Choosing the Right Football for your Program

Great coaches everywhere have one thing in common. A thirst for knowledge, particularly anything that can aid their teams and advance their careers.

In fact most coaches will do everything they can to get a grip on new techniques, drills or schemes that they think will make their program more successful. But before you bury yourselves in the Xs and Os, delve into hours of film study, or begin work on a new weight training program, pause for a second and consider what it is that all of your players, particularly your offensive ones, will be trying to get a grip on come two-a-day time – the football.

Football, schmootball. They’re all the same, right? Wrong.

If getting the right football in your players’ hands is not high on your off-season to-do list, then you’re fumbling around with your team’s performance. And while structural changes to the football would seem to be a foregone conclusion, manufacturers continue to develop better footballs. Better for disparate and even inclement weather conditions. Better for kicking and throwing. Better for control and accuracy. Better for football.

DETERMINE YOUR SOURCE

One of the first things you can do is talk to other coaches. Whether they are across town, around the state or on the other side of the country, your peers in the coaching profession probably have some advice you can learn from. For example, if you coach at the high school level, you may want to talk to the equipment manager at the nearest university or college. Chances are their experience will provide additional insight. Use their experience, as well as your own, to determine what brand or model football to choose.

Of particular interest may be those schools or programs that run similar offenses or play under similar weather conditions. Without a doubt, teams have reasons for using the footballs they do.

For one, their league may require it. Better yet, maybe they’ve found that a particular ball enhances their style of play. For example a passing team might choose a football with additional padding. These softer footballs may also prove beneficial for teams that run the veer or simply play in a colder climate. The concept being this: softer footballs are easier to grip. Conversely, non-padded models tend to get harder and slicker during cold weather conditions.

Likewise, seek feedback from your players, especially those who will use the footballs most – the quarterbacks and receivers. Some balls will have slightly different long or round circumferences, creating different tapers, and consequently different feel. Chances are if they prefer the feel of a certain ball they will let you know.

According to Auburn equipment manager Frank Cox, sometimes the Tiger quarterbacks will want to go through the balls, feel them, and say ‘I like this one, or I don’t like that one.’ As for the current Tiger quarterback, Cox says, “He don’t worry about that.”

While Cox may be referring more specifically to the process of selecting game balls, his point resonates clearly. By giving your players similar feedback opportunities, you make them part of the decision process. If you exclude them, you will never know.

Finally, contact your local team sales representative for catalogs. If you are unsure of whom to work with, contact the football manufacturers – like Rawlings – and they can point you in the right direction. According to UCLA’s equipment manager Mike McBride the local team sales representative is perhaps a coach’s most valuable contact. “Local team sales guys are the source of all the information,” McBride says. “After all it’s their job to go out and find vendors, who are willing to offer good deals and have good product. Their local team salesman is the (coach’s) best place to start.”

DECIPHER THE TERMINOLOGY

Open up any manufacturers’ catalog and most likely you’ll find a dozen or more footballs showcased. Next to each football, an abbreviated list highlights each particular ball’s special attributes. We asked Rawlings’ Stan Lippelman, who has more than 12 years of Consumer Products expertise, to help us decode the lingo used to describe that company’s footballs.

Five-panel design – an extra leather panel adds a seam, without increasing weight; enhances grip and control; creates a “sweet spot” for kickers, who no longer have to kick on a seam (for more specific details see accompanying sidebar)

Horween® full grain leather – natural cowhide leather; more durable than polyurethane composite leather

PU composite leather – polyurethane outer shell material; lower cost than full grain leather; typically better grip, but only in dry conditions

Double-wall, air-tight bladder – very lightweight; great air retention; used with padded models to meet overall ball weight specs

Butyl bladder – just as air tight as double-wall bladder, but slightly heavier; Rawlings uses only 100 percent butyl rubber

Tanned-in-Tac – wax-based tacky chemical solution that leather hides are soaked in during tanning process; the goal is to improve grip and feel through and through for the entire life of the ball

Soft-touch lining – comprised of closed cell neoprene foam backing; foam density and thickness varies from one model to another; enhances softness of football, even in inclement weather

DEPLOY RESOURCES AND KNOWLEDGE

If your league or conference requires a certain football, then your choice has been made. However, if they don’t have any such requirement, make sure you choose a football model your state, league, or conference approves. At the high school level, you should check with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Many manufacturers will include this authentication within their catalogs.

How many balls do you need? How many can you afford? If you aren’t able to estimate how many footballs you need, ask your sales representative how many footballs other schools your size usually order. The more specifics they provide, the more you can estimate your own needs.

Rawlings’ Lippelman recommends that teams start with a minimum of a “dozen first quality footballs,” noting that more can be ordered as necessary. According to Lippelman, Rawlings’ new football models first become available in October or November while the peak football shipping season falls between April and July. However, like any reputable dealer, Rawlings can fill orders year-round.

Be sure to ask about early booking or quantity discounts. Also ask about new marketing or selling programs and any specials the manufacturer may be offering. If you don’t ask, you won’t know.

Finally, if you’re comfortable, and your situation allows, you may choose to look on-line. Once you’ve determined the type of football that best suits you and how many you need, take your knowledge and shopping skills to the Internet. Search for the specific brand and model of football. As an example of how much you can save, Rawlings sells footballs on their Web site – www.rawlings.com – some at a savings of 30 to 35 percent off the suggested list price in its paper catalog.

And while cyberspace may not be where you purchase your footballs, the Internet along with magazines like the one you’re reading, can be invaluable sources of product information.

The worst thing you can do is save a question for next time. If you drop the ball, the next time may never come.

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