The Chemistry of the World Cup Ball

Apparently there's some sort of football futbol tournament going on in South America this month. I assume that there's something I don't understand about the game because that ball up above doesn't look like the pigskin, oblong spheroid that I'm used to.

Wait, they're playing soccer? Oh, that's different. That makes more sense.

It's apparently a pretty involved bit of chemistry in trying to make the ball as perfect as they can, as non-water-absorbant, as perfectly round, as free from drugs and cheating and shoulder-biting as it can be.

Check out the full-sized pdf of the infographic at this link and the original post - with a lot more chemical explanation - here.

Compound Interest is a British blog through which Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher with a flair for graphic design, posts outstanding chemistry-themed infographics.