This year, AVID Soccer selected three very different "products" for your consideration.  We highlighted a new league, a new kit manufacturing technique and a new boot.  The winner was obvious.

We select our innovative product based on the potential to change the game.  It was certainly difficult to compare the relative merits of each of these offerings.  The Women's Professional Soccer league may not seem like a game changer, but in the US it is.  The MLS is a collection of teams entirely owned by the league.  "Owners" simply have the marketing rights.  The league makes final decisions on the trades and often bends or rewrites the rules to fit the situation (just look at the travel or salary cap rules and the Beckham exceptions).  The WPS married the positive parts of the MLS structure with individual ownership.  They also agreed to share stadiums with MLS franchises to provide an intimate soccer first experience, while avoiding the building costs or local tax burdens.  Unfortunately, some of the owners haven't shown the same commitment or innovation.  Some teams lost over $2 million dollars in the first year.  The team with the highest attendance, the LA Sol, has been disbanded because the WPS couldn't find a new owner.  At the same time, they are adding two new teams in smaller markets.  The WPS has a great deal of potential.  We hope that it lasts longer than its predecessor.

The Lotto Team Sport kit has all of the makings of a shift in the aesthetics of the game.  By spraying the uniform graphics and styling during manufacture, almost anything is possible.  Sponsor or league logos can be integrated with the design, not just placed on top.  Designs can be adjusted for a variety of themes (animal prints, gradient fades, geometric or fractal designs, etc.).  Recreational leagues can build a common theme for each age group without overlapping or running short of colors.  The biggest drawback right now is the price.  Current single kit pricing prohibits their use by the entire recreational division.  We hope that improvements in process/materials and economies of scale will push prices down to lower levels and open up the possibilities to many more teams.

The biggest innovation in 2009 was the Concave striking plate.  It is a concave (truth in advertising - right?) padded patch just above the laces.  This cup cradles the ball and ensures a cleaner strike and more direct power transfer.  When we originally tested the PT+ and PT1, our hypothesis was that this was a good boot for beginner to intermediate players.  That proved to be true.  It provided confidence and accuracy to the less skilled feet. 

We expected higher level players to miss the feel lost by the striking plate.  Some did.  We also expected to lose some bend on the ball as the striking plate minimizes this from the top.  We didn't.  One of our top testers felt the sides of the boot were just as good as anything else he played in.  In fact, the PT+ became his favorite boots.

Our readers agreed with our assessment.  And while we think Caitlin exaggerated a bit when she stated "They are they only ones to innovate like that in the last 30 years!"  We do think it is the most innovative idea THIS year.

Congratulations to all of our nominees and thank you for your innovations.  The Concave striking plate is the most innovative product of 2009.