In an attempt to avoid tampering and/or deflating of the game balls during today’s Super Bowl, the NFL put extra measures in place, most of which they detailed in a blog on the league’s official website.
After the conference championship games end, Wilson ships 54 game footballs to each of the participating Super Bowl teams. The teams are allowed to prepare and practice with these footballs until the Friday before the Super Bowl. Each team’s quarterback can prepare the footballs to suit his preferences — as long as his preferences comply with league specifications, rules and policies.
Every year, the NFL chooses an equipment manager to handle the Super Bowl. This year it’s on Tony Medlin of the Chicago Bears. Here are his duties.
On the Friday before the game, the league designated equipment manager (EM) collects the prepared game footballs from each team. He inspects them to make sure they are in game condition and are free of anything that would make them unfit for game action.
Any footballs that fail to meet the EM’s or the league’s standards will be removed — usually seven to 10 balls. The EM will then place the game balls in equipment bags, which will be secured and stored overnight with NFL Security.
That’s all pretty straightforward. I imagine the league’s been doing that for every game this year (sans the NFL security part). Now here’s where things get ramped up.
At that time, the EM brings the game footballs to the officials’ locker room, where all are checked for game readiness, including proper inflation. All footballs must be inflated to between 12 ½ and 13 ½ psi (pounds per square inch). The referee will not make adjustments to the pressure of any balls that are inflated within that range.
We’ve heard this before and it bears repeating. Referees generally check game balls for inflation with their hands, not with an actual gauge. That’s likely going to change for the Super Bowl. In addition, balls will be reinspected again at halftime.
So to sum this nonsense up: “Hi, we’re the NFL. We royally screwed it up for years and the Patriots took advantage of us. Now we’re totally gonna check the balls you guys. Like, all the time.”
