Who invented the American football?

The American football was not invented by any one person. Rather, the football developed over time as the rules of the game evolved and manufacturing techniques advanced.

The prolate spheroid shape of the football resulted from difficulty in inflating the pigskin bladders originally used as balls. The pointed ends became more defined as the forward pass became part of the game.

The official football of the National Football League has been handmade by Wilson Sporting Goods since 1941. The required dimensions are a length of 11 to 11.25 inches, a long circumference between 28 and 28.5 inches, a short circumference between 21 and 21.25 inches and a weight of 14 to 15 ounces.