Can centers judge the pressure of a ball?

[Fencer]

Centers handle the ball more than anybody else on the football field (they touch it for longer than the QB does). So it's reasonable to ask whether centers can judge the pressure of a ball.

I raise this point because BB's high school and college football career -- some of it in cold-weather states -- was spent playing center.

 

[kennyb]

I'm sure they can judge it somewhat but they're probably not thinking about it. A 1 psi difference is minor. People drive cars with their tires 5 psi off and don't notice. Every center who has played when temps have fallen has played with balls with lower psi. Nothing unique about the pats game. The ball feels different when it's wet and cold so it's hard to judge anyway.

 

[Bella*chick]

I'm sure you can when you are LOOKING FOR IT.

If someone hands you two balls and says we are testing psi, which one is 13 psi and which is 12 well you are going to to be focused on it.

I call bs that anyone thinks about it enough to notice during the flow of a game where you are supposed to be concentrating on a bunch of other far more important things.

 

[Calhoun44]

What happens when the temps get really cold? Does the ball ever get so low that they add air? I kind of remember reading something about this when the story first broke (the kicker for Carolina??), the K balls were a bit low and he wanted them filled and the refs said "play on". Am I remembering this right? The reason I asked is cause a physicist friend of mine thinks that the colder weather games (0 degrees) would be playing with "flat" balls and it could affect the game in extreme cold weather. Has anyone calculated what the psi would have been in the Baltimore game if the same starting conditions were assumed?

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm sure that they can tell the difference between 2-3 lbs. It's pretty substantial IF YOU SQUEEZE THEM.