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4 hours ago, Julio said:

Just received our order of footballs for the season.  They are not Wilson balls, recommend by the IHSAA., but rather a Team Issue ball from the NFHS.  Anybody else get these?

Program losing funding? AD might of went the cheaper route. Could be a sign 🤔. Can’t hurt to call the company…

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Team Issue is made by Big Game USA.  Big Game makes all of the Nike and Adidas balls for college programs if I'm not mistaken.  I think Team Issue is their "in-house brand".  I've been intrigued by them in the past, but have never tried them out.  

 

Double check with an official, but I'm pretty sure that we are only allowed to use Wilson footballs come sectional time. 

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4 minutes ago, CoachGalyan said:

Team Issue is made by Big Game USA.  Big Game makes all of the Nike and Adidas balls for college programs if I'm not mistaken.  I think Team Issue is their "in-house brand".  I've been intrigued by them in the past, but have never tried them out.  

 

Double check with an official, but I'm pretty sure that we are only allowed to use Wilson footballs come sectional time. 

That is absolutely correct.  Prior to the playoffs; So long as all pertinent information is in compliance with NFHS rules....any football is allowed.  

Once the playoffs begin, it is just the Wilson leather GST.   

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19 minutes ago, Julio said:

That is what I do not understand, why use a different ball than the one you would use come playoff time.  Was told that we have this ball and so does our entire conference teams as well.

$$$$$. Why do you think the IHSAA mandates the use of the Wilson ball in the tournament?

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57 minutes ago, Yuccaguy said:

That is absolutely correct.  Prior to the playoffs; So long as all pertinent information is in compliance with NFHS rules....any football is allowed.  

Once the playoffs begin, it is just the Wilson leather GST.   

Correct. The IHSAA has a contract with Wilson and you can only use the Wilson ball in the tournament (IIRC, they'll provide you the gameballs the week prior to a sectional game so you can break them in during practice), so generally, teams only use the Wilson ball even though you can use any NFHS-approved ball with the NFHS seal stamped on it. 

Same in basketball - the Wilson Evolution ball has been the IHSAA's sectional choice for decades, so it's the only anyone uses in games or practices. 

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1 hour ago, Yuccaguy said:

That is absolutely correct.  Prior to the playoffs; So long as all pertinent information is in compliance with NFHS rules....any football is allowed.  

Once the playoffs begin, it is just the Wilson leather GST.   

So theoretically what would happen if both teams show up to the first round sectional game with non-Wilson footballs?  Or what if one team has the correct balls and refuses to let their opponent use them?  Do you just delay the game until they can get the correct ball?

 

I've just always wondered how you would handle that as an official.

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2 minutes ago, CoachGalyan said:

So theoretically what would happen if both teams show up to the first round sectional game with non-Wilson footballs?  Or what if one team has the correct balls and refuses to let their opponent use them?  Do you just delay the game until they can get the correct ball?

 

I've just always wondered how you would handle that as an official.

Would that fall under properly equipped? 

Edited by Bucksweep22
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5 hours ago, Bucksweep22 said:

Would that fall under properly equipped? 

I'm sure it has happened with uniforms in basketball or baseball. The home team usually has agreed to switch to an alternative top. Might not be so easy in football with the white/light hue percentage requirements. 

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5 hours ago, CoachGalyan said:

So theoretically what would happen if both teams show up to the first round sectional game with non-Wilson footballs?  Or what if one team has the correct balls and refuses to let their opponent use them?  Do you just delay the game until they can get the correct ball?

 

I've just always wondered how you would handle that as an official.

The rules provide: 

“Each team shall provide at least one legal ball to the referee at the time the game officials assume authority for the contest. Only legal balls approved by the referee may be used during the contest.

Each team may use any referee-approved ball of its choice to free kick or start a new series of downs.”

If both teams show up with non-Wilson balls, we play the game and write it up to the IHSAA. But if one team has Wilson and the other does not, we’re playing with the Wilson footballs. Once a ball is approved by the referee, it becomes a game ball, not a team ball. The team loses any right to determine how and when the ball is used.

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2 hours ago, hhpatriot04 said:

I'm sure it has happened with uniforms in basketball or baseball. The home team usually has agreed to switch to an alternative top. Might not be so easy in football with the white/light hue percentage requirements. 

I've witnessed it - several years ago, New Pal was hosting the sectional and Mt. Vernon (which had a new coach) and Shelbyville were slated to play. They go out for warmups w/warmup tops on. When they go to the captain's meeting, I notice both teams' captains are wearing white shorts. I look at my broadcast partner and say "this is going to be a problem." 

MV was supposed to be the visiting team and their coach mis-read the bracket (in his defense, for years, the team in the top of the bracket was the home team and it had recently been switched to the bottom bracket team being the home team) and brought the wrong uniforms. Because they couldn't delay the game for someone to drive to Fortville and bring the correct uniforms, New Palestine's old JV road uniforms were dug out of a storage room and MV had to wear those for the sectional game. I believe that happened again this year at a different sectional site. 

(In my basketball coaching days, we told our players to ALWAYS bring both uniforms to a tournament, even though the bracket clearly states which ones we're supposed to wear). 

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8 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

(In my basketball coaching days, we told our players to ALWAYS bring both uniforms to a tournament, even though the bracket clearly states which ones we're supposed to wear). 

In AAU basketball, they're reversible. 

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Back to the original question, They feel like synthetic leather and have the appearance of a toy football. They are stamped NFHS but the are obviously different size then Wilson. Hard to accept as a replacement. I haven’t tried to break one in yet, if even possible. 

7F4BB815-D834-4259-BE93-EEE32B24C2DA.jpeg

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1 hour ago, crimsonace1 said:

I've witnessed it - several years ago, New Pal was hosting the sectional and Mt. Vernon (which had a new coach) and Shelbyville were slated to play. They go out for warmups w/warmup tops on. When they go to the captain's meeting, I notice both teams' captains are wearing white shorts. I look at my broadcast partner and say "this is going to be a problem." 

MV was supposed to be the visiting team and their coach mis-read the bracket (in his defense, for years, the team in the top of the bracket was the home team and it had recently been switched to the bottom bracket team being the home team) and brought the wrong uniforms. Because they couldn't delay the game for someone to drive to Fortville and bring the correct uniforms, New Palestine's old JV road uniforms were dug out of a storage room and MV had to wear those for the sectional game. I believe that happened again this year at a different sectional site. 

(In my basketball coaching days, we told our players to ALWAYS bring both uniforms to a tournament, even though the bracket clearly states which ones we're supposed to wear). 

As a Marauder, this causes me pain. 

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Just now, coachkj said:

As a Marauder, this causes me pain. 

I was trying to do PXP - thankfully, we'd seen MV enough that we could identify each player without really having to look at the jersey numbers. 

22 minutes ago, NPFB said:

Back to the original question, They feel like synthetic leather and have the appearance of a toy football. They are stamped NFHS but the are obviously different size then Wilson. Hard to accept as a replacement. I haven’t tried to break one in yet, if even possible. 

7F4BB815-D834-4259-BE93-EEE32B24C2DA.jpeg

If it has the NFHS stamp on it, it's a legal football to use in a game, but yeah, just on sight, those don't look like balls I'd use in a game (especially if you're going to use the Wilson ball in the tournament - you don't want to be breaking in a new football in October). 

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12 hours ago, NPFB said:

Back to the original question, They feel like synthetic leather and have the appearance of a toy football. They are stamped NFHS but the are obviously different size then Wilson. Hard to accept as a replacement. I haven’t tried to break one in yet, if even possible. 

7F4BB815-D834-4259-BE93-EEE32B24C2DA.jpeg

 

Even the details like the stitching and the white band alignment are off on the Team Issue.  On the Wilson one, the bands are aligned where the seams meet and the stitching components are uniform.  On the Team Issue, they aren't.  Even the minor item of the lace tuck ... on the Wilson the end horizontal laces have the vertical lace tucked under them at termination ... on the Team Issue, they don't.  It's minor items, to an extent, but usually those minor items also reflect the quality in the overall composition of the product and the process.  As someone else pointed out earlier, you can probably be confident that there's a difference in the cost to produce.

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On 7/28/2022 at 8:53 PM, crimsonace1 said:

I was trying to do PXP - thankfully, we'd seen MV enough that we could identify each player without really having to look at the jersey numbers. 

If it has the NFHS stamp on it, it's a legal football to use in a game, but yeah, just on sight, those don't look like balls I'd use in a game (especially if you're going to use the Wilson ball in the tournament - you don't want to be breaking in a new football in October). 

Absolutely on point.  Again.  These seem totally legal for the REGULAR season.  But once the tournament starts....no way, no how they would be approved!  

I don't know where anyone got the idea that "once the Regionals began" they would be tossed.  They are OUT immediately once the playoffs begin.  Wilson GST only! 

If you need a confirmation...contact Commissioner Faulkens.  I am positive that he will say the same.  (Include the picture that is provided)

As an aside, this came up with MY crew during the regular season with a "rubberized ball" that had all the necessary markings of the NFHS which we tossed.  The HC didn't make a big deal about it....but I (of course) followed up the NEXT day with a proper ruling of the situation. 

A HEARTY apology was issued, along with the IHSAA's official stance on the footballs that could/should be approved FOR THE REGULAR season ONLY!   

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From the IHSAA 2021-22 Fall Bulletin:

Balls – Sectional – Each school is encouraged to use an official Wilson football (models 1003 GST, 1001 or 1005 with the NFHS authenticating mark).
Regionals & Semi-States– Schools must use an official Wilson football as described above. The IHSAA will supply two (2) Wilson 1003 GST footballs. If either team desires to use another official Wilson ball (1001 or 1005 with the NFHS authenticating mark), they may do so, provided they furnish the ball. The IHSAA will supply all game balls at Lucas Oil Stadium.
State Finals - IHSAA will provide all game balls. No school footballs will be used during State Finals games.

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