XFL reveals unique game balls for inaugural season

The XFL’s February debut is getting closer and closer as the new league seeks to offer football fans a product to watch in the months between NFL action.

But this new league doesn’t want to be a copycat league in every sense of the term. And one of the big differences they’re introducing gets to the heart of the game itself. The game ball.

Long viewed as the most important part of the game, football doesn’t exist without - well - a football. And the XFL’s will be different.

For starters, the grip pattern on the ball is an ‘X’ pattern (called “X-Pebbles”). The league says they’ve spent the last year developing this patent-pending technology, and it should help quarterbacks throw the ball, and help receivers catch it.

Tampa Bay Vipers quarterback Aaron Murray was just one of many to try out the new ball, and said, “The football feels great. It throws well and I love the texture.”

In addition to this, the ‘X’ also makes another appearance in the form of a team colored painted ‘X’ on each tip of each team’s game ball.

“The fact that each team has their own ball is going to be a really cool part of gameday,” Said Murray. “Vipers fans are going to want one. December can’t get here soon enough....I can’t wait to get it in our playmakers’ hands.”

These new footballs will be in play when teams gather for mini-camps. Tampa Bay’s will start on December 5th at Plant City Stadium. When Vipers fans see their team’s footballs for the first time, they’ll be easy to spot.

Photo from XFL Press Release

The game balls were designed by Team Issue out of Dallas, Texas and fans of the new league can already buy their own by heading over to XFL.com.