Over at 18 Yards, they found a YouTube video of the various­ steps in constructing an adidas Europass soccer ball, the successor to the Teamgeist, which we’ve written about a few times before. The Europass uses much of the new ball technology found in the Teamgeist and adds a dimpled surface (think golf ball) to make it easier for keepers to catch. A co­mmon complaint of the Teamgeist was it was too slippery due to it’s very smooth surface and lack of stitched seams. adidas outlines the new features in their press release:

Like +Teamgeistâ„¢, the official match ball of the 2006 FIFA World Cupâ„¢, the adidas “EUROPASS” is constructed out of 14 panels using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology. This combined with the new PSC-Textureâ„¢ surface structure gives the “EUROPASS” its perfect handling characteristics and allows the players exceptional ball control. The unique outer skin improves power transmission, creates greater swerve and increases accuracy on the pitch, in all conceivable weather conditions. And for the goalkeeper too, providing a much better grip between glove and ball, substantially improves his catching of the ball.

So watch how these are made, including the test runs at the end. You can see the dimples on the surface when the pieces are having glue applied to the edges.