By Chris Wright
“The worst soccer ball in history” – not my words, the words of NASA no less!
This video features some fascinating tracking shots of the Jabulani World Cup ball ‘knuckling’ (something to do with asymmetric air flow) mid-flight.
You can read NASA’s full report here, although a quick summary of their various tests reads as follows…
“The Jabulani’s 440 gram weight, coupled with the high-altitude conditions in South Africa, means when at speeds of 44 mph or more the ball becomes susceptible to something called the ‘knuckle effect’ – i.e. the ball becomes unstable in the air and volatile swerving may occur.”
Isn’t progress a wonderful thing?