State Ball

[Sloth1833]

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this topic has been discussed at length. But there are a ton of posts to sort through, so I will ask it again.
Have any states come to the census (similar to all other sports in my state that have a ball) that there is one ball that will be used in state sanctioned events for football competition?

The reason I ask, it is probably no surprise, is because we have gone to the new play clock timing (couple years ago) to speed up the game. The biggest delay we have between plays now is errant balls and getting them back into the field of play. Or after a change of possession the “ball boy” is nowhere to be found to swap the ball out with.

We do not have this implemented in my state , but I would like it to happen. I am looking for examples so I can present to the board how it has been done in other states. If no state has accomplished this, I guess I will write it up using by best legal mumbo jumbo.

Thanks in advance for any advice or responses

Sloth1833

[TxSkyBolt]

No comment about a state ball but the ball boy being nowhere in sight is the fault of the sideline officials.  Did they brief them up pregame? Do they know their ball boys names? Do they interact with them frequently during a game? (Billy, after this punt I want you down with me giving me a new ball; Sammy stay with me on this kickoff and be ready with a ball for your offense). My guess is a large number of officials don’t do any of this and the. Wonder why the young ball boy is “nowhere to be found”.

[Sloth1833]

Pregame discussions, and situation discussions are had with ball boy. The issue is when a turnover happens, ball boy being young and getting distracted easily. And we don’t have the ability for fire them, sometimes we are lucky to have chain crews that have done more than one game.
Not all states, conferences, districts, have set officiating crews or game personnel at each school. Sometimes the ball boy is a younger brother or child of the coach, sometimes it is an academically ineligible player, I have even had a grandparent as my “ball boy”. In a perfect world, yes, we would have the ability to have them in our hip pocket at all times wearing a reflective jersey so they are easy to find. Considering we go from 8 man to 4A in an area with more cows per sq mi than people, getting consistent sideline help isn’t commonplace.  Surprisingly the more rural schools are not the problem.

[Grant - AR]

No comment about a state ball but the ball boy being nowhere in sight is the fault of the sideline officials.  Did they brief them up pregame? Do they know their ball boys names? Do they interact with them frequently during a game? (Billy, after this punt I want you down with me giving me a new ball; Sammy stay with me on this kickoff and be ready with a ball for your offense). My guess is a large number of officials don’t do any of this and the. Wonder why the young ball boy is “nowhere to be found”.

I think this is partly true, but it can be a challenge at almost every level (I've never worked NFL so I can't speak to that) at times with ball personnel.  In my 28 years of working football, I've worked high school, NCAA D2, FBS, and FCS and had had challenges at every level.  Of course, the higher the level the fewer the problems typically, but the best ball personnel get distracted at times. 

The best ball personnel I've ever had were members of the women's softball team at a D2 school.  They didn't care anything about the game...they were assigned to get us footballs when we needed them.  Many of them were (or had been) pitchers so, when you asked for a ball, you better be ready for one.   

[HLinNC]

In NC, schools use any NFHS approved football until they reach the playoffs and then they are supposed to use the Wilson GST.  Frankly, however, I don't remember worrying about it until the regionals when the state handed out Wilson game balls to break in for the state finals the next week.

I'm not sure what that has to do with ball boys or their diligence.

Our association does not allow ball boys on the field.  This was influenced some years back by our college level guys.  Some surrounding associations do however.  I can see it being a liability issue.

We try to get a new ball in anytime the play ends in a side zone or a long incomplete.  Inattentive ball boys are just one of the vagaries of the game we'll see on any given Friday night.  JV and MS rarely have a ball boy.

[Sloth1833]

In NC, schools use any NFHS approved football until they reach the playoffs and then they are supposed to use the Wilson GST.  Frankly, however, I don't remember worrying about it until the regionals when the state handed out Wilson game balls to break in for the state finals the next week.

Interesting... Have you noticed Schools moving to use the same ball that will be used in the championship game?

That was another option I was looking at, trying to get my state to say... During playoffs all games will be played using XXXXXXX ball. And seeing if schools start using that ball.

[peterparsons]

The best ball personnel I've ever had were members of the women's softball team at a D2 school.  They didn't care anything about the game...they were assigned to get us footballs when we needed them.  Many of them were (or had been) pitchers so, when you asked for a ball, you better be ready for one.   

Did you get the fast pitch or the slow pitch team? 

[peterparsons]

In the competitions I work in, some specify a standard competition ball that everybody uses and others allow each team to use their own balls. Working with a standard competition ball is definitely simpler, especially with less experienced ball persons. Thankfully, in the competitions where each team uses their own balls, the ball persons tend to be more mature and experienced.

[Ralph Damren]

In Maine, our state mandates the ball brand to be used in state championship games. Most teams, with hopes of making it there, choose to use the same during the season. We try to sell the V to use the H balls if they both use the same brand. Our success rate is around 50%. We caution the coaches that on COP we won't wait for the coach to fetch another from his pickup truck, just play with the other team's ball thru that series. Ump has gague available in pregame if a tie develops (we say ball soft/coach sez' it's fine).'Kicking' ball can only be used on PAT IF TD was on a COP AND had been approved in pregame.

Enough about that ball.....NOW IT'S BASEBALL 

GO  RED  SOX  !!

[bama_stripes]

Alabama mandates Wilson balls for region games and playoffs, so most schools use them throughout the season.  I see the occasional Nike from time to time.

We allow ball boys to come onto the field.  Football is so popular in our part of the country that there is competition for the coveted ball boy slots.  The main problem we have is keeping them off the field until the play is completely over.

[HLinNC]

Interesting... Have you noticed Schools moving to use the same ball that will be used in the championship game?

Honestly, I couldn't say.  Seems to me that Team Issue brand balls got real popular recently.  Initially, I could not tell if they were NFHS approved or not.  They did a lot of advertising but seemed to gloss over that fact in their initial sales pitches.

[MAFBRef]

I think this is partly true, but it can be a challenge at almost every level (I've never worked NFL so I can't speak to that) at times with ball personnel.  In my 28 years of working football, I've worked high school, NCAA D2, FBS, and FCS and had had challenges at every level.  Of course, the higher the level the fewer the problems typically, but the best ball personnel get distracted at times. 

The best ball personnel I've ever had were members of the women's softball team at a D2 school.  They didn't care anything about the game...they were assigned to get us footballs when we needed them.  Many of them were (or had been) pitchers so, when you asked for a ball, you better be ready for one.   

Secondary bonus of softball team working the sidelines is the penalty report. Beautiful printing that’s easy to read after the game. Not like the hen-scratch the men’s teams give you.

[Grant - AR]

Did you get the fast pitch or the slow pitch team? 

Definitely the fast pitch team. 

Secondary bonus of softball team working the sidelines is the penalty report. Beautiful printing that’s easy to read after the game. Not like the hen-scratch the men’s teams give you.

We didn't think about that.  We always invited a supplemental official to come with us to chart fouls.  I'm sure the softball team would have had much better handwriting though.

[ElvisLives]

Definitely the fast pitch team. 


We didn't think about that.  We always invited a supplemental official to come with us to chart fouls.  I'm sure the softball team would have had much better handwriting though.

My wife doesn't know how close she came to losing me in the early 2000s. Our home-team provided foul recorder at once specific west coast location was an absolutely gorgeous and classy young woman. (Her boyfriend was on the chain crew; seemed like an ungrateful doofus, to me.  ) I managed the foul report forms for the crew, so I got to talk to her before, during, and after every one of those games. If she would have just asked, I would have left my wife in a heartbeat for her. Fortunately for everyone, she never asked. Life went on. Can't even remember her name, now. But I do remember how smitten I was.
FYI, I eventually told my wife that story, but only in an exaggerated, semi-serious way. You know, like, "Sweetheart, you don't know how close you came to losing me this week," with a big grin on my face, to let her know I was being facetious. (Or, was I?  )

[Ralph Damren]

Back in the early part of this centuary I was the game clock operator at a D-III school. An even older gent set next to me and kept the stats on an ole' yellow notepad. My second year at the helm, a spiffy new control board arrived for me and a computer for stats for my ole' friend. He looked at it , announced : "F@#& THIS" and departed from the pressbox. The AD quickly went into action :

(1) 4 softball players arrived, one would help me with the ancillary stuff, one would (wo)man the stats computer, while the other two would spot the O and D players.
(2) It was clear that they were not football experts, per the following  chat....
   ONE GIRL : "What's a tackle  ?"
   ANOTHER GIRL : "I used to date a tackle in high school  "
   I TRIED TO EXPLAIN : "The player that pushes the runner down is the player that makes the tackle  !"
   ALL GIRLS : " OH, we see  "
   .....during the game, all I heard from all four was : "NUMBER TEN HAS THE BALL....AND NUMBER SEVENTY PUSHED HIM DOWN"

  There were 5 home games that season. I lived to tell about it  .The following year, two guys that had played HS football showed up. They didn't chant on each play.