I've seen foam footballs before... (after google search):
http://www.decathlon.es/balon-futbol-de-espuma-kipsta-foam-i...
and they're much cheaper than the proposed one (you can get them for 1-2 dollars), but probably way less durable.
"A lion at the Johannesburg Zoo, who would go through six regular balls a day, played with two balls. A German shepherd spent a year biting on a ball. In every case, the balls withstood the abuse."
That does sound durable. As stated, U$ 40 is way too expensive for a ball, so the only way it will work is if they continue giving them away as part of relief efforts.
Unicef: "“compared to the $2.50 we pay for a regular football, the current cost difference for the more durable solution is currently too high.”"
And the shipping problems are also a hindrance.
"because the balls cannot be deflated, they are more difficult to ship"
This also provides income replacement for the little children who are no longer stitching traditional footballs.
(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-27/rest-...)
[1] Sorry for the "over there" which is a lazy perhaps offensive way to refer to the developing world.
I've played with it, my son has one. It has a weird way of bouncing, compared to inflated ones.
Do you think it could be durable as the OneWorldFutbol?
Congratulations to Sting and Tim Jahnigen, this is heart warming.
Regarding the cost of the balls, I think when you factor in a 30 year life and assume a cost of $30 per ball, we are looking at a $1/year cost. The up front cost might be higher, and that is an issue, but the actual cost per ball/year is a heckuva lot less. I'm not sure what kind of calculation Unicef is doing when they say “compared to the $2.50 we pay for a regular football, the current cost difference for the more durable solution is currently too high.”
The game is officially, "soccer" in the U.S. [United Sates Soccer Federation] and Canada [Canadian Soccer Association].
FIFA calls the game beach soccer, "Beach Soccer." It is played under the "Beach Soccer Laws of the Game."
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/52/76...
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/01/66/5...
This definition applies to the FA per it's constitution and bylaws.
"All Clubs and Aiffliated Associations shall play and/or administer football in conformity with these Rules and also: (a) The Laws of the Game (as defifned in the Articles); and (b) the statutes and regulations of FIFA and UEFA which are in force from time to time." [THE RULES OF THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, page 1]
http://www.thefa.com/~/media/Files/TheFAPortal/governance-do...
Here is a list of references to "association football" on the FA's Website: https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Athefa.com+%22associat...
"Beach Soccer" is of course relevant because that's the name of the game sanctioned by FIFA.
In most languages, it is called something very similar to football.
Since I don't have a native English language, I prefer to call it football for that reason. I don't give a damn about its history, soccer's origin as association football, etc etc.
Football is Fussball is fotboll is futbol is fudbold is futebol is futball is fútbol is ..
Brits were truly the only ones calling it Football.
That aside, this is a fabulous thing. Anyone can play football in tight spaces with a group and on their own. Being the biggest sport on the planet, it's a marvellous thing that you can go literally anywhere and ask someone to play a game and you pretty much all know the simple rules. I'll always get behind things like this.