http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/24/premier-league-new-hi-vis-winter-football
The Premier League have announced that this weekendâs fixtures will be the first outing for a new hi-vis winter football that has been âsix years in the makingâ.
The fuse-welded ball will aide playersâ visibility in the diminishing light. It is bright yellow, with purple markings â two colours that are said to best contrast with each other and the stadium surroundings.
âStudies have shown that 70% of matches played from October to February are under heavy clouds, rain and/or in the dark and under floodlights,â Rafael E Ortega of manufacturers Nike told premierleague.com. âWe tested what players look for, and of their vision, only 10-15% is used for direct vision, the rest is peripheral. They are not always looking at the ball but need to find it in their peripheral vision quickly.
âThe ball has been six years in the making, taking a lot of engineering work and validation,â Ortega continued. âIt is the first fuse-welded football. It consists of 12 fuse-welded panels in a three-layer casing system, and a poly-blend wrapped, free-floating carbon latex bladder.
âThe industry tried other things: thermally-bonded footballs, balls that were basically glued together, as well as machine-stitched balls used at the elite level. But we had to build a ball for the type of game that was not now but in the years to come.â
There was also some good news for Premier League goalkeepers, as the new ball has grooves that are engineered to grip and channel the air to produce the truest trajectory and most consistent flight, which then helps to ensure stability and accuracy of the ball in mid-air.
The ball will also feature for the first time this weekend in La Liga and Serie A.
6 years for a ****ing ball. Give em a Mitre size 5 and gerr on with it.
The Premier League have announced that this weekendâs fixtures will be the first outing for a new hi-vis winter football that has been âsix years in the makingâ.
The fuse-welded ball will aide playersâ visibility in the diminishing light. It is bright yellow, with purple markings â two colours that are said to best contrast with each other and the stadium surroundings.
âStudies have shown that 70% of matches played from October to February are under heavy clouds, rain and/or in the dark and under floodlights,â Rafael E Ortega of manufacturers Nike told premierleague.com. âWe tested what players look for, and of their vision, only 10-15% is used for direct vision, the rest is peripheral. They are not always looking at the ball but need to find it in their peripheral vision quickly.
âThe ball has been six years in the making, taking a lot of engineering work and validation,â Ortega continued. âIt is the first fuse-welded football. It consists of 12 fuse-welded panels in a three-layer casing system, and a poly-blend wrapped, free-floating carbon latex bladder.
âThe industry tried other things: thermally-bonded footballs, balls that were basically glued together, as well as machine-stitched balls used at the elite level. But we had to build a ball for the type of game that was not now but in the years to come.â
There was also some good news for Premier League goalkeepers, as the new ball has grooves that are engineered to grip and channel the air to produce the truest trajectory and most consistent flight, which then helps to ensure stability and accuracy of the ball in mid-air.
The ball will also feature for the first time this weekend in La Liga and Serie A.
6 years for a ****ing ball. Give em a Mitre size 5 and gerr on with it.
