Here's what you are paying for:
The ball is produced by technology so advanced the German sportswear giant assured the performance is "unprecedented."
The ball should please the home team. Adidas said in a statement it produced Teamgeist "as a tribute to host Germany's greatest football moments and its traditional uniforms."
Even the name refers to a German trait: Teamgeist means team spirit, something the Germans have long thrived on instead of individual brilliance.
Adidas indicates "The fine gold accents along the rounded propellers are inspired by the golden FIFA World Cupä Trophy. The revolutionary new panel shape is designed to minimize corners and to create a more homogenous system in terms of performance and look. The radiant lines of the graphics surrounding the propeller shape symbolize movement and energy. Thanks to adidas innovation team designer Scott Tomlinson from England and German category designer Anatol Just, +Teamgeistä combines everything needed to become a state-of-the-art product."
Traditional 32 panel hand stitched balls have a wider target zone meaning accuracy is hard to consistantly achieve. The new 14-panel design has resulted in a ball with the most consistent performance characteristics ever, enabling the players to show their true skills. There are fewer seams, so the ball is rounder and performs more uniformly, regardless of where it is hit. The more perfect the sphere is, the more balanced it will be, offering greater accuracy due to the predictability of its flight. The new panel shape harmonizes the energy displacement and minimizes the amount of corners, while the larger panels allow for a cleaner kicking area. Perhaps the biggest difference the players will find with the new balls will be how they play in the wet. Normally, a wet and heavy ball behaves quite differently from a dry one. It flies slower through the air, has a lower bounce and is more difficult to curl. A patented Thermal Bonding technology makes the new ball virtually waterproof with identical performance characteristics wet or dry. The FIFA Approved Standard for water absorption stipulates no more than a 10% weight increase – the +Teamgeist’s has less than 0.1 % weight increase. Similarly, it has significantly improved on all standards for uniformity of rebound and pressure retention and shape and size retention. Clever design and technologies has enabled Adidas to reduce manufacturing tolerances to a new level.
The adidas Innovation Team (a.i.t) has tested the new Match Ball for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, first under tough laboratory conditions, later also with professional players and clubs on the field of play. Scientific tests were conducted together with the Sports Technology Research Group of the University of Loughborough, one of the leading institutions of its kind worldwide. These tests confirmed that the adidas +Teamgeist is more round, precise and consistent than any top competitor match ball.
Comparison to FIFA Approved Standards:
Circumference: The FIFA Approved Standard: 68.5 cm – 69.5 cm. The adidas +Teamgeist: 69.0 cm – 69.25 cm
Diameter: FIFA Approved Standard: max. 1.5% difference The adidas +Teamgeist: max. 1.0% difference
Water Absorption: FIFA Approved Standard: no more than 10% weight increase. The adidas +Teamgeist: Water absorption: no more than 0,1 % weight increase
Weight: FIFA Approved Standard: Weight between 420 and 445 grams The adidas +Teamgeist: Weight between 441 and 444 grams
Shape and Size Retention: FIFA Approved Standard: 2,000 cycles at 50 km per hour. The adidas +Teamgeist: 3,500 cycles at 50 km per hour.
Rebound Test: FIFA Approved Standard: No more than 10 cm. The adidas +Teamgeist: No more than 2 cm.
Loss of Pressure: FIFA Approved Standard: Loss of pressure max. 20% The adidas +Teamgeist: Loss of pressure max. 11%.
Drum Test by Adidas: The drum test was developed by adidas to guarantee high quality and durability of the printed surface, the unique design and look of the ball. The adidas +Teamgeist is the first ball ever to feature a complete underglass print technology, providing the +Teamgeist with the best and strongest surface material ever and guaranteeing the ball is more durable and will hold its unique look much longer.
Overview:
New panel shape and carcass construction of the +TEAMGEIST leads to:
Increased precision for straight and curved shots: With the +TEAMGEIST, every pass, every shot, every dribble, is as consistently accurate, powerful and fast as the last.
Improved all weather performance for consistent play in any condition.
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Revolutionary Panel Shape: eliminates surface irregularities to create a perfectly round ball for greater accuracy
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New Carcass: improves accuracy and power
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Complete Underglass Print: significantly decreases abrasion of design
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Thermal Bonding: seamless panels create a smooth, consistent kicking surface
Will not include the embedded circuitry to alert referees when it has crossed the goal-line.
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