World Cup 2010 'Jabulani' soccer ball design revealed, reviewed

The official ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was officially revealed today as the countdown to today's draw for group placement began.

FIFA.com: On the day of the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the official ball for the competition has been unveiled. The adidas Jabulani, which means ‘to celebrate’ in isiZulu, is the 11th edition of adidas's FIFA World Cup balls. The 11 colours that are present on the Jabulani pay tribute to both football and the country in which Africa’s first-ever FIFA World Cup will be held. They represent a colour for each team player, every official South African language and for each of the 11 South African communities that will welcome the world next year. The design celebrates two of the most important facets of the South African nation - diversity and harmony - as it is these principles that make it such a colourful and welcoming nation.

GOAL.com: Just like the World Cup happens every four years, so does the coming of a new official adidas match ball. Named, “JABULANI” which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu, the new adidas ball will be the only ball used during the month-long tournament that starts in June.

New York Times: There are 11 different colors on the ball, which represent the 11 players on the field for each team. It is the 11th official Adidas World Cup match ball. There are 11 official languages in South Africa among the country’s 11 tribes.

USA Today: A new study done by Adidas shows that altitude at the World Cup will have an impact of up to 5 percent on a ball's speed. That means, according to the study seen by The Associated Press, that a free kick from 20 meters (yards) during the final at the Soccer City stadium in high-altitude Johannesburg will reach the goal line 5 percent faster than it would at the Moses Mabhida stadium in sea-level Durban.

Soccer365.com: But the only true test can come from taking the Jabulani out on the soccer field for a test kick around.  Neither the World Cup nor any local soccer match can be won or lost in an academic setting or wind tunnel for that matter. And once out on the soccer field the Jabulani performed up to the high standards advertised.  The first aspect of the ball, quickly apparent on the wet soccer field, was the control and touch on the ball.  Unlike many balls that tend to slip away from your soccer cleat the ball’s surface helps keep the player in control.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter gestures as he unveils the official ball for the 2010 soccer World Cup, called Jabulani, in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)