6 Months from now | 2010 FIFA World Cup

The time has come -- well the six months before the time -- to start getting excited for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Just moments ago the FIFA World Cup Draw Ceremony commenced to choose the groups for the initial rounds of the 2010 FIFA World Cup which will be played in South Africa for the first time. Here are the groups.

But this WC will be a little different this year thanks to the R&D department of Adidas. This year the WC will played with the newly designed, just announced Jabulani, meaning celebration in Zulu. The Jabulani went into development only 24 hours after the 2006 WC and is designed to increase power and accuracy.

The developers of the ball gained input from a many well respected players and some not so well respected players -- Sorry, Orlando Pirates -- to develop this ball which looks significantly different than any other seen thus far. The first thing you may notice is the lack of your typical 32-panel soccer ball. The Jabulani is an 8-panel soccer ball, 1/4 the amount of a regular soccer ball, and 6 less than last WC's 14-panel soccer ball. This was done for the simple science of the striking surface. Each thread in the ball takes away from the striking surface and the more surface, the more power. The second development that makes this ball significantly different is less noticeable but more important. The Grip'n'Groove technology added to the ball is a series of wavy lines on the surface of the ball called Aero Grooves that will grip the shoe giving the ball increased accuracy. More power + more accuracy = more goals. Or at least that is the theory.