Berlin

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German sports goods manufacturing giant Adidas has unveiled a high-tech football that will be used in next year's European Championship and help officials with more accurate offside decisions. 

Alongside the European football governing body UEFA, Adidas launched the football, named “Fussballliebe,” the German word for “love of football,” in Berlin on Wednesday (Nov 15). 

How does the technology inside the ball work?

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The ball features the Adidas 'connected ball technology' for the first time at a UEFA Euro. The ball has a chip fixed on the gyroscope inside which sends data 500 times per second to record the point at which it is kicked. 

The kick point is essential in an offside call and the technology in the ball helps officials make the decision using multiple camera angles to create 3D visualisations that illustrate player movement. 

Adidas claims that the tech significantly reduces the time taken for a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) offside decision. It will now take just 25 seconds to make a call since there will be no need to manually draw lines.

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UEFA added that the outer shell of the ball is supported within it by the CTR-CORE which is designed for accuracy and consistency whilst retaining maximum shape.

"We are, as always, confident that Adidas' Fussballliebe will mark another stride in our shared dedication to excellence," said Zvonimir Boban, UEFA technical director and chief of football during the unveiling. 

Notably, the 'connected ball technology' was also used at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year when the official match ball, named Al Rihla, incorporated the same. 

While the ball will help in reducing errors from the game, its environmental impact during the manufacturing process will also be limited. According to Adidas, the ball is made with at least 20 per cent recycled content to avoid the larger environmental impact of producing virgin content.

Adidas has also pledged one per cent of net sales of the ball to the Common Goal soccer charity created by former Spain midfielder Juan Mata.

Also read | David Beckham backs youthful England to win Euro 2024 while in attendance for India-New Zealand World Cup SF

Euro 2024 start date and cities

The premier continental championship will kick off on June 14, 2024, with the final scheduled on July 14, 2024, at the iconic Olympiastadion Berlin. The tournament will be played across ten host cities in Germany: Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.

France are the reigning champions after Les Bleus defeated England at Wembley via penalties in 2021. Currently, the Euro 2024 qualifiers are underway and 24 teams will make the cut for the quadrennial event. 

(With inputs from agencies)