Abstract
Soccer balls are constructed with 32 pentagonal and hexagonal panels. More recently Teamgeist 2 and Jabulani balls have 14 and 8 panels, respectively, with dramatically different panel shapes and designs from conventional balls. The latest model called Context15, made with 6 panels, has been adopted by 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. However, there are few studies on the aerodynamic characteristics of these balls. This study examined the aerodynamic characteristics of soccer balls constructed with different numbers and shapes of panels. Results of wind tunnel tests indicated that the aerodynamic forces varied significantly according to panel shape, suggesting that panel shape has significant effects on the flight of the balls.
