Every four years, Adidas creates a newly designed ball for the World Cup. This year’s version is the Telstar 18, which features six glued panels (no stitching!) with a slightly Keep reading
Tag: soccer
The Knuckleball
For more than a century, athletes have used the zigzagging path of a knuckleball to confound their opponents. Knuckleballing is best known in baseball but appears also in volleyball, soccer, Keep reading
The Reverse Magnus Effect
A good soccer player can kick the ball from the corner of the field into the goal thanks to the Magnus effect. But if you’ve ever tried to play soccer Keep reading
The Magnus Effect in Football
Like many sports, the gameplay in football can be strongly affected by the ball’s spin. Corner kicks and free kicks can curve in non-intuitive ways, making the job of the Keep reading
Brazuca
Since 2006, Adidas has unveiled a new football design for each FIFA World Cup. This year’s ball, the Brazuca, is the first 6-panel ball and features glued panels instead of Keep reading
London 2012: Soccer Aerodynamics
Corner kicks and free kicks are tough to defend in football (soccer for Americans) because the ball’s trajectory can curve in a non-intuitive fashion. Known as the Magnus effect, the Keep reading