Jabulani

[Stuart]

Anyone have an opinion on the new World Cup ball yet?

I was having a kick about with my lad recently using one of these and it really does make a 'pinging' sound when you kick it - like one of those one-piece plastic balls you buy at supermarkets and service stations. After a few kicks with it, we reverted back to a "proper" 32-panel ball which felt much more 'normal'. An odd thing to say about a professional football - although there could be a difference between an official ball, RRP £90, and a replica, RRP £15.

Jabulani means "to celebrate" in Zulu apparently but it appears that few players seem to be celebrating so far.

I don't recall as many goalkeeping punches or as many shots going high, wide and not so handsome. I did find this vid of

- although I can't help thinking Alonso looks pretty uncomfortable doing his keepy-uppies!

Didn't seem to be much of a problem though when Tshabalala arrowed his shot into the top corner - unless he was actually aiming for the near post!

Fortunately Frank is happy with it, which must mean he was keeping his powder during for the first game.

Also rather thankfully for us, what we all thought was a howler from Green was actually down to the Jabulani too. Howard plays his goalkeeping union card.

So a genuine problem or just an imaginary excuse for pampered footballers not to do the business?

[dazmaz]

Anyone have an opinion on the new World Cup ball yet?

I was having a kick about with my lad recently using one of these and it really does make a 'pinging' sound when you kick it - like one of those one-piece plastic balls you buy at supermarkets and service stations. After a few kicks with it, we reverted back to a "proper" 32-panel ball which felt much more 'normal'. An odd thing to say about a professional football - although there could be a difference between an official ball, RRP £90, and a replica, RRP £15.

Jabulani means "to celebrate" in Zulu apparently but it appears that few players seem to be celebrating so far.

I don't recall as many goalkeeping punches or as many shots going high, wide and not so handsome. I did find this vid of

- although I can't help thinking Alonso looks pretty uncomfortable doing his keepy-uppies!

Didn't seem to be much of a problem though when Tshabalala arrowed his shot into the top corner - unless he was actually aiming for the near post!

Fortunately Frank is happy with it, which must mean he was keeping his powder during for the first game.

Also rather thankfully for us, what we all thought was a howler from Green was actually down to the Jabulani too. Howard plays his goalkeeping union card.

So a genuine problem or just an imaginary excuse for pampered footballers not to do the business?

it does make the fly away football sound but I think that is because of the reinforced bladder to help with air retention. personally I have no real problems, with the Replica. my only gripe would be it does seem to hang in the air a bit longer than others I have used.

[Tom]

I like the replica but would love to have a go with the real thing.

So far we havnt seen many drives on target but a lot of skied free kicks

[Seggie]

One thing I noticed is the distance on Goal Kicks keepers are getting with it.

[DanLad]

Why bring out a new footy for the tournament? Surely it'd be nbetter to use the ball that the players had been using all season so that they are comfortable with it!

(I know the answer, BTW, it's money, as usual)

[Tom]

But all leagues use different balls don't they?

[DanLad]

But all leagues use different balls don't they?

Good point. I don't know. Presumably all the qualifiers were played with the same ball, though?

[Neil Weaver]

Interestingly, heard this evening that the German League had been using this ball all last season (what with Adidas being German), and apparently it had taken all the players a few months to get used to it. Wonder what the Aussies think?

[Ianrally]

I have read somewhere that the Jabulani was made available to all participating teams six months ago, yet the only time I have seen England use it was in the last friendly against Japan in Austria. It beggars belief that we have not been using it prior to that.

A football is meant to be round is it not, so I cannot understand players and pundits claiming that it is too round. Also I am fed up with these same experts claiming that it is too light. Are we to believe that not one of them have actually taken a ball and weighed it?

According to Law 2 of the Laws of Association Football as stipulated by FIFA, the ball must weigh 14-16 oz. If indeed they could prove that it was too light, then all the matches played to date would have to be declared null and void.

[cn174]

I have read somewhere that the Jabulani was made available to all participating teams six months ago, yet the only time I have seen England use it was in the last friendly against Japan in Austria. It beggars belief that we have not been using it prior to that.

I remember them saying in the last friendly v Japan, that England could've been using it for a while but because of contractual issues with Umbro they weren't allowed to use it.

[dave birch]

Nike apparently had the contract with the prem, so it could not be used.

The Bundesliga have been using it for the latter half of their comp (I think)

I heard the composition of the ball is changed now and then by putting varying amounts of foam(or some other stuff)in different panels of the ball, therefore giving characteristics.

[philipl]

Sven has called for a players and officials meeting on the ball.

Is it a coincidence that the only country that has looked good in this World Cup is the one whose League has had months to get used to it?

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I think the players just need to get on with it and stop moaning. They're using it every day in training so surely by now they must have a good idea about how much power to put into the shot to keep the ball down or whether it's worth having a shot 30 yards out if it usually goes over the bar.

[Neil Weaver]

Sven has called for a players and officials meeting on the ball.

If I might make a prediction : they'll fall off.

[philipl]

Nice one!

Only watching matches in bits but this ball behaves like its a ping pong ball.

Having seem most of the teams, I cannot believe that all the lot of them:

- have heavy first touches

- take rubbish corners all the time

- cannot cross

- overhit cross field diagonals

- shoot everything over.

Just doesn't make sense that collectively, all the footballers in the world are about 25% less skillful than they were 4 years ago.

[Seggie]

Ive noticed something today, they games have been much better and theres been less blame on the ball and those vuvuzelas.

Funny that isn't it!

[I_saw_Batty_score]

Haven't seen any Delap style long throws yet. Is that also down to the ball?

[modes98]

Is it a coincidence that the only country that has looked good in this World Cup is the one whose League has had months to get used to it?

Well it stands to reason that if you have been using it you will be better with it.

The other leagues could have forgone the money they made in order to use it but decided not to. That was our and there choice.

You can't blame the ball.

[Seggie]

Nice one!

Only watching matches in bits but this ball behaves like its a ping pong ball.

Having seem most of the teams, I cannot believe that all the lot of them:

- have heavy first touches

- take rubbish corners all the time

- cannot cross

- overhit cross field diagonals

- shoot everything over.

Just doesn't make sense that collectively, all the footballers in the world are about 25% less skillful than they were 4 years ago.

Could this not be due to the altitude, does not appy to every game but could be a factor.

[LeChuck]

Haven't seen any Delap style long throws yet. Is that also down to the ball?

There was a player yesterday with a hell of a throw, I think it may have been a Uruguay player?

[philipl]

Far more headed goals from outside the six yard box than in normal football too. The thing obviously doesn't hurt to head hard.

[Billy Castell]

The ball is rubbish. I'm no football player, but I know one of those flyaway balls you buy for a quid at Blackpool for the beach when I see one. How many long range shots have not dipped or slowed down in any way as they reach the goal? How many long range passes have ballooned into touch? And how often has a shot veered off into some completely random direction like a dodgy remote control car?

There comes a time when a football becomestoo light, and the manufacturers have spent too much time farting about with the 'roundness' and fancy new polymers, and that time is now.

[tcj_jones]

It's impacting upon the quality of the tournament because virtually no long range efforts or long shots are going on target. The only ones I can think of are a few Messi shots from the edge of the box (which weren't hit with power), Ronaldo's thunder bolt, and Forlan's goal.

Am I alone in thinking that the ball swerving is what did Enyeama yesterday? He seemed fully behind it and then it went away from him...

[broadsword]

If it was the altitude, then we would've had this problem before at Mexico in 1970 and 1986.

It's the ball. It shouldn't be a question of having to practice with the thing. It's meant to be a round ball, like all the other footballs out there. It's severely affected the tournament.

[beerwins]

It's impacting upon the quality of the tournament because virtually no long range efforts or long shots are going on target. The only ones I can think of are a few Messi shots from the edge of the box (which weren't hit with power), Ronaldo's thunder bolt, and Forlan's goal.

Am I alone in thinking that the ball swerving is what did Enyeama yesterday? He seemed fully behind it and then it went away from him...

Looking at the highlights of the goal from behind the goal suggests you are very much right, the ball was going straight in his arms only to swing away at the very last second.

Reports are that the ball is heavier than the ball used in the last world cup, I feel altitude may be having some efect too.