What a week for sports balls. Never before have the inflated orbs that make these games go been thrust into the limelight so. We speak, of course, about "DeflateGate," the New England Patriots' pre-Super Bowl scandal that turned the entire web into a classroom of giggling 12-year-olds
It's not just the NFL, though — everyone's got balls. We sniffed around a bit, talking to all the major pro sports leagues in America, to get the lowdown on their balls
In the NFL, home and visiting teams must supply 12 official game balls for use on offense. Those balls must be available for referees to inspect 135 minutes before kickoff. The home team, meanwhile, must have 12 more backup balls just in case; the visiting team can, but isn't required to, supply 12 backups as well. All balls must be inflated to between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch (PSI). An additional six brand-new balls, "sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer" are marked exclusively for use in the kicking game Read more...
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