How pro footballs are made
Wilson footballs have been used to score each point in the NFL since 1941.
NFL footballs are handmade at Wilson's Football Factory in Ohio. There are 25 steps to make each NFL football with around 50 people as part of the process. Each football meets the same specs: 71cm long, 55cm at the widest point and weighing 425 grams.
Each specific step of Wilson's manufacturing process isn't publicly available, but here is the general process:
Each ball is made from 4 cowhide leather panels that are hand cut and tanned to a natural brown color.
Tiny Ws are stamped into the leather to prove that it's an authentic Wilson. To stamp the panels, a press is heated to 500 degrees.
Panels are sewn together on the inside with over 250 stitches. Each panel gets a vinyl and cotton lining.
The ball is placed into a steam box to soften the leather for about 30 seconds.
It's pushed right-side out with a steel bar and elbow grease, a process called turning.
A rubber bladder is inserted, commonly latex but sometimes butyl.
One lace made from rubber or polyurethane is threaded through 16 lace holes.
Balls are then molded to their iconic shape by inflating them to 13 PSI.
The final step is called molding, where the ball is placed in a pressurized chamber to remove lumps or creases.
There is one more step made by the teams. When a fresh ball arrives to an NFL team, it's common for them to rub dirt on the footballs to remove the glossy finish and improve grip.
NFL balls also have an RFID sensor installed in them to gather precise location data. It's unclear what exact point in the process this occurs but likely before the bladder is inserted.
The process to make a single football is a meticulous process and a single Super Bowl game needs 228 footballs. To make each game happen, not all the skill is on the field.
