As football season starts here in America, it’s still worth thinking about the sport the rest of the world calls football, what we call Soccer in the U.S. Just in time for fall ‘futball’ Nike introduced its Total 90 Tracer ball. The new ball is designed for consistency, accuracy, touch and visual acuity. The ball has hand-sewn seams, improved bladder tension and the surface texture you expect to kick around the field. The surface texture is actually a micro-textured casing, which regulates airflow equally across the ball’s entire surface. The ball is then less prone to wobble, and takes a more direct, arrow-like flight.Nike tested the ball among many of the prominent leagues including the Barclays Premier League, Spain’s LFP, Italy’s Serie A, national teams including Portugal and the United States, and confederation matches throughout South America and Asia. The company also tested the T90 Tracer Ball at the Nike Equipment Innovation Test Lab in Oregon. Nike claims the ball works well with the beginner player, amateur leagues and pro-soccer (or football) teams.
This isn’t the first new soccer ball to hit the field in a while. Adidas introduced a new ball, the World Cup Jabulani Ball, early in the summer before the World Cup. The question will be whether the new design and features will be adopted by teams and leagues, and whether the ball will filter down into schools an kid’s teams. The pricing may be a factor as much as playability for the latter. Nike has a large presence among teams worldwide, and introduced new uniforms for World Cup, which could supply an in for the new T90 Tracer Ball.