FIFA World Cup 1938 France Allen

The Allen ball was very similar to the Federale 102 (the official ball of the previous World Cup) because it also consisted of 13 panels. However, the edges of the panels of the Allen ball were much more rounded so the overall design was not completely the same as the Italian ball four years earlier. The Allen ball was much more like the Globe and the Players balls from the 1930 World Cup. However, the manufacturer maintained the developments of the Federale 102 and the laces were put on a separate, thin panel. Black and white pictures prove that the cotton laces of the Allen balls were white, however, this was not a long lasting colour, since the rain and mud immediately changed the colour of the laces to brown. This ball was hand sewn just like its predecessors and had to be inflated by a skilled person. If the man who inflated the ball and closed the laces was not precise, the ball did not become spherical which would influence the trajectory of the ball.