Answered: Large Ball Inflation

[fretless_kb]

I was at a tournament where the large balls were not fully inflated per the information from the game manual

Large Balls – A red or blue, approximately spherical, inflatable,soft plastic Scoring Object with an overall diameter of 15.5-16.5”. Each Large Ball weighs approximately 0.9 lbs. Note: Teams should be prepared to handle large balls of any size within the stated range.

I was told there was a ruling that competitions could use a lower inflation to avoid problems with balls popping (We’ve seen 5-6 pop even though we are inflating them slowly over time to allow for stretching, they often fail on a seam.

My Question is :
Has there been a ruling to reduce the pressure and size of the large balls?

Thanks - Kb

[Karthik]

Has there been a ruling to reduce the pressure and size of the large balls?

No, there has not. The Large Balls still need to be inflated to at least 15.5". We recommend that they are inflated slowly, to prevent the balls from bursting.

[fretless_kb]

thank you

[Karthik]

thank you

You’re welcome.

[fretless_kb]

I would like to follow up with an additional question, since the tournament referenced had fully inflated balls until the very end where leaks in the pieces overcame the ability of the organizers to keep the pieces inflated for the duration of a match, and if the balls fail on a seam which seems to be a common failure mode.

Do you have any suggestions for event organizers on how to finish an event if there are not enough balls to set up a full field?

[Karthik]

Do you have any suggestions for event organizers on how to finish an event if there are not enough balls to set up a full field?

I would recommend that in advance of any event, the Event Partner should contact the teams and ask them to bring their own Large Balls to the event, in case of an emergency.