PUUUHHHLLEEEEZZZZEEEEE!!! He did it on his "own accord" ?!?!?!

[TXMike]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/usc-fined-deflating-footballs-oregon-student-manager_n_2091987.html

[110]

You guys don't check inflation? Up here, even for high-school games (and, I note, for soccer games) all balls must be examined for inflation prior to the. Only approved balls are used. At the college level, we'll personally check six balls to see they are up to snuff, with three new balls for each half.

[TampaSteve]

Havent they done scientific studies that prove deflated balls give no advantage on kicks?  I think the same study also put helium in a ball too.  again, no statistical difference.

[NVFOA_Ump]

There has also been "studies" that say that softer and/or rounder balls are easier to catch when passed and bounce more erratically when bouncing around on kicks.

[TxJim]

The U and B on our crew checks and inflates game balls at every HS varsity game and then our U marks them.  On a number of occasions, teams have presented game balls with as little as 8lbs.  Almost every  ball presented is off and requires inflation.

[Etref]

We had a game two weeks ago, B and L checked all of the balls. Visitors first play from scrimmage sent is a "sticky ball". L toss it out and got another, it too was sticky. Tossed it and on the third, I blew the whistle and penalized them. Gave them a delay but probably should have been UNS. Didn't really matter the 5 yarder was half the distance anyway.

Our crew always checks the balls and marks them, if an unmarked ball is presented it is tossed back out.

[Jackhammer]

You guys don't check inflation? Up here, even for high-school games (and, I note, for soccer games) all balls must be examined for inflation prior to the. Only approved balls are used. At the college level, we'll personally check six balls to see they are up to snuff, with three new balls for each half.

Article says he did it after the balls were checked by the officials

[Rulesman]

He didn't do it without instruction from up above. If you believe anything less, I have a bridge I'll sell you.

[El Macman]

Article says he did it after the balls were checked by the officials

Ain't the first time this kind of thing has happened. I know of another incident some years ago involving a Dennis Erickson team that had their ball persons let air out of checked and marked game balls, after the game got started. The crew was made aware of it, and. yanked their game balls off the field and used only the opponent's game balls until halftime, when the altered balls were reinflated, and carefully monitored during the second half. Probably should have stuck them with some sort of UNS foul.

[clearwall]

Havent they done scientific studies that prove deflated balls give no advantage on kicks?  I think the same study also put helium in a ball too.  again, no statistical difference.

Do you mean other than the Mythbusters episode? They did bust that myth by having an NCAA kicker punt both regular, over inflated, under inflated and helium ball and found no difference in distance

[mccormicw]

http://www.refstripes.com/forum/index.php?topic=8751.0

Previous discussion on effects of helium at bottom of first page

[tommyv40]

I heard about this at college games in our region also

[Aussie-Zebra]

Up until the other week I was using a gauge on the balls the teams presented but after the second time of the ball deflating I stopped and they asked me to replace their ball - which I did with a 1005.

How do you test pressure accurately without this happening ?