Official Match Ball Perception in Football: What Players Recognize and How They Differentiate

Background: Results of scientific research have increasingly been considered in product development of football equipment. However, while official match balls (OMBs) are evaluated intensely through mechanical testing, fewer new findings include player perception.

Aims: This comparative benchmark study investigated subjective player perception of OMBs by defining specific ball criteria and examining their ratings and correlation with playing surfaces and player positions.

Methods: Crucial ball criteria were identified through guideline-based interviews with eight experienced players. Consecutively, 82 players took part in the core study and performed supervised, standardized test trials with three certified FIFA match balls (Nike, Adidas and Derbystar). The perception questionnaire aimed at player-ball interface and general influence factors. Reproducibility was assessed through repeated measures.

Results: Eight major characteristics such as flight behavior, energy transmission and grip were identified. Players perceived significant differences between the balls for energy return, grip, design, roundness, visibility and size. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values confirmed excellent reproducibility (r 0.9). Players’ position correlated with most perception criteria. No statistical evidence was found between natural and artificial ground conditions.

Discussion and Conclusion: Mechanical tests can explain the interrelationships between certain criteria (Asai & Seo, 2013) but fail to quantify the desirability of ball characteristics. Participants were able to differentiate between individual characteristics of OMBs. Thus, this work presents a reliable approach to quantify players’ perception. Identified perception criteria expanded findings by Roberts et al. (2009). Quantification of subjective perception can contribute highly to the understanding and evaluation of specific design criteria and the process of development.