Sphere Factor

A football is not, it would seem, just a football. Every league and major tournament has its own ball. The 2010 World Cup, for example introduced the Jabulani, a revolutionary Adidas design said to fly truer than any other ball. However, with every new ball comes a new raft of complaints about how it plays. Speaking on Radio 5 back in the spring, England Goalkeeper David James said that the Jabulani would cause keepers a lot of embarrassment. Conversely, strikers complained that it was difficult to keep down, at least English strikers did!

How can different footballs, which by the way, have to conform to a regulation size and weight, contain so many surprises? The three factors most likely to affect play are how well the ball keeps its shape, the degree to which the slight weight in-balance caused by the inflation valve is minimized and lastly, visibility.

It is likely that commercial imperatives, rather than the pursuit of dynamic perfection drive the introduction of new and exclusive footballs. That aside, the humble football sits at an intersection of engineering, aesthetics and cultural iconography. Was there ever a more worthy subject of Design Debate?

I offer three personal choices that represent a trinity of technical excellence, striking aesthetics and cultural significance. Feel free to disagree.


The Adidas Telstar

In the number 1 spot, it has to be the Adidas Telstar. The official match ball of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Some say the most exciting tournament ever. The construction of the ball was based on American architect, Buckminster Fuller's ideas for geodesic construction. It was an innovative example of a technical and cultural crossover. Its alternating black and white panels make it an elegant and striking design, whether seen at close quarters, or via crude 1970s broadcasting; visibility to television audiences was a major factor in its design. Moreover, the Telstar has become iconic. Ask a disinterested party to describe a football and the chances are they will describe a Telstar. It is also the football design most often represented graphically, as a symbol of the game. The quintessential football.


The Adidas Tango

Secondly, designed for the 1982 World cup in Spain, the Adidas Tango. The same 32 panel construction as the Telstar, but with a variation in markings. Not quite as original, but still a biggie in my view.


The Pantofola D'Oro History Ball

Lastly, on a retro tip, from legendary footballing brand Pantofola D'Oro - The History Ball. At around £80.00, it is probably destined for life on a study, or bedroom shelf. Its blatant appeal to the heritage market illustrates the changed cultural status of football in the 21st Century; football has become chic. No longer hijacked by the philistine element, the sport increasingly appeals on the basis of its heritage, cosmopolitanism and creativity.

Joseph Bouzaglo