Engineers defend World Cup football amid criticism

Watches this video enjoy Engineers defend World Cup football amid criticism

The engineers who have designed the official football for the 2010 World Cup have hit back at criticism of their ball by some players.

Fabio Capello said his players gave the new ball bad reviews, with some players saying it moves too quickly.

And goalkeepers have claimed the new Jabulani ball is difficult to handle.

But engineers at Loughbrough University claim that their tests show it is the most "consistent" football ever manufactured.

The football that former England international Geoff Hurst belted into the goal in the 1966 World Cup final was made from 18 pieces of leather, stitched together and fastened with laces.

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We want a ball that is very consistent that allows the best players to shine

Dr Andy Harland
Loughborough University
The new World Cup football is made from just eight pieces of shaped synthetic material glued tightly together.

The result - for the first time in football history, say the manufacturers - is an undistorted, perfectly spherical ball.

But some players say it moves too quickly, and a number of goalkeepers say it is difficult to handle.

The engineers who helped design the ball, called the Jabulani, say it should be the most consistent football ever made.

Dr Andy Harland at Loughborough University used a robot to kick the ball.

His set up is able to reproduce corners, free kicks, passes and shots on goal - even more reliably than David Beckham.

Shining example
"Fundamentally, what we are trying to achieve is a ball that is very consistent that allows the very best players in the world to express their skills," he says.

"So we're not looking for a ball that behaves unpredictably which would benefit a player that's not skilful. We want a ball that is very consistent that allows the best players to shine."

His robot tests, which were supported by the ball's manufacturer Adidas, showed that the Jabulani was better than previous World Cup balls. It flew through the air more smoothly and hit its targets more reliably.

Dr Harland's colleagues used a wind tunnel to aerodynamically design the grooves on its surface, which guide the ball as it flies through the air.

Coppied by bbcnews