Scouts and footballs

[SOUTH]

Would you (or anyone else on here) happen to know what the WILSON company gives in sponsorship to the Indiana High School Association?

 

Even if it's somewhat less than Rawlings gives, I would hope the KHSAA would be willing to forego a thousand or two if that was the ball the overwhelming majority of high school football coaches and players (the ones most affected by which ball is used) wanted.

 

 

I agree. Wilson footballs are much better. In fact South Oldham uses the Indiana football because they are better footballs. I have coached over 10 different QB's they all liked the black laced Wilson ball that many colleges use. I am not sure if any colleges use the Rawlings ball.

[MJK3490]

As I recall, several years ago (I think prior to requiring the refs to check the balls), there was a team (Of course, i dont recall exactly who was involved since it has been a while, but I remember reading about it), who was accused by the opposing team of putting helium in footballs to give the ball an extra "OOOMPH" if you will. Likewise, many kickers (and QBs) like to use balls that are not inflated at full capacity to help with grip and supposedly they are easier to kick.

For those reasons, I think is why refs were mandated to check ALL balls being used in the game, to prevent any unfair advantage to another team. I remember Coach Williams (Male) saying that in the year they won their first State title (1993), the refs wouldnt let them use 2 balls because they werent filled to capacity with air. Apparently, it was something that Chris Redman preferred because it gave him a better grip on the ball. Im not sure how much of that is true, but it would make since as to why the refs have to check ALL balls being used for the game.

Helium actually makes the ball go shorter. I saw it on myth busters lol.

[TigerDude13]

Helium actually makes the ball go shorter. I saw it on myth busters lol.

:laugh: So much for the balloon ball theory. Thats funny

[MTNSportsGuy]

Would you (or anyone else on here) happen to know what the WILSON company gives in sponsorship to the Indiana High School Association?

 

Even if it's somewhat less than Rawlings gives, I would hope the KHSAA would be willing to forego a thousand or two if that was the ball the overwhelming majority of high school football coaches and players (the ones most affected by which ball is used) wanted.

 

Since when has the KHSAA cared what the coaches cared???

[Hard Rock Fan]

Helium actually makes the ball go shorter. I saw it on myth busters lol.

 

I saw that too. I was surprised. Maybe that should use that "flubber" stuff from the Absent Minded Professor movie. Then they can kick like 90 yard field goals.

[IAmAFan]

Could it have been a college scout/recruiter?

[Alabama Larry]

I went by the Rocks field and they were at pratice. I looked only for second and didn't learn anything except there were a bunch of them out there.

[GR8BigBull]

There is no such thing as a designated "kicking game" ball in highschool or college football. I have an idea what you're talking about as to getting these specific balls approved and marked, but I'll get to that in a moment.

 

Only approved "game balls" which comply with Rule 1 can be used on any particular down, including kicking downs. And remember, a ball that's approved for 1st down is also approved for 4th down and vice-versa. Game balls are checked and marked by the officiating crew prior to the game to ensure proper inflation, a raised pebbled grain and an NFHS authenticating mark. Most, if not all, crews actually use a needle guage to ensure inflation between 12.5 and 13.5 lbs and feel the surface of the ball to ensure that it's not too worn or slick. Maybe this is what you're referring to: the crew is checking to make sure that you're "kicking balls" qualify as "game balls".

 

Generally speaking, "kicking" balls are old, worn, and usually extremely overinflated balls that kickers use to practice with. They are designated as such because that's all they're good for (no quarterback wants to throw a slick watermelon--and certainly no kick returner wants to catch one) and coaches don't want the kickers to damage the good balls by knocking them against fences or across the blacktop.

 

Of course, kickers love an overinflated, worn-out ball because they can kick them a whole lot higher and farther. With that said, is it a wonder that it takes a pretty special kicker to make a 53 yard field goal on a cold night with a legal football?

 

offside

 

I had NEVER seen an official in Kentucky High School competition ever us a gauge of any sort until last year when Manual played St. X in the second round. I believe they were Western Kentucky region officials. That is the only time I have EVER seen this at the high school level.

 

Also, after a football is kicked only one time the ball loses its "balance" so to speak and will never be the same in its ability to maintain the same "spiral" as a new ball. The ball a kicker/punter wishes to kick in a game may be checked in as a "game" ball, not a special "kicking" ball. It is possible on those kicking downs (if you have a good ball person) to get that particular ball into the game at that time. It really ends up being a game by game situation as the officials usually handle this situation differently.

[offside]

I had NEVER seen an official in Kentucky High School competition ever us a gauge of any sort until last year when Manual played St. X in the second round. I believe they were Western Kentucky region officials. That is the only time I have EVER seen this at the high school level.

 

Nope. Northern Kentucky officials. If you watch closely, you'll see us do it this Friday night too.

 

offside

[TomLandry]

I had NEVER seen an official in Kentucky High School competition ever us a gauge of any sort until last year when Manual played St. X in the second round. I believe they were Western Kentucky region officials. That is the only time I have EVER seen this at the high school level.

 

Also, after a football is kicked only one time the ball loses its "balance" so to speak and will never be the same in its ability to maintain the same "spiral" as a new ball. The ball a kicker/punter wishes to kick in a game may be checked in as a "game" ball, not a special "kicking" ball. It is possible on those kicking downs (if you have a good ball person) to get that particular ball into the game at that time. It really ends up being a game by game situation as the officials usually handle this situation differently.

I would like to add another one to the mix.....At last week's District Championship game at Rockcastle...the Bell Co. kicker had all the balls to be used approved prior to game as usual. Only this time one of the officials disallowed one ball as being too worn....and another ball, the primary ball to be used for kick-offs as having too much air. He had the kicker let some air out of ball. THEN when Bell won toss and deferred to second half...Bell kicker's ball was taken out of game by the official.....saying that it did NOT have ENOUGH air in it!!! Can you guess which ball??? LOL You got it. It was the one that the other official had him take the air out of LOL. The official then quickly approved a replacement ball that he grabbed up from the Bell sideline....YOU GUESSED IT!! The previously disallowed ball that was too worn....was brought into the game by the official! The Bell kicker than proceeded to drill the kick out of the endzone for a touchback, and unfortunately the only kickoff of the night for scoreless Bell.

[giantkiller]

I know for a fact that NKY officials use the gauage in every game they do.

[GR8BigBull]

Nope. Northern Kentucky officials. If you watch closely, you'll see us do it this Friday night too.

 

offside

 

I don't believe they were Northern Kentucky officials but I get the point. This season we had Northern Kentucky officials for the St. X game in the first round but previous years they were all from the western part of the state.