ATLANTA (AP) — The World Cup game ball became a star in its own right during the tournament.
This ball is embedded technology The following questions arose among fans: “Why is everyone expected to put the ball back on the field immediately?”
It’s more of a question of curiosity than a desire for change.
The thrill of catching a game ball doesn’t last long. world cup -In accordance with FIFA policy, spectators as match staff will wait on the pitch in a position where fans are ready to throw the match back.
If you are lucky enough to get your hands on the ball, some fans will try to take a quick selfie with it. A game ball will definitely be a coveted keepsake, especially for someone who spent thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and 100-level tickets.
“I mean, given the amount of money I spent, if I caught a soccer ball from the stadium, I should definitely be able to keep it,” England fan Jack Goodwin said. “I saved up money to buy a house, spent all my savings, and took my dad and me out of London.”
This is a tradition for American sports fans. If you watch a baseball game, you’ll get a souvenir that will last a lifetime. Bonus if the ball comes from a playoff game or a milestone moment for the batter.
In soccer, not so much.
“We don’t know and we don’t care,” one Congolese fan said when asked if he knew why fans couldn’t stop balls kicked into the stands. “We didn’t come here to win awards. We came here to see our country.”
Baseball fans climb over each other and jump over seats for incoming balls. Most soccer fans have no problem throwing the ball back.
Getting to the “why?” can be difficult, as FIFA’s policies are very strict. FIFA did not respond to an email requesting comment on the matter. But theories range from tradition to economic concerns to ball technique to the flow of the game.
“Unlike baseball, I don’t think there’s ever been a policy where you could store the ball, which is a fairly expensive piece of equipment,” said soccer historian Charles Catton. “In the old days, it wasn’t unusual to have one ball in a game. That was it. If the ball went into the stands, you had to retrieve it or return it to continue the game. Now, the balls are spread out all over the field.”
Fans can purchase FIFA balls for $60 to $180 from authorized vendors and pop-up stands. It’s unclear how much soccer’s governing body pays for match-day balls, but it could help FIFA keep a few more balls on hand to ensure matches aren’t interrupted if a fan gets into the stands and grabs the ball.
But while Major League Baseball fans finally earned the right to throw the ball into the stands, soccer has stuck to that expectation for years. The evolution of the ball itself only strengthened FIFA’s interest in reclaiming each ball.
This year’s World Cup ball, the Adidas Trionda, is the sleekest yet.
Gone are the days of hand-stitched leather 32-panel balls.
“We’ve evolved from natural materials like leather to now polymeric materials,” said Judd Reddy, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “There are several reasons for this. Cost is the first, but performance is also important because polyurethane doesn’t absorb moisture like leather.”
The Trionda is a four-panel, thermally pressed polyurethane ball, but perhaps its most distinctive feature is inside, where a 500Hz motion sensor sends real-time data to a video assistant referee system to assist referees in their decisions. offside call.
Real-time data is also sent to the match referee, who determines whether the ball has crossed the goal line.
“The World Cup ball has a built-in radio frequency transmitter that basically acts as a GPS and an accelerometer to understand the amount of force with which it is kicked,” Reddy said.
Mr Reddy’s colleague Professor Manos Tentzelis said the sensor works with 99.99% accuracy. Combined with a camera, it can pinpoint the exact location of everything on the pitch, right down to the tip of the shoe, which is enough to determine if a player is offside.
That technology isn’t worth much outside of the stadium. Reddy said the ball relies on stadium infrastructure to communicate with officials, and electronic equipment is virtually impossible to use outside of World Cup venues.
Balls must be charged before the game using a cord-free system similar to how smartwatches are charged.
Because of this process, it seems unlikely that the game ball will become a fan memento, but that’s not to say it will never happen. It’s possible that it will happen someday.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
