High-Tech Soccer Ball Worries World Cup Goalies

(CBS)  The world's biggest sports competition, soccer's World Cup kicks off tomorrow in South Africa. The nearly 6 billion people expect to watch the World Cup will see something dramatically new on the field: the ball.

The jabulani,as it's called, was unveiled by Adidas with dancing girls, and its own theme song.

"Jabulani" is Zulu for "celebration." But players aren't celebrating.

Brazil's goalie called the ball "horrible." Italy's goalie said it's "a nightmare."

YouTube reviews posted by soccer fansshow the ball swerving strangely. In one replay, the Jabulani ball clearly zig-zags - behaving more like a waffle ball than a soccer ball.

CBSNews.com Special Section: 2010 World Cup

But Adidas insists, "this is the most accurate ball we have ever made."

While older balls have 32 sewn panels, the vinyl Jabulani has 8 heat-bonded panels - which Adidas claims makes it perfectly round. Three years in the making, it's been run through wind tunnels and robotic legs - not just for kicks, but for cash.

The German company sold 15 million balls during the last World Cup four years ago. So this isn't just about a new soccer ball. For them, it's a game of money ball.

We showed the new ball, which sells for $150, to three experienced players, including Winston Buddle, whose son Edson plays for the U.S. team.

Jerry Edwards saw the difference right away. On one kick, the ball made a dramatic late turn to the left.

Jerry said the ball's "faster," with "more knuckles and swerves in it."

On its websitetoday, Adidas finally conceded its ball does travel faster at higher altitudes. That'll mean more trouble for goalies at the World Cup in South Africa, but maybe more thrills for mans.

[Dragon4518]

You guys are fooling yourselves. Remember that the world includes a Crapton more people than are just in america, and soccer is the number one sport worldwide. That the rest of the world has the attention span to love the game better than most americans- who seem to need people bashing each other constantly for it to be a sport- should say something. Saying about half the people of the world will be watching is not an understatement. it just means that more people love the world cup, than the superbowl.

[extremophil]

Half the people of the world? So you think that there are 12 billion people in the world? Open a book before you die, you might learn something.

[Harden_Tar]

Can you imagine if MLB or the NFL decided to use a new ball right before the World Series or Super Bowl? Just another reason why Soccer is a third rate at best sport. If a company like Nike can bribe enough officials to get their ball used in the most important event of their sport, soccer can never be taken seriously. It is an exibition, popular throughout the world, mostly in countries where livestock wander in the streets.

[Harden_Tar]

I would like to add that this move is most likely designed to increase scoring since soccer is incredibly boring, with literally hours of runing around interrupted by seconds of real scoring action.

[rwsmith29456]

Just like metal bats, golf balls, clubs and new vaulting poles the sanctioning bodies are going to have to decide if the balls are legal or not. No news here.

[extremophil]

6 Billion people are expected to watch??? CBS is nuts, or they have no concept of numbers.

[rational_1]

Maybe they're including the aliens who'll be picking up the signals from orbit to transmit to their home world. There's no way 6 billion people will be watching.

[RoboBlogger]

Now does that number include the non-registered illegal immigrants?