Patent ID: 8047937

Claim:
A football having a generally prolate spheroidal shape and opposing first and second ends, the football comprising: a bladder; a cover disposed over the bladder, the cover formed of at least two and no more than ten separate cover panels, and each cover panel being formed of one or more layers of resilient material overlying a backing, the cover defining, at least in part, a first set of channels extending generally longitudinally from at or near the first end of the football to at or near the second end of the football, the backing having variable thickness enabling the outer surface of the cover panels to define a plurality of grooves configured to facilitate grasping and throwing of the football, the plurality of grooves being substantially unfilled and visible to a user of the football, the depth of the groove being greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm, the width and depth of at least one of the grooves being sufficiently sized and configured to receive a portion of one or more fingertips of a user, each of the cover panels defining at least one of the plurality of grooves that longitudinally extends along the respective cover panel; and a lacing coupled to the cover, the football including an upper central region positioned between first and second upper end regions, and a lower central region positioned between first and second lower end regions, the plurality of grooves extending over at least the first and second upper end regions and the first and second lower end regions, the lower central region of the football being formed without the plurality of grooves.