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Why World Cup game balls always make their way back onto the pitch during matches
Summary by Terrell Hills News Editorial Desk Maura Carey, Associated Press , as published by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio
· July 8, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio · view original
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Summary created by Terrell Hills News Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Maura Carey, Associated Press, as published by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 8, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key points Further details about the World Cup game balls and FIFA's policy on returning them to the pitch are available from KSAT 12. Game balls used in World Cup matches have gained significant attention due to their embedded technology.
Game balls used in World Cup matches have gained significant attention due to their embedded technology. Fans have wondered why the ball is always returned to the pitch promptly during matches.
This practice is a result of FIFA policy, which has staff members ready to collect the ball from fans who catch it. Fans who catch the ball often try to take a quick photo with it before returning it.
Further details about the World Cup game balls and FIFA's policy on returning them to the pitch are available from KSAT 12.
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KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio reported and published this story. Terrell Hills News selected it, summarised the key facts above, and links to the original. We did not report this story and we added no reporting of our own to it.
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As published by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio . Terrell Hills News selects stories from publishers’ feeds, summarises them, and links back to the publisher that reported them. We add no reporting of our own. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio . Have a tip or correction? Contact the editor .
Category: News Published: July 8, 2026 Source: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Game balls used in World Cup matches have gained significant attention due to their embedded technology. Fans have wondered why the ball is always returned to the pitch promptly during matches. This…
When was this published? This article was first published on July 8, 2026 by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio and curated for Terrell Hills News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Maura Carey, Associated Press at KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) — San Antonio. To learn more about how Terrell Hills News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more News coverage from Terrell Hills News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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