Balls!

Last week I started a one way debate, which will be looking into some of the history of football. As a self confessed “Footie Newbie” I think this is going to be the best way to get into the sport. Last week’s blog stated that Football was still in the dark ages… And so now every Wednesday, I will delve into years past and present, problems and solutions, and the advancements that have been made within the sport.

I am going to start off with the most essential ingredient needed for a game of football. The football. I realise there will be some of you out there saying that is rubbish, you need somebody to kick the football. But like that old philosophy question: If a tree fell down in the middle of the forest with nobody around, would it make a sound? How about if a football was left on the pitch with nobody around, would it play with itself? And I am in no ways making any dodgy insinuations about balls playing with themselves… The fact of the matter is, for a game to really take place, you need more than a bunch of plastic bags entwined with one another to kick around. You need a ball. A football. Here is why:

The ball that we are familiar with in today’s game is because a) it is what we are subjected to whenever we tune in to a sports channel in the UK. b) when you go to a sports store you can pick one up for under £3. Before such a time however - before the pound even existed, men (real men) were using substitutes. Such as human heads, human and animal skulls, or pig and cow bladders. These ball impersonators often cracked, broke or became horribly mis-shaped after a few kicks, and so our wily ancestors covered the “ball” with leather to help hold the shape. This tradition has lasted for centuries.

It was only in the 1800s that the switch was made from animal bladders to rubber bladders. In 1836 Charles Goodyear (of Goodyear tyres fame) patented vulcanized rubber and in 1855 he used it to create the first vulcanized rubber soccer ball. In 1863 the English Football Association finalised all of the laws for the game of football. Although no mention was made of the ball in the early rules, it appears when they were revised in 1872. It was agreed that the ball needed to be “spherical with a circumference of 27-28 inches”. This rule still stands in today’s FIFA laws. Here is the ball used in 1893’s controversial FA Cup final.

The 1900’s saw some drastic changes made to the simple object that brings so much joy to every living soul in the world. Now that the inner bladder was secure and kept its shape, something needed to be done about the exterior. The leather being used was of poor quality and was often breaking apart during a game. The leather was also absorbing any water that was around causing the ball to be weighed down dramatically. This was an issue as many people were getting concussions and injuries after heading the ball on a rainy day. To improve this proble, synthetic paints were used to coat the leather and prevent water absorption. This was a double bonus as supporters were struggling to see the brown leather ball. They were now painted white so that the crowd could follow the action. If a game was played in the snow a similar orange paint was used for the benefit of the crowd.

The ball used in the first ever World Cup final was controversial in it’s own right. The 1930 World Cup, hosted in Uruguay came down to the host nation playing against Argentina in the final. The two teams could not decide which ball to use, so eventually FIFA intervened and it was decided that a ball provided by Argentina in the first half, and by Uruguay in the second half. After the first half, the Argentineans were leading 2-1 with their ball, but after the Uruguayan ball was introduced, the hosts bounced back to win 4-2.

It was only in the late 1980’s that synthetic leather came in to completely replace genuine leather in footballs. This new material mimics the natural leather to good effect and also improves the water absorption level on the ball. A new design was created known as the Buckminster Ball. The shape is a series of hexagons and pentagons which when sewn together and inflated make a near perfect sphere. The black patches on the ball helped players to get a better indication of the swerve on the ball.

Current footballs are still under development, manufacturers are using new improved materials to develop the optimum in flight accuracy, water proofing, speed in flight, a soft feel and the ability to transfer the kicking force to the ball - so that the ball does not absorb the energy, but it is harnessed to create a more powerful shot. These balls are all still regulated by the specifications set up by organisations such as FIFA. There has been talk of including microchips within the ball which will alert the ref the instant the ball crosses the line. This will eradicate the possibility for contraversial goal decisions. With such dramatic changes in the last 100 years, what do you think we will be playing with in the future?

Cheers,

Chris @ YTM