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Super Ball Champs

Take a tour of the Wilson Football Factory, where every NFL game ball is handmade

January 15, 2018
By Kathryn Free

The biggest football game of the year is on February 4th! Even though we don’t know which teams are headed to the Super Bowl yet, we do know one star of the show: the football.  

The Wilson Football Factory in Ada, Ohio, has been supplying the National Football League (NFL) with footballs since 1955. The factory employs 120 people who make between 3,000 and 4,000 footballs each day. “Every ball is made by hand,” says Dan Riegle, the Wilson factory manager. “It’s a craft.”

The biggest football game of the year is on February 4! We don’t know which teams are headed to the Super Bowl. But we do know one star of the show. The football!  

The Wilson Football Factory makes the footballs used by the National Football League (NFL). The factory in Ada, Ohio, has made them since 1955. It employs 120 people. They make between 3,000 and 4,000 footballs each day. “Every ball is made by hand,” says Dan Riegle. He’s the Wilson factory manager. “It’s a craft,” he says.

Riegle likes that modern NFL footballs are made the same way as in the past. When a player breaks a record for longest kick, it’s the player who makes the difference, not the ball. “It’s important to us to keep that ball the same,” he says.

Super Bowl season is the most exciting time at the factory. Workers watch the conference championship games on Sunday night at the factory with pizza and soda. Once they know which two teams are going to the Super Bowl, they work through the night to stamp the team names on the official game balls. Then they ship the balls out the next day.

What’s it like to see their handiwork on the field at the Super Bowl? “That’s our factory’s finest moment,” says Riegle.

Riegle likes that modern NFL footballs are made the same way as in the past. That means that if a player breaks a record, it isn’t because the ball has changed. “It’s important to us to keep that ball the same,” he says.

The Super Bowl is the most exciting time of the year at the factory. Workers have a pizza party at the factory to watch the conference games. These games determine which teams are going to the Super Bowl. Once the games are over, workers will stamp the teams' names on the game balls. It takes all night! The stamped balls are shipped out to the teams the next day.

What’s it like to see their handiwork on the field at the Super Bowl? “That’s our factory’s finest moment,” says Riegle.

MAKING A FOOTBALL

J.D. Pooley/The New York Times/Redux

1. Despite the nickname “pigskin,” footballs are made of cowhide. Workers cut out oval shapes. One hide makes about 10 balls.

1. Despite the nickname “pigskin,” footballs are made of cowhide. Workers cut out oval shapes. One hide makes about 10 balls.

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

2. The leather ovals are lined with rubber and cotton to make them sturdier.

2. The leather ovals are lined with rubber and cotton to make them sturdier.

The Washington Post/Getty Images

3. Four oval panels are sewn together inside out. It takes more than 250 stitches to sew up a football. Two women sew all the footballs used in the NFL!

3. Four oval panels are sewn together inside out. It takes more than 250 stitches to sew up a football. Two women sew all the footballs used in the NFL!

Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images

4. Workers turn each football right side out. Then they push an air bladder inside and insert an air-pump valve.

4. Workers turn each football right side out. Then they push an air bladder inside and insert an air-pump valve.

Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images

5. Workers use 49 inches of lace to stitch up the ball.

5. Workers use 49 inches of lace to stitch up the ball.

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

6. For the final step, employees put the ball into a mold and inflate it with air.

6. For the final step, employees put the ball into a mold and inflate it with air.

Paul Spinelli/AP Images

7. Once each football is inspected, it’s out of the factory and into the players’ hands!

7. Once each football is inspected, it’s out of the factory and into the players’ hands!

MAKING A FOOTBALL

J.D. Pooley/The New York Times/Redux

1. Despite the nickname “pigskin,” footballs are made of cowhide. Workers cut out oval shapes. One hide makes about 10 balls.

1. Despite the nickname “pigskin,” footballs are made of cowhide. Workers cut out oval shapes. One hide makes about 10 balls.

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

2. The leather ovals are lined with rubber and cotton to make them sturdier.

2. The leather ovals are lined with rubber and cotton to make them sturdier.

The Washington Post/Getty Images

3. Four oval panels are sewn together inside out. It takes more than 250 stitches to sew up a football. Two women sew all the footballs used in the NFL!

3. Four oval panels are sewn together inside out. It takes more than 250 stitches to sew up a football. Two women sew all the footballs used in the NFL!

Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images

4. Workers turn each football right side out. Then they push an air bladder inside and insert an air-pump valve.

4. Workers turn each football right side out. Then they push an air bladder inside and insert an air-pump valve.

Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images

5. Workers use 49 inches of lace to stitch up the ball.

5. Workers use 49 inches of lace to stitch up the ball.

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

6. For the final step, employees put the ball into a mold and inflate it with air.

6. For the final step, employees put the ball into a mold and inflate it with air.

Paul Spinelli/AP Images

7. Once each football is inspected, it’s out of the factory and into the players’ hands!

7. Once each football is inspected, it’s out of the factory and into the players’ hands!

SOLVING TWO-STEP EQUATIONS

Some equations require more than one step, or operation, to find the value of an unknown variable. To solve these two-step equations, you can “undo” operations in the reverse order of operations.

SOLVING TWO-STEP EQUATIONS

Some equations require more than one step, or operation, to find the value of an unknown variable. To solve these two-step equations, you can “undo” operations in the reverse order of operations.

Write and solve more two-step equations about how footballs are made. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Write and solve more two-step equations about how footballs are made. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

There are 120 employees at the Wilson Football Factory. This number is 20 more than 5 times the average number of years worked by employees at the factory. Write an equation for average number of years worked, using the variable w, and solve.

There are 120 employees at the Wilson Football Factory. This number is 20 more than 5 times the average number of years worked by employees at the factory. Write an equation for average number of years worked, using the variable w, and solve.

It takes a total of 25 steps to make a Wilson football. One step involves lacing the football through a number of holes. The total number of steps to make a football is 7 less than 2 times the number of holes in a football. Write an equation to solve for the number of lace holes, using the variable h, and solve.

It takes a total of 25 steps to make a Wilson football. One step involves lacing the football through a number of holes. The total number of steps to make a football is 7 less than 2 times the number of holes in a football. Write an equation to solve for the number of lace holes, using the variable h, and solve.

Each Wilson football is made of 4 panels. That is 34 less than 2 times the number of miles that Wilson footballs have been run, passed, and returned over Super Bowl history. Write an equation for the number of miles Wilson footballs have traveled in the Super Bowl, using the variable m, and solve.

Each Wilson football is made of 4 panels. That is 34 less than 2 times the number of miles that Wilson footballs have been run, passed, and returned over Super Bowl history. Write an equation for the number of miles Wilson footballs have traveled in the Super Bowl, using the variable m, and solve.

Wilson has supplied the official game ball to the NFL for 77 years. That’s 23 more than half the number of balls shipped to each team for the Super Bowl. Write an equation to find the number of game balls shipped to each team, using the variable b, and solve.

Wilson has supplied the official game ball to the NFL for 77 years. That’s 23 more than half the number of balls shipped to each team for the Super Bowl. Write an equation to find the number of game balls shipped to each team, using the variable b, and solve.

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