Adidas has announced you will soon be able to buy its new Bluetooth football in the UK.
The Adidas micoach Smart Ball is a €299 ball which provides detailed analytics on things like spin and speed so you can track how you kicked it, and how to improve.
The ball is only designed for "dead ball" kicking, meaning you can use it for free kicks, penalties, long passes, goal kicks and corners. Alas that means it won't track live play, or be able to give analytics on how your whole team performed - it's just not designed for that.
Adidas says the ball "has a range of ways to help improve kicking skills, giving the ability and confidence to deliver when it matters most".
A 'challenge yourself' section, which challenges you to kick the ball within a certain speed, bend around a wall or try to replicate pro level free kicks. There is also a 'record book’ section to save and record all kicks to improve and track performance over time.
Challenge kicks are supported with social sharing functions. The adidas micoach SMART BALL also features wireless charging capabilities and comes with a charging dock.
Christian DiBenedetto, adidas senior innovation director said:
"We're proud to bring the miCoach SMART BALL to soccer players around the world. There was a huge amount of interest in the concept when we first showcased the ball. The testing feedback from both amateur and professional athletes has been tremendous and we know users will love the engaging and instructional training this ball will bring to their game. It is another great example of the breakthrough innovation we bring to sports to make athletes better."