Cesc Fabregas and Andrei Arshavin are joined by some of their Arsenal team mates to tell us what their pledges are for the forthcoming season.

The new Premier League Ball for the 2009/10 season, known as the T90 Ascente, is the subject of Nike’s latest campaign featuring Arsenal players Cesc Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin, Nicklas Bendtner, Keiron Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Eduardo.

The Nike sponsored footballers are making their pledges for the forthcoming season and have penned their pledges permanently on a new Premier League Ball.

See the Arsenal and Manchester United stars making their pledges on our Football Boots TV video channel.

Five more goals than last season, win every 50-50 ball, never lose your man. What’s your pledge?

Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand are joined by some of their Manchester United team mates to tell us what their pledges are for the forthcoming season.

The new Premier League Ball for the 2009/10 season, known as the T90 Ascente, is the subject of Nike’s latest campaign  featuring Manchester United players Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Danny Welbeck, Patrice Evra and Darron Gibson.

The Nike sponsored footballers are making their pledges for the forthcoming season and have penned their pledges permanently on a new Premier League Ball.

See the Manchester United and Arsenal stars making their pledges on our Football Boots TV video channel.

Five more goals than last season, win every 50-50 ball, never lose your man.  What’s your pledge?

With each new football season comes a brand new football - welcome to the T90 Ascente.

Question: How do you make football more exciting?

Answer: Introduce a ball that offers players a larger sweet spot, longer range, improved visibility and better accuracy and speed.

That’s what Nike have done with the new Premier League Ball.

It’s called the T90 Ascente and will be used for the 2009 / 10 season in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

Left to right the T90 Ascente for the Serie A, Premier League and La Liga.

Features of the new Premier League Ball

360 Sweet Spot

The T90 Ascente has a sweet spot all around the ball, so wherever the ball is struck, its performance should be consistent.

It’s due to the design of the panels, with each of them having the same amount of pressure.

Longer Range

In tests, the new Premier League ball travelled two ball lengths further than last years football.

This is a result of a three layer construction of the ball, perhaps the only positive that goalkeepers can look forward to.

Increased Visibility

It’s obviously vitally important to be able to view the ball at all times.

That’s why the patterning on the T90 Ascente aids visibility by creating a flicker effect when the ball is travelling.

Higher Accuracy

Tested in wind tunnels, this balls new texture reduces drag, making the strike go where you hit it.

Bound to help the strikers and free-kick specialists, not ideal for some of the Footy Boots team ….

Greater Speed

Another lab test suggests that an increase of 2.4% can be achieved with the t90 Ascente.

Once again due to the three layer construction.

View the video story behind the Nike T90 Ascente football at Football Boots TV

Premier League Ball Pledge

Nike have passed one of the new footballs around their stable of sponsored players, asking each of them to sign the new T90 Ascente and to add their pledge for the forthcoming season.

Want to see the pro’s pledges? Arsenal Pledge - Manchester United Pledge

What’s your pledge for the new term? More goals? Win your league? Improve your heading ability? Let us know in the comments section below.

View the video story behind the Nike T90 Ascente football.  Football Boots TV

The Champions League football of the 2009 / 2010 season.

Order yours now - UK Buy Now / US Buy Now

All games from the play-off round to the semi-final will be played with the adidas Finale 9.

adidas finale 9, the Champions League ball for the 2009 / 2010 season.

The design of the official match ball for the UEFA Champions League 2009/10 season is based on the widely recognised, starball logo of the UEFA Champions League.

Their will be a different model of match ball for the UEFA Champions League Final, which is due to be unveiled at the beginning of 2010.

Tech Spec

The adidas Finale 9 features the new surface structure PSC-Texture. This surface structure is designed to aid players to control and direct the ball in all weather conditions.

The PSC-Texture consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and football boot. Due to the usage of this material, the ball texture feels like goose bumps. It’s constructed with 14 panels, using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology.

adidas Finale 9 Champions League Ball

# COVER: Seamless, thermally-bonded PU for a ball that flies exceptionally true
# BLADDER: Latex with Power-balance technology
# FIFA approved

Order yours now - UK Buy Now / US Buy Now

More on adidas footballs:

Europa League ball

Super Cup ball

The Europa League football of the 2009 / 2010 season.

Order your footballs here - UK Buy Now / US Buy Now

The design of the for the Europa League ball is based on the official logo of this new competition.

All games of the UEFA Europa League – including the Final in Hamburg on May 12th, 2010 – will be played with the new football.

adidas Europa League ball for the 2009 / 2010 season.

Tech Spec

The Europa League ball features the new surface structure PSC-Texture. This surface structure is designed to aid players to control and direct the ball in all weather conditions.

The PSC-Texture consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and football boot. Due to the usage of this material, the ball texture feels like goose bumps. It’s constructed with 14 panels, using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology.

# FIFA approved; Highest FIFA rating
# Seamless surface for a more predictable trajectory, better touch and lower water uptake
# Thermal bonded
# 100% polyurethane

Order your footballs here - UK Buy Now / US Buy Now

More on adidas footballs:

adidas Finale 9 ball

Super Cup ball

The official football of the UEFA Super Cup.

Order your footballs here - UK Buy Now / US Buy Now

adidas has also designed a futuristic match ball to be used in the UEFA Super Cup game in Monaco on August 28th, between FC Barcelona and FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

adidas Super Cup football

Tech Spec

The Super Cup ball features the new surface structure PSC-Texture. This surface structure is designed to aid players to control and direct the ball in all weather conditions.

The PSC-Texture consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and football boot. Due to the usage of this material, the ball texture feels like goose bumps. It’s constructed with 14 panels, using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology.

Order your footballs here - UK Buy Now / US Buy Now

More on adidas footballs:

adidas Finale 9 ball

Europa League ball

Adidas has unveiled the official match ball for the Uefa Champions League final in Rome on May 27th  - the Adidas “Finale Rome”.

The Italian capital is hosting its second Uefa Champions League final, the first was in 1996, with Europe’s top two sides destined to meet in Italy’s biggest sports arena, the Stadio Olimpico.

The design of the Adidas “Finale Rome” is based on the widely recognizable Uefa Champions League star ball. The colours of the new match ball, which are mirrored in the latest models of the adiPure, F50.9 TUNiT and Predator Powerswerve football boots, are inspired by the traditional Roman colour burgundy with gold detailing around the stars.

Mosaic figures representing key sporting and Roman values such as speed, teamwork, justice and power are featured in each star honouring the most important European club game.

Like the “Europass”, the “Finale Rome” features the innovative surface structure, PSC-Texture which allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions. The PSC- Texture consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot. Due to the usage of this material, the ball texture feels like goose bumps.

In addition, the “Finale Rome” is constructed out of 14 panels using thermal bonding technology.

Europe’s top footballers, who sadly don’t include any from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland or England (cheers Steve) now know which ball they’ll be playing with at Euro 2008 should they qualify for the final.

It’s called the Adidas Europass Gloria and was unveiled by Adidas Chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer who presented it to Uefa President Michel Platini.

The suffix Gloria is surprisingly to all of us at Footy Boots not taken from Laura Brannigan’s platinum selling single from 1982 (shame that) but it instead stands for the fame and glory that will be enjoyed by the winner of the tournament.

In eight white circles, the national flags of Austria and Switzerland have been integrated into the silver ball design. The twelve black dots contain the Henri Delaunay Trophy as well as graphic designs typical of all the nations that have won the trophy since the European Football Championships began.

Like other leading Adidas balls, the Europass Gloria is is constructed out of 14 panels using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology. This combined with the new PSC-Texture surface structure gives it perfect handling characteristics and allows the players exceptional ball control. The unique outer skin improves power transmission, creates greater swerve and increases accuracy on the pitch, in all conceivable weather conditions.

Adidas has supplied tournament balls to Uefa and Fifa since 1970 and this year was the official ball manufacturer for the African Cup of Nations.

Rumours that the ball in 2018, should England win the right to host the World Cup, will be called the Tracey have so far been unsubstantiated.

As preparations continue for the Champions League final in Moscow on 21st May, Adidas and Uefa have released details of the new ball that the finalists will be playing with at the Luzhniki Stadium.

The official match ball has been cunningly called the ‘Adidas Finale Moscow’ and the design is based on the widely recognisable Uefa Champions league star ball logo.

Tied in with the Uefa campaign for the final in Moscow, the colours of the new match ball are dominated by dark red stars with golden detailing.

The Adidas designers took their inspiration in particular from the colours of the Red Square, the Kremlin and the gold domes of Moscow’s numerous cathedrals, so it’s probably a good job that the final isn’t being held in Milton Keynes. Just like for the ball for the 2007 Final, the “Finale Athens”, well-known colours and elements of the host city are incorporated in the design of the 2008 match ball, highlighting the standing of the most important game for European club teams.

Like the “Europass” (named after a student inter-railing monthly return ticket), the match ball for Euro 2008, the Adidas “Finale Moscow” features the new outer surface, PSC-Texture.

This new surface structure allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions and guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot. In addition, like the “Europass”, the Adidas “Finale Moscow” is constructed out of 14 panels using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology.

Adidas have been supplying the official match balls to all Uefa and Fifa tournaments since 1970 and this year, was the official supplier to the African Cup of Nations organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

And the company says it is intent on unveiling more revolutionary ball innovations for future Uefa, Fifa and CAF competitions.

The Adidas “Finale Moscow” is already on sale at a cost of £75. Order yours NOW

The Adidas Wawa Aba football may be one of the major contributing factors for the flurry of goals we have seen so far at this year’s African Cup of Nations.

Already 54 goals have been scored following the conclusion of the second round of matches in the group stages, surpassing the number of goals scored at the same stage in the last four tournaments. At the 2006 tournament in Egypt, 33 goals were scored in the four groups after the second round of matches. The figure for the same stage at the 2004 tournament in Tunisia is 49 and that of the 2002 ACN in Mali is 15. So far in Ghana, 15 goals have been netted in Group A, 7 in Group B, 18 in Group C and 14 in group D.
Football analysts say the increasing number of goals may be a combination of more attacking play and the Adidas Wawa Aba football that is being used. The football is made of 14 panels produced with revolutionary thermo bonding technology. A thick inner layer enable perfect flight features enabling players to optimally control the ball and shoot with incredible power and precision.

Read article on the Adidas Wawa Aba

Uefa are to trial the use of two extra assistant referees in the penalty area at both free-kicks and corners as an alternative to goal line technology.

This article on Goal Line Technology is part 3 of the series of 4.

Part 1 - Goal Line Technology - The Technology

Part 2 - Goal Line Technology - Testing the Technology

Part 4 - Goal Line Technology - A Managers Perspective

The idea of Uefa boss Michel Platini is to be trialled at youth tournaments.

“The game’s a lot faster now, it’s hard to keep up with play all the time,” said Uefa spokesman William Gaillard.

The experiment will include using the assistants both behind the goal-line and inside the penalty box as extra eyes and ears for the referee.

“We have the go-ahead from the International FA Board to conduct trials on this and we believe it could work,” added Gaillard. “They would be just like the linesmen, talking to the ref through a radio system. Some people say it is better for them to stay behind the goal, others that it is better inside the penalty area so that things that go on like pulling and pushing are properly sanctioned.”

Footy Boots has recently run a mini series on Goal Line Technology, following the release of the new Adidas Teamgeist II intelligent football, which was trialled at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

Certainly the debate over whether the ball has crossed the line or not is considered a huge talking point in football and a wrong decision which leads to a lost match can potentially relegate a football club, costing millions in lost revenue at the end of a season. Footy Boots believes even with the addition of more match officials, human error will still occur, so is it now time to take goal-line decisions out of the hands of officials and rely on more advanced technology?

This article on Goal Line Technology is part 3 of the series of 4.

Part 1 - Goal Line Technology - The Technology
Part 2 - Goal Line Technology - Testing the Technology

Part 4 - Goal Line Technology - A Managers Perspective

In the second instalment of our goal line technology series, we look at the roadtesting of the new intelligent football at the FIFA Club World Cup, in an attempt to bring about a solution to the age old debate of whether the ball has crossed the goal-line.

Part 1 - Goal Line Technology - The Technology

Part 3 - Goal Line Technology - Alternatives

Part 4 - Goal Line Technology - A Managers Perspective

New intelligent ball receives mixed response

The new Adidas Teamgeist II intelligent football has drawn a mixed response after being tested at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The football contains a microchip designed to alert the referee when it has crossed the goal-line, in an attempt to end goal-scoring disputes.

The system uses magnetic fields and a sensor attached to the inside of a football with a 12-point suspension system. Wires cut into the pitch around and behind the penalty area emit a magnetic field which, when data is fed to a central computer, can track the location of the ball and show whether a shot has crossed the line. An encrypted signal is sent to watches worn by the referee and match officials to indicate a goal.

A shot by Pachucha’s Gabriel Caballero in the Mexican teams’ 1-0 defeat to African champions Etoile Sportive du Sahel saw the system called into action for the first time.

However players and coaches are divided over the quality the ball, with a number questioning its trajectory.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said his players were generally pleased with the ball, although midfielder Clarence Seedorf said it was harder to control. “For various technical reasons we still have to get used to certain trajectories, but generally we are able to kick it well. This new ball is a little difficult to control, but when you hit it well it’s even more difficult for the keeper to grab it,” said the Dutch veteran.

Boca Juniors coach Miguel Angel Russo said one of his defenders, Hugo Ibarra, was not impressed. “Ibarra said that as he is not used to it, its trajectory changes,” Russo said. “If you use a new ball in such an important tournament, players have to put in a lot of effort to get used to it.”

The technology was first tested at the 2005 Under-17 World Cup, using radio transmissions to track the ball across the pitch, but was deemed inaccurate.

“It’s good. We did not notice any different particulars with regards to other Adidas balls,” said Ancelotti, whose team beat Boca 4-2 in the final. “It is has a good consistency and the trajectories are respected.”

Adidas’s reponse was to hail the new intelligent ball as a success. Adidas’s Head of FIFA Affairs Gunter Pfau commented: “Tests during the tournament’s opening matches show the system is working and football’s lawmakers must decide whether to approve the technology for wider use. Until now we are very satisfied. No ball was damaged, all the systems during the games worked and the players’ feedback here has been very positive.”

The International Football Association Board, which establishes the laws of football, says goal-line technology must be proven to be 100 percent accurate before its use in other tournaments, including the World Cup. Both companies declined to comment on the degree of accuracy shown by the tests.

Part 1 - Goal Line Technology - The Technology

Part 3 - Goal Line Technology - Alternatives

Part 4 - Goal Line Technology - A Managers Perspective

The new ‘Intelligent Football’

This article on Goal Line Technology is part 1 of the series of 4.

Part 2 - Goal Line Technology - Testing the Technology

Part 3 - Goal Line Technology - Alternatives

Part 4 - Goal Line Technology - A Managers Perspective

Ever since the ‘did it, didn’t it cross the line’ debate sparked by Geoff Hurst second ‘goal’ in the 1966 World Cup Final, the arguments for and against the introduction of goal line technology have rarely been out of the headlines.

In recent years, goal line technology would have not allowed the Bobby Zamora ‘goal’ against Blackburn last season which helped move West Ham off the bottom of the Premiership and may have in some small part contributed to them avoiding relegation.

On the other hand, goal line technology would have allowed Spurs Pedro Mendes’ 50 yard lob which calamity Manchester United keeper Roy Carroll clearly juggled a full metre over his own line in the Red Devils 0-0 draw in January 2005.

In an attempt to eliminate the debate surrounding whether the ball crossed the line or not, Adidas has launched the Teamgeist 2, a new intelligent ball, designed to assist the referee’s decision in determining when and if the ball has crossed the goal line. The intelligent ball has been tested at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, formerly the FIFA World Club Championships.

“The purpose of the Adidas intelligent ball and Goal Line Technology is to provide greater transparency during a match and to assist the referee in making quick decisions that can impact the outcome and quality of the game” said Hans-Peter Nuernberg, Senior Development Engineer, Adidas Innovation Team. “We expect the system to perform very well during the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan and we will continue to refine the system so that it is 100% accurate.”

The intelligent technology implemented in the Teamgeist II uses a magnetic field to provide real-time feedback to a central computer, which tracks the location of the ball on the field and sends the data directly to the referee. By using a magnetic field and more stabilized and robust components within the ball, the new system is more precise and is not influenced by in-game factors, adverse weather or nearby technical systems.

“With the complexities and precision needed for Goal Line Technology, it is imperative that the system is tested in a variety of competitive in-game situations,” said Christian Holzer, COO of Cairos technologies. “The opportunity to test the new technology during such a competitive tournament will supply us with the valuable feedback needed in order to continue refining the system.”

Since 2003, Adidas and Cairos in cooperation with FIFA, have developed the Goal Line Technology, which was first publicly tested in 2005 during the U-17 FIFA World Cu in Peru. The first system used radio transmissions to correspond with a central computer and a microchip suspended in the ball to determine its location on the field. The new Goal Line Technology and Adidas intelligent ball have been redeveloped since 2005 to address the critical situations in which better accuracy is needed.

Following the testing during the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, the results will be evaluated and next steps will be determined by Cairos technologies and Adidas as to when the system will be ready to test again publicly. The new system currently meets all International Football Association Board (IFAB) requirements and the ball has been approved by FIFA for competitive international play.

Goto; Part 2 - Goal Line Technology - Testing the Technology

Goto Part 3 - Goal Line Technology - Alternatives

Goto Part 4 - Goal Line Technology - A Managers Perspective

Introducing the new Puma V1.08 football

The Puma v.108 is the world’s first intelligent football, helping players get to the goal faster!

Puma and UK-based material developers, d3o, have collaborated to develop a revolutionary new football. The v1.08 ball is designed for players seeking the perfect blend of soft-feel, precision, stability and speed. The patented 24-panel design reduces the internal radii variance for unsurpassed roundness and the unique dimple outer casing reduces drag for a superb aerodynamic performance. However, the most exciting development is hidden beneath the surface. Sandwiched between the outer casing and the inner woven textile backing is layer of the revolutionary new cushioning material, d3o.

“The new v1.08 Puma match ball takes you into the future of football technology with its reactive foam cushioning that makes it the world’s first intelligent ball,” said Filip Trulsson, Business Unit Manager, Teamsport, Puma. “The harder you kick it, the faster it flies. The softer you touch it, the softer it feels.”

Richard Palmer (Founder and CEO, d3o lab) comments: “d3o Lab is focused on creating intelligent products that enable the athlete to do what they do, to their absolute maximum. The new Puma ball is truly ground breaking in its use of d3o giving the player more control and more power, exactly when they need it. This is the most exciting project the d3o team have ever worked on and we can’t wait to see it out of the lab and into the back of the net!”

When applied to the new Puma ball, the d3oTM layer provides fascinating performance benefits. The material’s sensitivity to impact speed means that the Puma v1.08 ball displays “intelligent” behaviour. At low impact speeds (i.e. dribbling) the cushioning layer retains its soft feel, but when impacted at speed (i.e. a powerful shot on goal) the d3o molecules lock together instantaneously to increase the ball’s acceleration off the foot. In comparative tests by Sheffield Hallam University, at high impact speeds, the new Puma v1.08 leaves the foot 6% quicker than previous Puma balls and quicker than all other brands’ leading match balls.

The ball’s materials include the same 24-panel Concept 45 construction as used in its predecessor, the v1.06, for the roundest ball ever. Each panel has round edges and is pre-shaped to minimize tension and folds on the material when the ball is being inflated. Together with the new Dimple II CW-System, you can count on the truest flight ever.

As with Puma’s past technologies, the v1.08 ball features Perimeter Balance Technology to balance out the weight of the air valve and PAL - Puma Air Lock to ensure the best protection against air leakage.

The Puma v1.08 ball is currently being used by Puma national teams including World Champions Italy and Euro 2008 hosts Austria and Switzerland, with other national teams and professional clubs - such as Bundesliga Champions VfB Stuttgart and Lazio - featuring the football in the new year.

Price: £60
Size: 5
Colours: Lumina White/Dark Shadow/ Puma Red
Available: January 2008