Game used NFL footballs..help...

[Haylo]

Hello,
How can you tell an NFL football is a real game used football? I'm looking at one that is an Off Wilson NFL football, all the right labeling. The ball also has the teams name (Rams) on it. The ball also has in sharpe a number on the tip. Any help would help....

Thanks,

seasonwithangels@aol.com

[mbenga28]

yes how did you tell the difference between a game used football and these,

http://cgi.ebay.com/WILSON-OFFICIAL-...item4a9d397e37

since these also have the team name stamped on the panel?

[tjm5711]

I am far from highly informed on this subject, but in the ball I have picured here you can see it has "Week-16-3" stamped on it. This ball was indeed from week 16 of last year being from A Monday Night game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. I forgot what the three means. Maybe someone can refresh my memory. There is also a "K" stamped on it as well along with "3" hand written in white marker. I too have seen these balls on Ebay with the team's name stamped on it. Here is an example of a ball with simply the name stamped on it claiming to be gamed used:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHICAGO-BEARS-GA...item518f29ad17

I think they just started stamping the weeks on these balls in recent years. But as you can see in that listing there are serious issues. The seller claims that ball is from the Super Bowl XLI year. That year according to him being 2001 ! Well the Bears were eliminated in the first round that year and went to the big game in 2007(2006 season.)

I have come across sellers claiming to have game used balls listed on Ebay, with one obscure picture in the listing. When I ask them for more pics and details about markings that may be on the ball, i usually get no reply ! I once came across a ball with PS-1 stamped on it. The seller was claiming this was from a big very memorable regular season game that year. When in fact "PS" means preseason. And the "1" indicates the first week of preseason.

Unless you're buying from a reputable seller on Ebay or anywhere else for that matter, or the ball has NFL Auctions,PSA/DNA,Mears, etc authentication. You should always do your homework !

[tjm5711]

Here is the ball from the Monday night game i was talking about. The game was in December of last year. It was won by a Robbie Gould field goal in OT. This is a Kicking team ball of the Bears. I'm hoping(but never will be sure) that this was the ball used to win the game !

[cohibasmoker]

Hello,
How can you tell an NFL football is a real game used football? I'm looking at one that is an Off Wilson NFL football, all the right labeling. The ball also has the teams name (Rams) on it. The ball also has in sharpe a number on the tip. Any help would help....

Thanks,

seasonwithangels@aol.com

Does the font on the football look like this? Starting in 2006, (New Style Duke) the NFL started laser-printing the team names of footballs that are shipped to the NFL teams.

Jim

flaa1a@comcast.net

[tjm5711]

Yes, that is the correct font ! The main point I was making is that if someone is claiming to have a game used ball from 2008-09, and it doesn't have the week stamped on it. It probably never saw the field, let alone the Team's equipment room. I've seen a lot of balls being offered with just the teams name etched on it ! Are they all game used ? If they are from the last couple years they should have more than just the team name on them.


I believe the "3" after the "16" on mine has something to do with which Referee uses that ball. If anyone can elaborate on this. Please do !

[cohibasmoker]

Yes, that is the correct font ! The main point I was making is that if someone is claiming to have a game used ball from 2008-09, and it doesn't have the week stamped on it. It probably never saw the field, let alone the Team's equipment room. I've seen a lot of balls being offered with just the teams name etched on it ! Are they all game used ? If they are from the last couple years they should have more than just the team name on them.


I believe the "3" after the "16" on mine has something to do with which Referee uses that ball. If anyone can elaborate on this. Please do !

Tim, I beg to differ - there are two types of footballs using during NFL games - "Offensive" footballs and "Kicking" footballs. Each team can bring and use up to 12 footballs and each team uses their own footballs - a team would NOT use the other team's offensive footballs. The only footballs they share are the "K" footballs and these footballs are provided by the home team.

Over the past 3 years, I've collected and personally owned between 75-100 "offensive" footballs from ballboys, players and other collectors and NONE of these footballs have the week laser-printed on them. Again - not a single "offensive" football had the week laser-printed on them.

Why did I collect just the "Offensive" footballs? The answer is with the "K" footballs, there are different stampings on them. Some have a single "K", some have two "K,s", some have the week while others don't. It was just too complicated to try and figure out the system they used for the "K" footballs.

Jim

flaa1a@comcast.net

[tjm5711]

Thanks for clearing that up Jim. Like I said I am far from highly informed on game used balls. YOU, on the other hand definitely sound like you know what you're talking about ! Thanks for that great info !

Tom

[cohibasmoker]

Thanks for clearing that up Jim. Like I said I am far from highly informed on game used balls. YOU, on the other hand definitely sound like you know what you're talking about ! Thanks for that great info !

Tom

Tom - This is a forum and everyone's opinion is valued.

[tjm5711]

Well, I saw the original posting and was curious myself. Where did you get all your game used footballs ? The only place i know is JO Sports. And I'm not paying $400 each,(which is the high price they charge).