Suggestions for Certifying fair footballs for play (1 Viewer)

[Ditkaless Wonders]

My suggestion is to allow the teams to have access to the balls during the week, just as they do now. They can prep the balls as they have been with the caveat that no substance be added to the balls. If they wish to remove the factory coating through heat, water or friction have at it.

On Saturday night, after their final practice, the balls will be delivered to the refs. The refs will keep possession of the balls until ten minutes before kickoff when they are handed to ballboys employed by the league, not the teams. The ballboys shall have neither gauges nor needles. No one on the sidelines shall be allowed gauges or needles except the Ref. Anyone found with needles or gauges shall be banished from the league. When the Patriots are found with a new item, not formally termed a needle or a gauge, but which has the obvious purpose, through confirmed use by film, of letting pressure out of a ball there will be no parsing of language or arguments over definitions, they, or any others who do so, shall lose their next first round draft choice.

When the refs receive the balls from the team they will be initialed by a designated employee of the team. That employee shall be considered to be acting directly on behalf of the owner and the owner shall be presumed to certify the balls through this representative.

The balls will be brought to the stadium by the refs. They shall be taken out onto the field to a designated cage in full view of any cameras in the stadium. they shall be completely deflated. This shall occur two hours before game time. at that time they shall be inflated, with nitrogen, through an automated system to precisely 13 lbs. They shall then sit in the stadium environment until one hour preceding kickoff. They shall then, after having acclimated to the environment be adjusted to precisely 13 lbs, again by machine. the refs shall then initial each ball. The balls then remain on the filed, in their cage, until given to the league's ballboys.

Everybody plays with the same pressure ball. Get use to it you prima donna Q.B.'s. The Q.B.'s get their "feel", but the pressure is uniform, fair, and less likely to change substantially being acclimated more or less to game conditions and using a gas somewhat less susceptible to leakage and change than is air.

 

[matuski]

Thanks, we needed another thread for women to fret about air pressure.

 

[BroadwayG]

Can't stop at footballs, need all equipment under armed guard every game.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Thanks, we needed another thread for women to fret about air pressure.

And so you were the first to check in. Very sweet.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Can't stop at footballs, need all equipment under armed guard every game.

True, we have no idea what kind of jock itch powder they are using these days.

 

[Run It Up]

Imagine if they put forth a hundredth of that effort to stop PEDs.

 

[Anarchy99]

IMO, they should either make everyone play with exactly the same ball to the same PSI level (like they used to) or let each team do whatever they want to the ball based on their own preference.

If this is such a huge issue, make both teams play with the brand new footballs taken right out of the box with the crappy coating on it and the same exact PSI to deal with (which no QBs liked).

The 12.5 - 13.5 PSI range was a suggested inflation guideline way back when from the manufacturer. I sort of like having each team inflate each football how they want, even if all the football are prepared or inflated differently. Have some really under inflated if they are trying to run the ball more and less likely to fumble. Have kicking balls inflated more so they could travel farther on kicks. Have some others that are better for passing or for bad weather. Use new footballs or some that have been used for three years and all scuffed up. This would add another level of strategy and no one could possibly complain.

Since the league is all about the money anyway, they might as well put advertisements on the ball or have companies sponsor when the footballs get swapped out. Everyone would be happy and the league would make more money. It would be a win win for everyone.

 

[Bayhawks]

IMO, they should either make everyone play with exactly the same ball to the same PSI level (like they used to) or let each team do whatever they want to the ball based on their own preference.

If this is such a huge issue, make both teams play with the brand new footballs taken right out of the box with the crappy coating on it and the same exact PSI to deal with (which no QBs liked).

The 12.5 - 13.5 PSI range was a suggested inflation guideline way back when from the manufacturer. I sort of like having each team inflate each football how they want, even if all the football are prepared or inflated differently. Have some really under inflated if they are trying to run the ball more and less likely to fumble. Have kicking balls inflated more so they could travel farther on kicks. Have some others that are better for passing or for bad weather. Use new footballs or some that have been used for three years and all scuffed up. This would add another level of strategy and no one could possibly complain.

Since the league is all about the money anyway, they might as well put advertisements on the ball or have companies sponsor when the footballs get swapped out. Everyone would be happy and the league would make more money. It would be a win win for everyone.

This (the bolded). Let each team do whatever they want (with regards to air pressure; they can't put crazy glue on the balls). Hell, let them adjust the air pressure during the games if they want. If the team likes a softer ball, let them use it. If the team likes a harder ball, let them use it. As long as each team follows the rules, have at it.