Imagine lining up for a long field goal in the fourth quarter, only to realize the ball still feels like it’s straight out of the box. That’s how K-balls — the specially marked footballs reserved for kicking — have played out in the NFL for years. But according to Mike Tirico , that’s about to change. And that’s heaven for specialists.

Yes, Tirico revealed that teams will now be allowed to prepare their K-balls before game day, just like they do with regular game balls. And why does it matter? For kickers, even small differences in the feel and history of a football can affect grip and flight. And now we might see cleaner kicks and smoother snaps. It might not literally be an extra 10 or 15 yards, but it’s still big for kickers.

Let’s start from scratch. “ K-balls ” are the weird lit

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