Footballs are quite similar to one another regardless of the level they are manufactured for. While there may be minor differences between footballs used by colleges, the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, the dimensions, weight and pressure of the balls are typically the same.
NFL Football Requirements
The National Football League has strict guidelines for the footballs used in its games. The home team is responsible for providing the footballs to be used in the game. The team must have 36 footballs for outdoor games and 24 football for indoor games available to be tested for air pressure two hours before the start of each game by the officials.
An additional 12 footballs that come in a special box provided by the manufacturer will be inspected by the officials two hours before the game. These 12 footballs are marked with the letter "K" to signify their use for kicking situations.
NFL Football Measurements
National Football League balls must be natural tan in color and are inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 lbs. per square inch, or psi. The length is 11 to 11.25 inches and the long circumference must be 28 to 28.5 inches, while the short circumference is 21 to 21.25 inches. Footballs must weigh 14 to 15 oz., and there are no regulations for the size of the laces.
CFL Football Measurements
Footballs used by the Canadian Football League may appear bigger than those used by the National Football League, but are nearly identical in most aspects. Footballs used in the CFL are inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 psi and must weigh between 14 to 15 oz. The balls may vary between 11 and 11.25 inches in length and have a long circumference of 27.75 to 28.25 inches and a short circumference of 20.875 to 21.125 inches. The CFL also mandates that laces are 4.375 inches long and 1.125 inches wide, while balls must have two 1-inch white stripes positioned three inches from the "greatest circumference of the short axis," according to the Canadian Football League Database.
NCAA Football Measurements
Footballs used by the NCAA must also be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 psi and be 10.875 to 11 7/16 inches in length. The long circumference must be between 27.75 and 28.5 inches with a short circumference of 20.75 to 21.25 inches. The ball must weigh between 14 and 15 oz., be natural tan in color and have two 1-inch white stripes that are located between 3 and 3.25 inches from the end of the football. The stripes must be located on the two panels flanking the laces.
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