How American footballs are made
An NFL football is sewn inside out and turned right side out by hand, after a steam bath to soften the leather.
- stations
- 7
- things upstream
- 53
- raw sources
- 18
- steps from the ground
- 8
The short version
A football starts as four matched panels cut from a cowhide. The panels are stamped, then sewn into two halves and joined inside out so the stitches hide inside. Workers steam the ball and turn it right side out by hand, fit an air bladder, lace it, and inflate it in a mold.
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Cut four matched panels
Each cowhide yields 40 to 50 panels, which is enough for 10 to 12 footballs at four panels each. The cutter's hardest job is matching the color of the four panels. Once matched, they stay together to the end.
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Stamp the logos
Heated heads press the panels. The first, at about 500 degrees Fahrenheit, flattens the pebbly grain to make a smooth surface, and the rest stamp metallic foil lettering. Decals are printed and laminated in house.
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Sew it inside out
Workers sew the top two panels together and the bottom two together. The halves are then sewn to each other inside out, so the stitches end up hidden once the ball is turned.
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Steam and turn it
The ball goes into a steam box for 30 seconds to soften the leather, and a worker turns it right side out by hand. This is hard and physical, and the best turners finish a ball in less than a minute. A press then rounds the ends.
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Fit the air bladder
An air bladder goes inside the ball and the valve stem is trimmed.
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Lace it by hand
Workers pull the laces through the holes with an awl. NFL balls use latigo laces, made of PVC extruded leather, and college balls use laces with a pebbled grip.
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Inflate it in a mold
The football sits in a mold while it is blown up to 120 PSI to set its shape. The air is then let out down to 13 PSI before the ball is inspected for flaws in the leather, stitching and stamping.
120 PSI in the mold
Worth repeating
- Footballs are called pigskin, but the cover is cow leather.
- Horween Leather Company has been the exclusive supplier of leather for NFL footballs since 1941.
- Wilson has made leather game footballs in Ada, Ohio since 1955.
Back to the ground
Follow every input upstream and american football starts as these 18 raw sources.
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Sources
Cite this page: "How American footballs are made." Assembly Line, 2026-11-03. https://assemblyline.org/make/football