What’s always puzzled me about this is, if a QB can throw a football better with a little less air pressure, why not let all teams’ QBs use a ball inflated to grip and throw best for them?
Are the the NFL rules intended to make the QBs less effective and efficient?
What’s always puzzled me about this is, if a QB can throw a football better with a little less air pressure, why not let all teams’ QBs use a ball inflated to grip and throw best for them?
Are the the NFL rules intended to make the QBs less effective and efficient?
see:
http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=12221498&ex_cid=espnFB
It’s all about the texture of the ball. They’re even using power tools on the things to strip off the coating and rough up the surface. Note at the end where nobody measures the pressure.
The tighter restriction is on kicking balls, which are only allowed to be worked for 30 minutes under the eye of an official before the game - since working the balls makes them bouncier.
Pressure was never actually an issue until a *ref* overinflated a bunch of balls by 3 PSI so the balls were actually a different size and stretching at the seams.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/sports/football/eli-mannings-footballs-are-months-in-making.html