Brazuca soccer ball plays better at higher altitudes

A study into the 2014 World Cup soccer ball, the Brazuca, has found that the ball will play better at Brazil’s higher altitude stadiums. RMIT University researchers Professor Aleksandar Subic and Associate Professor Firoz Alam tested the Brazuca ball in the lead-up to the World Cup in RMIT’s Aerodynamics Research Wind Tunnel.

The research compared the aerodynamics of the balls specially designed for the last four FIFA World Cups - Brazuca (2014), Jabulani (2010), Teamgeist (2006) and Fevernova (2002). It was determined that high altitude will impact on the Brazuca’s aerodynamic drag and speed - players risk overshooting the ball during a long pass, free kick or long shot to the goal post unless they understand the altitude effect.

The Brazuca ball in the RMIT Aerodynamics Research Wind Tunnel.

“The Brazuca ball will travel much faster than Jabulani and Teamgeist balls at low speeds and it will have more predictable flight in calm wind conditions than its two predecessors,” Associate Professor Alam said.

“We found that the Brazuca ball had more aerodynamic resistance at wind speeds between 50 and 70 km/h, compared with the Jabulani ball.

“At 50 to 70 km/h wind speeds, the Jabulani had the lowest aerodynamic resistance of the four.

“At speeds below 50 km/h, the aerodynamic behaviour of the Brazuca ball is similar to that of the Fevernova ball.”

Professor Subic noted that the Brazuca features wide seams - almost 40% larger than the length of a Jabulani ball - and these “generate turbulent airflow creating less aerodynamic drag - or resistance - at low speeds, compared with the Jabulani and Teamgeist balls”.

The study reiterates results released earlier this month by the University of Adelaide, whose researchers found that the Brazuca is much more predictable on its way to the net than the Jabulani.

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