# How did the Telstar become THE iconic "soccer ball"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 16, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624 "2014-09-16T04:15:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/1 "2014-09-16T04:15:01Z")
Each sport has its iconic ball. Baseball has the red stitching and white leather. American football has the classic pigskin, with white stripes and lacings. Soccer has the predominately white ball, made of hexagons (IIRC), with black pentagons. Except that for soccer, that was only the actual ball for two World Cups–something like four to eight years. Before that, it was any number of brown or white leather spheres; after that, it’s been any number of multicolored… whatever-made-out-of spheres. Baseball’s pretty much had the baseball for a hundred years or more; American football has had the prolate spheroid for quite a while as well. What was so special about the iconic “Telstar” soccer ball that made it the defining image of the sport, despite the fact that it hasn’t actually been part of the equipment for decades? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/2 "2014-09-16T04:29:16Z")
FWIW, from checking [three](http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/category/13109/1/soccer-balls.html) [sporting goods](http://www.sportsauthority.com/Team-Sports/Soccer/Soccer-Balls/family.jsp?categoryId=2353049&cp=3077571.3079740) [chains](http://www.sportchalet.com/category/team+sports/soccer/soccer-balls.do), most or all of them still have the hex/pentagon stitching, even if they’re not all the Telstar style. The last link does show at least one model with the Telstar coloring, however. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/3 "2014-09-16T06:09:59Z")
WAG - It’s the cheapest/easiest way to manufacture a football. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/4 "2014-09-16T06:22:28Z")
The design was introduced in the 1960s, and became dominant in the late '60s/early '70s. With its contrasting black pentagonal panels it was visually distinctive, and was incorporated into the logo for the 1970 tournament, which probably helped to cement the association with soccer in the public mind. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/5 "2014-09-16T06:58:01Z")
I think it’s just the absence of a single good alternative. It’s rather like if I were drawing a comic of some football players. I’d draw them with black boots with maybe a white stripe on them. Even though you’re just as likely to see eyeball-melting yellow and pink nowadays, and there will be some other colour gimmick in time for the next world cup. But no single design has been as widespread as the classic black boots. WRT the ball, the Telstar design was maybe the first visually distinctive style, and then sold very well long after the world cup in which it originally featured. It was easily-recognized, and popular, so it became cemented in people’s mind as the standard football. That hasn’t happened with any other design yet. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/6 "2014-09-16T07:00:54Z")
It iconifies easily, with sharply-contrasting colours and easy geometric shapes. The colours map to the actual leather pieces. Plus it was the first to use the truncated icosahedron geometry. And Mexico was really the first World Cup to reach the global audience that live, colour satellite TV could provide. Compare that with the pieces of multicoloured, curvy crap that are the [2010](http://www.nikys-sports.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/d/adidas-e42026.jpg) or [2014](http://images.soccerbox.com/adidas-2014-fifa-world-cup-soccer-ball-football-white.jpg) balls, and you can see how, reduced real tiny, those don’t make nice icons. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/7 "2014-09-16T07:26:09Z")
It’s worth noting that those later balls have fancy curvy designs printed on them, but the basic structure is the same combination of hexagons and pentagons as the Telstar had. In other words, there isn’t a new design of ball; just a new pattern printed on balls. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/8 "2014-09-16T07:38:31Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > It’s worth noting that those later balls have fancy curvy designs printed on them, but the basic structure is the same combination of hexagons and pentagons as the Telstar had. > > In other words, there isn’t a new design of ball; just a new pattern printed on balls. yeah, that’s what I meant when I said the Telstar colours map to the actual structure. Because the structure is a basic geometric shape, it makes the whole thing much simpler to render than the printed-on patterns of later designs. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/9 "2014-09-16T09:29:54Z")
Mental Floss did an article on the evolution of the soccer ball: > [@](#): > > The ball made its World Cup debut as Adidas’ Telstar in 1970 in Mexico. The ball’s pattern of white hexagons with black pentagons made it easily visible on television. An added bonus for players: The black pentagons helped them learn to curve the ball better by being able to track its movement more easily. The article contains more info: > **[Why Are Soccer Balls Made of Hexagons?](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/51296/evolution-soccer-balls)** > > It wasn’t until 1855, when Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber, that soccer balls started taking shape. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/10 "2014-09-16T12:19:03Z")
I actually find it annoying when a match on TV is NOT using the iconic black and white pattern. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/11 "2014-09-16T13:36:26Z")
[Evolution of the World Cup soccer ball](http://slyoyster.com/cheap-thrills/2010/evolution-of-the-world-cup-soccer-ball/) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/12 "2014-09-16T14:12:57Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > It’s worth noting that those later balls have fancy curvy designs printed on them, but the basic structure is the same combination of hexagons and pentagons as the Telstar had. ISTR that the same pattern was used for the explosive lenses on the Trinity and Fat Man atomic weapons. I think it’s a particularly effective way to translate 2D patterns into a sphere. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/13 "2014-09-16T14:38:56Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > ICompare that with the pieces of multicoloured, curvy crap that are the [2010](http://www.nikys-sports.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/d/adidas-e42026.jpg) or [2014](http://images.soccerbox.com/adidas-2014-fifa-world-cup-soccer-ball-football-white.jpg) balls, and you can see how, reduced real tiny, those don’t make nice icons. Those examples are cheap “replicas.” The actual balls used in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups (among others and other competitions) [did](http://free13k.com/server13/photos/WNVEpGjB-0aO9M~/10824_Desktop-wallpapers-Jabulani-official-match-ball-2010-FIFA_1680x1050.jpg) [not](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KSlfroHeckI/UqUjqbuTQcI/AAAAAAAAAMw/p84NEglTljo/s1600/3022879-inline-s-6-2013-fifa-world-cup-brasil-ball.jpg) [use](http://cdn.sneakerreport.com/assets/2013/01/UEFA-Ball-2.jpg) the familiar pentagon structure at all. ETA: included the UEFA Champions League ball just for another example. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/14 "2014-09-16T14:40:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I actually find it annoying when a match on TV is NOT using the iconic black and white pattern. Get ready to be annoyed if you wacth any soccer, then. [Not even the MLS](http://www.soccer.com/Images/Catalog/ProductImages/hero600/82882.BL01.jpg) uses the old black and white pattern. To my knowledge, no current major competition does. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/15 "2014-09-16T14:50:46Z")
The Nike ball [used in the Premiership this year](http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2013-14/jul/new-nike-premier-league-ball-goes-on-sale.html) is a bizarre variant that alternates between hexagon-y things with concave sides and convex sides. FWIW, as kids in the 80s in the UK we all played with Mitre balls that had mostly long, straight panels. They looked a lot like [the design they are using now](https://www.google.com/search?q=mitre+football&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS555US555&espv=2&biw=1137&bih=1283&tbm=isch&imgil=lVtmYyuL1MsNeM%253A%253Bhl6EbgFlKgQoUM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.prodirectsoccer.com%25252Flists%25252Fmitre-footballs-football-ball.aspx&source=iu&pf=m&fir=lVtmYyuL1MsNeM%253A%252Chl6EbgFlKgQoUM%252C_&usg=__Gy-RMFZGR4Z14FbmE0A5tI3Avy4%3D&dpr=0.9&ved=0CEIQyjc&ei=G04YVJeCDtLJggTVg4HIBA#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=lVtmYyuL1MsNeM%253A%3Bhl6EbgFlKgQoUM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.prodirectsoccer.com%252FProductImages%252FV3_1_Main%252F65423.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.prodirectsoccer.com%252Flists%252Fmitre-footballs-football-ball.aspx%3B570%3B570). The only Telstar-like balls we used were the rubberized one-piece ones that had the Telstar pattern printed on them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/16 "2014-09-16T14:58:24Z")
Moved to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/17 "2014-09-16T15:10:42Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Get ready to be annoyed if you wacth any soccer, then. [Not even the MLS](http://www.soccer.com/Images/Catalog/ProductImages/hero600/82882.BL01.jpg) uses the old black and white pattern. To my knowledge, no current major competition does. Yes, I’m very annoyed. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/18 "2014-09-16T22:50:25Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > It’s worth noting that those later balls have fancy curvy designs printed on them, but the basic structure is the same combination of hexagons and pentagons as the Telstar had. > > In other words, there isn’t a new design of ball; just a new pattern printed on balls. As I mentioned in Post #2. According to [this page](http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_does_a_soccer_ball_have_pentagons_and_hexagons_on_it) the hexagon-pentagon pattern provides for better flight characteristics after being kicked. Perhaps it also helps with accuracy in kicking since wherever your foot makes contact on the ball it’s about the same. If you had, say, just four large panels, I don’t think the ball would be as close to perfectly spherical. Now why are volleyballs made like that? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/19 "2014-09-17T00:31:53Z")
Interesting–I hadn’t realized that the underlying pattern was more or less the same (except, perhaps, in the fairly outrageously expensive balls used in the BPL or World Cup), with only the pattern changing. I find myself a bit suspicious of the claims made for the very high end balls, but that’s a different thing. Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624/20 "2014-09-17T03:37:18Z")
Please reread post #13. The painted balls with the hexagon/pentagon pattern are NOT the official tournament balls in a huge variety of tournaments worldwide, but rather cheap imitation “replicas.” The real balls used in competitions have a structure ENTIRELY different from the Telstar ball. See links above. **Spectre of Pithecanthropus** ’s links are NOT the official balls, at all. Repeat: no major competition in the entire world to my knowledge makes any use of the Telstar ball or its pentagon/hexagon structure. ETA: the question from the OP has yet to be answered. I have no idea why, myself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-telstar-become-the-iconic-soccer-ball/698624.md?page=2)