Brazuca

Brazuca at the Brazil-Colombia game during the 2014 World Cup

Brazuca is the name of the official match ball for the 2014 World Cup .

Surname

The name Brazuca was chosen for the first time from three proposals by a vote of over one million Internet participants in the host country Brazil . It should stand for the “Brazilian attitude to life” and for “emotions, pride and warmth”.

70% of the voting participants preferred Brazuca in the vote in August 2012 over the alternatives Bossa Nova (based on the musical style of the same name ) and Carnavalesca (based on the Brazilian Carnival ). At the time of the election, neither the appearance nor the properties of the ball were known because it is said to have been in the development phase at that time.

Development, presentation and production

According to the manufacturer Adidas, the development of the Brazuca took a total of over two years. The geographical and climatic characteristics of Brazil should be taken into account. The match ball was subjected to numerous tests. This included spin cycles in a washing machine to test the suitability for rain and an endurance test with robots.

Brazuca 2014 (final ball)

The ball was presented on December 3, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro by the World Football Association . The bright colors and the bow pattern are characteristic. The Brazuca Final Rio final ball design was unveiled on May 29, 2014; it is based on the green and gold color scheme of the World Cup trophy .

The ball is produced in Shenzhen in southern China by the supplier Long Way Enterprise for the German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas .

Properties and structure

The official version of the Brazuca ("Official Match Ball") weighs 437 grams, has a circumference of 69 cm (size 5) and is composed of six congruent elements (so-called panels) in the form of four- blade propellers on the surface . The bubble inside the ball is made of butyl rubber , which is reinforced with a carcass made of glued-on fabric elements. The panels consist of five different polyurethane layers and are bonded to the reinforced bladder in several steps with glue under the influence of heat. According to the manufacturer, the ball absorbs a maximum of 0.2% of its own weight in water. The entire surface is provided with a finely structured embossed nubs, which should give the ball more grip and improved ball control. Due to deeper (1.56 mm compared to 0.48 mm) and longer (327 cm compared to 203 cm) seams, the flight characteristics have been improved compared to the previous Jabulani model.

Versions

Under the name Brazuca , the manufacturer offers different named versions in different price ranges and sizes as well as for different floor coverings. The balls differ technically in terms of their structure and visually by varying the color design.

Designation (as printed)	Sizes	Remarks
Official Match Ball	5	FIFA approved (A)
Final Rio - Official Match Ball	5	FIFA approved (A)
Match Ball Replica Top Replique	5	FIFA inspected (I)
Match Ball Replica Mini	0, 1	Mini ball, circumference approx. 40 cm, sewn
Final Rio - Match Ball Replica Top Replique	4, 5	FIFA inspected (I)
Final Rio - Match Ball Replica Mini	0, 1	Mini ball, circumference approx. 40 cm, sewn
Official Match Ball Power Orange	5	Winter ball, FIFA approved (A, size 5), not available in Germany
Match Ball Replica Competition	4, 5	FIFA approved (A, size 5), classic shape of 32 pentagons and hexagons, sewn
Match Ball Artificial Turf	5	for artificial turf pitches, FIFA approved (A), classic shape of 32 pentagons and hexagons, sewn, not available in D.
Match Ball Replica Artificial Turf	5	for artificial turf pitches, FIFA inspected (I), classic shape made up of 32 pentagons and hexagons, sewn
Match Ball Replica Hardground	4, 5	for ash pit, FIFA inspected (I, size 5), classic shape made of 32 pentagons and hexagons, sewn
Match Ball Replica Glider	4, 5	Training ball, classic shape from 32 pentagons and hexagons, sewn, different color combinations
Match Ball Replica Top Glider	4, 5	Training ball, not available in D.
Beach Match Ball Praia	5	Beach soccer ball, FIFA approved (A), soft outer cover made of 100% butyl rubber, not available in D.
Match Ball Replica Praia X-Ite	4, 5	Beach soccer ball, soft outer cover made of 100% butyl rubber
Match Ball Replica Junior 290	4, 5	Light ball, 290 g
Match Ball Replica Junior 350	4, 5	Light ball, 350 g
Match Ball Sala 65	4, 5	for futsal and indoor football, FIFA approved (size 5), classic shape made of 32 pentagons and hexagons, sewn
Match Ball Replica Sala Training	3, 4	Training ball for futsal and indoor football

Web links

Commons : Adidas Brazuca  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ “adidas Brazuca” - Brazilian fans choose the name of the official World Cup ball on FIFA.com, September 2, 2012, accessed March 6, 2016.
2. ↑ Brazuca Ball is the official Adidas 2014 World Cup ball on nationalelf.org, September 4, 2012, accessed on March 6, 2016.
3. ↑ 2 years of development and numerous tests for the Brazuca
4. ↑ "Brazuca": This is the new World Cup ball. In: Spiegel Online . December 4, 2013, accessed March 6, 2016 . 
5. ↑ adidas brazuca Final Rio presented on the FIFA website on May 29, 2014, accessed on March 6, 2016.
6. ↑ China's factories are the secret World Cup winners. The Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2014, accessed March 6, 2016 . 
7. ↑ Brazuca - the birth of an icon. (No longer available online.) Adidas AG, archived from the original on August 4, 2014 ; accessed on March 6, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ↑ With the colorful Brazuca, engineers have reinvented football. May 14, 2014, accessed March 6, 2016 . 
9. ↑ Brazuca: Secrets of the new World Cup ball. BBC Mundo, accessed March 6, 2016 . 
10. ↑ http://www.adidas.de/brazuca