When Football Had Bigger Balls: The Surprising History of the Game Ball

We are spoiled today by the modern spectacle of televised football, but the sport that existed a century ago was a radically different game. One of the most fundamental differences was the size and shape of the football itself. Long before the sleek, aerodynamic spheroid we know today, the ball was an unwieldy, rotund object—literally bigger than a modern basketball.

This surprising piece of history reveals how the needs of the evolving American game forced a progressive series of changes that ultimately unlocked the sport’s most exciting element: the forward pass.

The information comes from Tim Brown’s research and Football Archaeology Tidbit titled: When Football Had Bigger Balls.

From Rugby Ovoid to Handful

American football descended directly from rugby, and in its early days, it used the standard English rugby match ball. This ball had a circumference of approximately 30 inches. To put that size in perspective, a standard men’s NBA or college basketball today has a circumference of about 29.5 inches. Imagine trying to throw a perfect spiral with a ball that big—a ball with a larger girth than a basketball.

In the earliest forms of the game, this large ovoid shape was preferred because rugby was primarily a kicking game. The ball was designed to have more lift to be kicked over the goalposts. While running with the ball was permitted, the primary focus was not on carrying or passing.

However, as American players began to favor the running aspect of rugby, they realized a smaller ball would be easier to handle. Ball manufacturers, led by dominant supplier Spalding, began introducing smaller balls in 3-inch increments. A 27-inch ball gradually supplanted the 30-inch standard (Number 6), and soon after, by one that was about 24 inches in circumference. This first wave of reduction was driven purely by the desire to make the ball easier to run with and carry.

The Forward Pass Demands a Change

The next major evolution of the football was directly driven by the introduction of the forward pass. When the forward pass was first legalized, players had no established technique for throwing the ball. It was a large, thick, and difficult object to grip, making the now-standard overhand spiral nearly impossible for players without unusually large hands.

A common misconception is that the ball was made smaller immediately after the forward pass was legalized around 1906. In reality, while players like St. Louis University coach Eddie Cochems (often called the father of the forward pass) immediately called for a slimmer, “airship” design, the rule makers resisted for years.

It wasn’t until a two-step change was implemented between 1929 and 1934 that the ball’s dimensions were finally altered to make it narrower and longer—better suited for throwing. Coaches successfully convinced the rulemakers that this change was essential to encourage the forward pass, which by then was finally being accepted as a legitimate and exciting part of the game.

The official ball sizes approved by the NCAA and the NFL in 1934 and 1935 respectively are essentially the dimensions used today. From its basketball-sized beginnings to the modern aerodynamic shape, the football’s history is a clear illustration of how rule changes and player innovation work together to constantly reshape the sport.

(For more fascinating tidbits on the game’s evolution, check out Tim Brown’s work at footballarchaeology.com, including his books “The History of the Football” and “When Football Came to Pass.”)