Footballs, for the most part, are prepared by the teams using them. They aren’t just ripped out of the box and used in games.
If you’ve ever wondered why NFL footballs used by offenses, which are almost black, look way different than the replicas that the league sells, there’s a good reason: They’ve been worn in, scuffed and mudded to the liking of whichever quarterback is handling said ball. Usually, there’s a little bit of shaving cream involved, too.
The one exception? Recently, it’s been kicking
balls, known as “K balls” for short. In the old days, kickers, punters and long snappers were able to prepare their footballs to their liking, just like quarterbacks. That ended when specialists took it too far. Some, for example, used microwaves to get the most out of their pigskins. They looked more like rugby balls than footballs.
Until this year, following the post-microwave rule changes, the NFL has been making specialists use balls that were ripped out of the box on site and then were broken in for 30 to 90 minutes during pre-game prep. Now, though, the league is going back to prepared K balls, which should mean a boom in special teams play. It should also free up some time for equipment managers on gameday.
If you want an example of what a prepared K ball looks like compared to a fresh out of the box ball, below is a photo from Nick Novak’s K ball in the XFL in 2020 (left). When I worked in the league, we didn’t have any regulations on K balls, aside from telling specialists that the ball better not pop on television.
Like I said, it’s more like a rugby ball than a football if they fall into the right hands.
At some point, whether it’s in Packers vs. Lions or another game in Week 1, you’re probably going to hear about these kicking ball changes. All it means is that specialists are going to break in balls ahead of time. These balls should add power to their kicks and punts.
Bonus Story: Journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson, who at 39 has played for 17 professional football teams, threw footballs out of the box in the XFL instead of having them prepared. He’s currently the third-string quarterback for the Washington Commanders and is the third-oldest quarterback in the league behind Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco. Shoutout to him. A true professional.
