Current Research           BALL!!!                           BOOTS!!!                 SHIN GAURDS!!!                                                                                                                                                    www.oceansiderevolution.com/EINSTEIN_2.htm                                                                   thestore.adidas.com                                                                       www.eastbay.com/catalog/productdetail.cfm "Your foot has never met anything                                                        "Get intense TraXion grip for a focused                                          "Hard shell faceplate provides shock like this. Fevernova's layer of Syntactic                                                 game.  The sof leather upper has reconfigured                               absorption, lightweight protection Foam has millions of perfect, high-pressure,                                         Predator islands and assymetrical loop-lacing."                             and comfort.   Cooling foam backing gas-filled micro balloons, making the ball                                                                                -Adidas                                                                 against leg, integreated compression rebound into shape faster.  Space age                                                                                                                                                                     sock with padded ankle stirrup.  Dual materials, radically simple construction,                                                                                                                                                                  strap securing system  gives best accuracy and speed... there's never been a                                                                                                                                                             fit."  -Eastbay ball like it." -Adidas The Ball: Adidas is the leading researcher when it comes to the game of soccer.  To an amature soccer player all soccer balls being used probably feel about the same when playing, but the professionals can easily tell the difference between a poorly constructed ball and a nice one.  In fact, there is a lot of science involved in the creation of a nice ball and, of course, the physics of the game are taken into consideration throughout this creation process.  The ball above is their latest creation called the Fevernova ball. It has recieved a lot of hype due to the components it is made out of.  These components include Syntactic Foam with gas-filled micro balloons, transparent PU coat, high solid PU, natural latex, 3 ply raschel knitting,  and underglass print.  The revolutionary component involved in this ball is the new Sytactic foam that causes the ball to rebound quicker, meaning that the ball should not spin or hook unless the player spins or hooks it and that the ball should whistle when kicked at high velocities.  This ball was chosen to be used in the 2002 World Cup for the main reason that with the foam the ball will allow faster and harder shots to impress the crowds around the world. Boots: It is not until recently that the soccer boot or cleat has been researched.  In fact, soccer has received much less attention when compared with other sports in the research department.  This research that is now being done is to help reduce injuries and enhance performance.  In an experiment, five different shoe designs were tested for ball speed, shoe deformation, and tibial shock.  The results of this experiment showed the importance of biomechanical analysis for the improvement of soccer cleats.  When considering energy return, it can be expected that larger ball speeds would cause more deformation.  It was found that there was one shoe model that had the opposite reaction.  Due to this finding it is shown that cleat design is a very important aspect of the game and it is important to continue research in this area. Shin Gaurds: Shin gaurds are very important to the game of soccer because they are the only protection a player has against other people's legs and the ball.  There are many different forms of shin gaurds out there, but the newest shin gaurds out are made of gel to take the impact of objects.  Most shin gaurds are made with plastic, but this is not as protective as gel due to the fact that the gel absorbs some of the impact of the collision as the plastic blocks the collision, but doesn't absorb much of it.  The gel absorbs some of the energy being pushed into the player's leg reducing pain.  They are continuing research in this area to make the game safer for players.