ORONO, Maine — University of Maine head football coach Jack Cosgrove said he is confused about the circumstances surrounding the NFL’s investigation of the New England Patriots.
“How did the air come out of the balls?” asked Cosgrove, a former high school and college quarterback. “Why didn’t the referees recognize it during the game, since they handled the footballs? Are they kicking the same footballs? If they are using under-inflated balls, that’s a huge disadvantage to the kickers.”
The NFL reportedly has determined that 11 of the 12 footballs used by the Patriots in the first half of their 45-7 American Football Conference Championship Game win over Indianapolis on Sunday were under-inflated by 2 pounds per square inch.
Balls are required to be inflated to 12.5-13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh 14-15 ounces.
Quarterbacks agree under-inflated footballs are easier to grip and that could have benefited quarterback Tom Brady and his receivers on a rainy, windy evening in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said UMaine equipment manager Steve Jones, who is responsible for supplying the referees with the footballs for Maine games.
“I’d never heard of anything like it,” said Husson University junior quarterback Joe Seccareccia. “They’re always accusing the Patriots of something.”
Cosgrove and several college quarterbacks said air pressure does affect passing ability.
“If you have a small hand, you can get a better grip on an under-inflated football,” said Seccareccia, who noted that the thumb can get more pressure on the ball.
“And if it’s rainy, it helps that you can get a better grip (on an under-inflated ball),” said UM freshman Drew Belcher. “And a fully inflated ball would be a little more slick.”
The quarterbacks said an under-inflated ball would be detrimental on a windy day.
UM sophomore Dan Collins pointed out that the ball would be lighter so the wind would have more of an impact on it.
“There would be more of a drag effect. The ball would wobble more,” concurred Seccareccia.
“It would also be easier to catch in a cold, wet environment,” said Cosgrove.
Every quarterback has his preference.
“A lot depends on the size of a quarterback’s hands,” said Cosgrove. “A lot of quarterbacks want the laces on the ball to be high for gripping purposes but some have a quick throw-and-catch mentality so they don’t have to grip the laces.”
Collins, Seccareccia and Belcher said they like game balls to be properly inflated and a little worn as opposed to new because they have a better feel.
“New footballs are kind of slippery,” said Collins.
Husson assistant coach Chris Morris, who coaches the cornerbacks, is responsible for the footballs at Husson games. He said that they spend a lot of time rubbing down new balls with wet towels to get the lacquer off them.
“That makes them easier to grip,” said Morris.
Jones said former Maine standout quarterback Mike Buck, who played briefly in the NFL, was a “headache” when it came to footballs.
“He would be so hyped up that even if we had it inflated to 13 pounds per square inch, he would come back and say it was under-inflated so we’d have to get more air in it,” said Jones.
A quarterback once asked him to slip another football into the bag because the weather changed and that football would be advantageous for him.
“I probably could have done it and gotten away with it but I didn’t. It would have been unethical,” said Jones.
The quarterbacks eventually decide on the footballs that will be put into play and relay the message to the person responsible for supplying balls to the referees. Each college team supplies six footballs although Jones said they can put more in the bag if they prefer.
There are no footballs allocated only for kicking in the college game as is the case in the NFL.
Husson head coach Gabby Price said officials meet with each coach on the morning of the game at which time the balls are handed over to them for their approval.
Each team puts their emblem on their balls and the referee marks each one to signify that is has been approved for play. The referee will also have an air pump and air gauge.
Price said when they go on road trips, they will bring their footballs inside after arriving at the field to keep them warm. Cold footballs are harder to grip.
In addition to quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, kickers and punters also are affected by the texture of the football.
UMaine junior place-kicker Sean Decloux said kickers don’t have a say in what balls are used, but it’s no big deal.
“It’s based on what quarterbacks want to play with,” said Decloux. “Ninety-nine percent of kickers like (properly inflated) worn-in footballs because they have a bigger sweet spot. It’s a little easier on the foot and it travels farther. It’s just easier to kick overall.
“You don’t want a ball that is under-inflated because it won’t explode off your foot the way you want it to. And if it’s too inflated, it’s like kicking a rock.”
Seccareccia said he didn’t think the under-inflated balls affected the outcome of the AFC Championship.
“The Patriots were the better team that day. And they ran the ball (a lot),” said Seccareccia.