The ball was bouncier, smaller, felt denser, the stitches were tighter and had a lower profile. All of those things at once, or just some or, if you're Corey Kluber or Max Scherzer, none of them.

Novel ball designs have become a regular part of World Cup marketing strategy in recent years. The Barzuca, created and manufactured by Adidas, retails for a tidy $150.