the ball, it’s time to get down to nitty-gritty of why the Jabulani cost so darn much? Well, the question isn’t so cut and dry when you actually sit down to think about it. On one hand, the Jabulani is the most scientifically advanced soccer ball ever constructed and significant research and development was done in order to reach that conclusion.  But essentially, the ball is so expensive because it’s used by the top players and competitions around the world. The Jabulani is a premium soccer ball and therefore adidas charges a premium price for it. While the price is steep, there is no doubt Jabulani is the most advanced soccer ball on the market with the truest ball flight ever seen. Now that you know it’s the best, you need to understand what sets the Jabulani apart from the pack.

The special box the coveted Jabulani ball comes in.

In order to appreciate why this ball is so awesome, everyone needs to put on their scientific thinking cap for a minute.  Since adidas introduced the 32-panel Telstar World Cup ball in Mexico City in 1970, the goal has been to continually build a better soccer ball. In the world of soccer balls, a better ball means creating the roundest and truest flying ball possible. We have all seen an ugly egg-shaped soccer ball that has been sat on one too many times. It’s not a pretty sight.

From a player’s perspective, you want a soccer ball with a soft touch when kicked, which also flies predictably when struck. Predictability is the key to a player being able to consistently connect with accurate passes and shots, which leads to success on the field. With the variable of erratic ball fight eliminated, everything then comes down to the skill of the player.

adidas made its first ball improvements with the 2006 World Cup ball, Teamgeist, which had only 12 thermally bonded panels (down from Telstar’s 32). While thermal bonding sounds like some kind of complicated rocket science, it really just means the panels were attached together with no need for stitching, which can sometimes be inconsistent.

Jabulani takes the next step towards perfection by reducing the construction to just eight 3-D outer panels and adding aero grooves, which help stabilize ball flight. adidas also covered the surface with raised nubbins, helping improve a player’s feel when trapping the ball.

Phew, that got pretty technical there for a minute. The conclusion of our science lesson today is that the less chance you leave for inconsistencies on a ball, the truer the ball flight and performance. adidas has done exactly that with the Jabulani by reducing its construction to eight panels and eliminating all stitching.

Now that you know all about the science behind the Jabulani, it’s easy to understand why it would be the choice of top players and competitions across the soccer world.  While it isn’t necessarily required to play great soccer, it is without a doubt going to help athletes take their soccer game to the next level.

Just remember practicing with the best, leads to playing like the best. To find a variety of soccer balls, click on image below.