Have you ever wondered why the big soccer leagues like Barclays, La Liga, and Serie A, switch from using a white soccer ball to a yellow soccer ball mid season? Well I’ve done a little research and discovered that Nike introduced the yellow ball back in 2004/2005. Allegedly, the yellow colorway allows players on the pitch to see the ball better during cold, foggy, winter conditions. If you can see the ball better, you can respond quicker – which ultimately takes the game to a higher level of play.
Some people say it’s just a marketing ploy by Nike to sell more balls, so I decided to run my own test. I live in West Michigan where the weather is very similar to England this time of year. I went outside with my white and yellow soccer balls and held them agains the grey sky to see if one stood out more than the other. Sure enough, the yellow ball created more contrast and was easier to see. Check out the pictures below. I can definitely say that using a yellow ball in the winter months against grey conditions makes a lot of sense. Maybe we should start using them more in our youth leagues here in the States. -E
