Soccer is a well-known sport all over the globe. We are all familiar with the image of white and black soccer balls. But have you ever thought about it?Why are soccer balls white and black?What is the answer? Let's talk with Scott Fujita about the evolution of the soccer ball and how it got to where it is today!
WHY are SOCCER BALLS BLACK and WHITE?
It is easier to see the soccer ball on a black-and-white television screen because it is both black and white. It is easy for observers to follow the ball's path as it moves across the field because of the contrast between black-white.
The FA Cup Final between Preston North End & Huddersfield, which took place on 30 April 1938 in England, was the first live television broadcast of a full football match.
However, the country didn't have enough TVs at that time so it is possible to watch the match at the stadium rather than on TV.
Black and white TVs were more popular in this period than the color TVs. This was because color TVs are too costly for most people. This means that most football matches are viewed on a black-and-white screen.
This is a problem because the ball can be difficult to track on a black-and-white screen.
Leather was used to make the first soccer ball. They are hard, heavy and monochromatic. It's easy to follow the ball's movements when you are watching soccer games. It's a different challenge to follow the ball's movement. Adidas took the initiative to address it at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
THE CLASSIC BLACK & WHITE SOCCER BOWL EVOLUTION
Since the days of leather-covered, inflated pigs, soccer balls have advanced a lot. The original ball was made with laces and was heavier than the modern ones.
The Han Dynasty, a period that occurred between 206 to 220 AD, is where the soccer game got its roots. It's fair to say that the first soccer ball they used back in those days wasn't the synthetic one we use today. They were most likely made from the bladders of farm animals like pigs.
Charles Goodyear was the first to make vulcanized rubber balls, and this helped pave the way for modern soccer.
Manufacturers used leather for their material. They eventually found that leather pieces in pentagonal and hexagonal shapes gave the best results.
1. BUCKYBALL
The 32 panels of a soccer ball are stitched together in 32 pieces. Twenty of these are hexagons, and twelve are pentagons. This shape is called buckyball and was named after Richard Buckminster Fuller, an architect who lived in 1844. This shape was discovered by him while attempting to build a structure with very few materials.
At this point, the color of the soccer balls can range from light brown to dark brown. They eventually become white. This shape is known as a spherical polohedron. It is perfectly spherical and a vast improvement over previous soccer balls.
2. THE TELSTAR
Adidas' iconic 32 panels were first introduced at the 1970 World Cup, Mexico. They truncated the cube design with 20 white hexagons, 12 black pentagons, and a total of 32 panels. Adidas also designed the 2018 World Cup's official soccer balls. This is so viewers can clearly see the black-and-white soccer ball on television.
A soccer ball is composed of pentagons and hexagons because the combination of these shapes creates the perfect shape for a soccer soccer ball, also known as an icosahedron or round polyhedron block.
The Telstar was the name given to the ball. Its resemblance with the Telstar communications satellite is what gave it its name. This satellite was the first to transmit live television signals.
The Telstar ball was made from leather. For the 1970 World Cup, only 20 copies were made. An estimated 600,000.000 copies were sold afterward.
3. THE TELSTAR SOCCER BOWL IS NOW LEGENDARY
Telstar ball is a well-known tradition. All World Cups that took place up until 2006 used the Telstar design. For the same reason, other tournaments such as domestic ones adopt the Telstar design. Because the viewers of black and white televisions can see the ball clearly.
The original pattern of white hexagons and black pentagons remains unchanged.
Many people associate Telstar's iconic black-and-white placards with a soccer ball. Numerous drawings and pictures of soccer balls show a ball with a white and black board.
This style is not used in major tournaments like the World Cup for many decades.
4. MODERN SOCCER BALLS
Modern soccer balls are almost entirely made from synthetic or leather materials. The first synthetic soccer ball was produced in the 1960s. As soccer manufacturers tried to improve them, the development continued.
In 1986, Mexico was the first country to use synthetic balls at the FIFA World Cup. Its name was Azteca. It's still hand-stitched, even though it is made from synthetic material. The panels are still shaped in the same way as previous soccer balls' hexagons and pentagons.
The ball's original curved plate was only introduced at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. These 14 plates are found in the case of Teamgeist, the ball's name.
Synthetic materials don't absorb moisture. This is their main benefit. People of certain ages will recall the days when the ball was twice the weight when it was played in the rain.
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