Category: Rule 1 – The Game, Field, Players and Equipment

Rule 1, Section 3, Article 1g & h

g. The ball for 9th grade and above, as in Table 1-3-1, shall include the NFHS Authenticating Mark. The mark can be displayed in either format:

A current list of NFHS authenticated products can be found on the website, www.nfhs.org.

h. Contain only the following permissible items:

    1. Ball manufacturer’s name and/or logo;
    2. School name and/or logo;
    3. Conference name and/or logo;
    4. State association name and/or logos; and
    5. NFHS name and/or logos

NOTE: By state high school association adoption, the ball to be used in games involving only players below the 9th grade may have dimensions as found in the following table:

Table 1-3-1

BALL SPECIFICATIONS

METHOD OF MEASURING

    1. All measurements shall be made after the ball is inflated to 13 psi.
    2. The long circumference should be measured 90 degrees from lace around the ends of the ball, over the groove, but not in the groove.
    3. The long axis should be measured from end to end but not in the nose indentation.
    4.  The short circumference should me measured around the ball, over the valve, over the lace, but not over a cross lace.

Rule 1, Section 3, Article 1b through Article 1f

The ball shall meet the following specifications:

a. See Rule 1, Section 3, Article 1a

b. One set of either eight or 12 evenly spaced laces. The length of the lace shall be confined to within 3 3/4 inches from each end of the ball.

c. A continuous 1-inch white or yellow stripe centered 3 to 3 1/4 inches from each end of the ball free from decorations or logos added during or after production.Stripes shall be located only on the two panels adjacent to and perpendicular to the seam upon which the laces are stitched.

d. Conforms to the shape and dimensions as shown in the diagram.

e. Weighs between 14 and 15 ounces.

f. Inflated to a pressure of 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 psi (pounds per square inch) or 878.8 to 949.1 grams per square centimeter.

 

Rule 1, Section 3, Article 1a

The ball shall meet the following specifications:

a. A tan-colored cover consisting of either pebbled-grain, cowhide or approved composition (leather or rubber) case without corrugations other than those formed by the natural seam grooves and the lace on one of the grooves.

Rule 1, Section 6, Article 1

Electronic communication devices including but not limited to audio recorder, Local Area Network (LAN) phones and/or headsets, mobile phones, still photograph(s), film, analog or digital video(s) and/or Internet depictions, shall not be used to communicate with a player except during an outside 9-yard mark conference (7-yard marks in nine-, eight- and six-player competition).

NOTE: Each state association may authorize the use of a drum by a team composed of deaf or partially deaf players, in order to establish a rhythmic cadence following the ready-for-play.