Adidas Jabulani
| Type | Association football |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Adidas |
| Inception | 2010 |
| Manufacturer | Adidas |
| Last production year | 2012 |
The Jabulani (/ˌdʒæbjʊˈlɑːni/ JAB-yuu-LAH-nee, Zulu: [dʒaɓuˈlaːni]) was a football manufactured by Adidas. It was the official match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The ball is made from eight spherically moulded panels and has a textured surface intended to improve aerodynamics. It was consequently developed into the Adidas Tango 12 series of footballs. The Jabulani had a mixed reception during the World Cup due to its unusual flight pattern. The NASA Ames Research Center studied its performance and compared it to the +Teamgeist Berlin (used in the 2006 World Cup) and found it had a noticeable "knuckleball" effect.
Jabulani, meaning "be happy!" in Zulu, is the imperative plural form of the verb jabula "to be happy". Its design was much maligned by players at the World Cup, and production ceased after two years.