Footballs

When parents first start buying gear for a new kicker, the football itself can feel more complicated than it needs to be. The good news is that it really is not.

The first priority is simple: make sure your athlete is using the right size football for their age and level. As players get older, the football gets bigger. By high school, kickers should be using the standard full-size football they will continue using at higher levels.

After that, the next thing to understand is that there are two main types of footballs most parents will run into: leather and composite.

The Two Main Types of Footballs

Leather Footballs

Leather footballs are typically what players use in games. They are usually more expensive, and as kickers get older, many prefer practicing with leather because they want their training to feel as close to game day as possible.

Composite Footballs

Composite footballs are often more affordable and very useful in practice, especially for younger kickers. They also hold up better in wet conditions, which makes them a practical option for rainy days, wet grass, or early morning sessions with heavy dew.

Why This Matters

A leather football that rolls around in wet grass can get heavy quickly. Once that happens, it does not come off the foot the same way, and the session becomes less useful.

That is where composite footballs can be a great training tool. They are especially helpful when conditions are damp and you still want good reps without ruining the feel of the ball after only a few kicks.

That said, kickers and parents should understand one important difference: composite footballs can sometimes travel a little farther than leather footballs on the same swing. That can create the wrong impression.

A young kicker may feel like they are suddenly gaining more distance, but on game day, when the football is leather, the ball may not jump the same way. That can lead to frustration if distance becomes the focus too early.

My Coaching Philosophy on Footballs

I do not want young kickers chasing a few extra yards because of the type of football they are using.

Distance will come with age, strength, and better mechanics.

What matters first is building a foundation of:

• clean contact

• straight ball flight

• repeatable mechanics

• good tempo and balance

A good kicker should learn to strike whatever football is in front of them. A leather football will hook if you hit it poorly. A composite football will hook if you hit it poorly. The material does not fix bad contact.

The real goal is to develop the ability to hit the ball straight and clean, no matter which football you are using.

A Note on Broken-In Leather Footballs

Not all leather footballs feel the same.

A brand-new leather ball can feel stiff. A well-broken-in leather football can come off the foot much better and feel completely different. As kickers get older and more advanced, that starts to matter more.

For younger athletes, though, this should not become a distraction. Parents do not need to obsess over football preparation in the early stages. The bigger priority is getting the right size ball, getting quality reps, and building good habits.

Inflation Matters More Than People Think

Another factor that changes how a football feels is inflation.

The amount of air in the ball affects how it comes off the foot. Many people judge this by feel alone, but that is not always very accurate. A ball may feel fine with the thumb test and still be underinflated.

For serious training, consistency matters. If the football is inflated differently from one session to the next, it changes the feel and can make training less consistent.

As a kicker gets older and begins preparing for camps, evaluations, or more competitive environments, it becomes more important to make sure practice footballs are inflated consistently.

What I Recommend for New Kickers

For most new kickers, keep it simple.

Use the correct size football for the athlete’s age and level. A composite football is perfectly fine for most practice, especially in wet conditions. Leather footballs become more important as kickers get older and closer to real game environments, but early on, the focus should stay on fundamentals rather than equipment perfection.

Parents do not need to overthink whether one football travels a little farther than another. I would rather see a young kicker learning to make solid, repeatable contact than worrying about squeezing out a few extra yards.

Common Mistake to Avoid

One of the biggest mistakes young kickers make is getting too focused on distance. Sometimes that starts with the football itself.

If a ball feels lighter or flies a little farther, it is easy to think everything is improving. But extra yards do not always mean better mechanics. The better question is this:

Is the kicker hitting the ball cleanly and consistently?

That is what matters most.

Parent Takeaway

The best football for a young kicker is the right size ball that helps them build clean, consistent contact.

Leather footballs are usually game balls. Composite footballs are great practice tools, especially in wet conditions. Both have value. Just do not let the type of football distract from the real goal: learning to hit the ball straight and developing a dependable swing.