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The original American Football League Game Ball was the
Spalding J6-V model, also called the Spalding
"Cushion Control" Football. The ball was 1/4" thinner and
longer than the Wilson "Duke" used by the nfl, and it
featured a thin cushioned foam liner under the leather and
was billed as a near "fumble-less football".
It's been noted that Spalding discontinued the
manufacturing of the J6-V model circa 1965, however
Spalding has not confirmed that date. Photos show the
J6-V ball was used in US colleges into the later 1960's.
In 1965, the AFL changed to the Spalding J5-V model. The
J5-V was the same size as the J6-V but without the foam
cushion liner.
Both the J6-V and J5-V models were originally targeted to
the college football market.
The J5-V model is still in production today, however its
technical makeup is no longer the same as the 1960's AFL
Game Ball.
The CFL used a Spalding Canada J5-V from 1958 to
1995, but also with different specs than the US Spalding
AFL J6-V or J5-V.
Joe Foss's (Commissioner) signature was on all the AFL J6-V
models (1960 to 1965). Foss was on the first of the J5-V
balls produced as well (1965). Al Davis
(Commissioner)(1966), Milt Woodard (President)(1966-1969),
and pete rozelle (commissioner of the AFL and the nfl)(1966-1969)
signature J5-V balls were produced in the years noted and
used over the 1966 to 1969 period of the AFL.
Two slightly different versions of the AFL logo were branded
on the J6-V ball. The change to the second version of the
logo was in 1962. That second logo brand was used on all
J5-V game balls.
The first version of the logo was branded into all white
panel autograph balls produced from 1960 to 1969. Both J6-V
and J5-V white panel balls were produced, and each of the 4
signatures were used on white panel autograph balls as well.
White striped and un-striped versions of both the J6-V and
the J5-V were produced. The striped version was used during
AFL night games.
While an apparent code was branded on some of the J6-V and
J5-V balls, Spalding does not confirm these markings
were date codes and no production date code information
seems to have been published from Spalding for the
AFL game balls.
In all, there were at least 11 and maybe 12 different
versions of the AFL Game Ball produced over the 10 years of
the AFL.
(1960-1962) Joe Foss signature: J6-V First logo design
brand, No stripe
(1960-1962) Joe Foss signature: J6-V First logo design
brand, White stripe
(1962-1965) Joe Foss signature: J6-V Second logo design
brand, No stripe
(1962-1965) Joe Foss signature: J6-V Second logo design
brand, White stripe
(1965-1966) Joe Foss signature: J5-V Second logo design
brand, No stripe
(1965-1966) Joe Foss signature: J5-V Second logo design
brand, White stripe (?)
(no photo found at this date)
(1966) Al Davis signature: J5-V Second logo design brand, No
stripe
(1966) Al Davis signature: J5-V Second logo design brand,
White stripe
(1966-1969) Milt Woodard signature: J5-V Second logo design
brand, No stripe
(1966-1969) Milt Woodard signature: J5-V Second logo design
brand, White stripe
(1966-1969) pete rozelle signature: J5-V Second logo design
brand, No stripe
(1966-1969) pete rozelle signature: J5-V Second logo design
brand, White stripe
At least 5 versions of the white panel autograph ball were
produced:
Foss signature J6-V
Foss signature J5-V
Davis signature J5-V
Woodard signature J5-V
rozelle signature J5-V
The rarest of the AFL Game Balls are
the Al Davis signature balls. Although 3 versions of the
Davis ball were produced by Spalding (striped and
plain game balls and white panel autograph balls), only a
small total number were made as Al's status as the
Commissioner lasted only 4 months (April to July of 1966).
AFL supporter and historian Ange Coniglio reports that when
Milt Woodard became the AFL President in July of 1966,
rozelle tried to have all the Davis signature balls
destroyed, but that it never happened. Davis signature game
balls were used during AFL games - notably in the first game
ever won by the Miami Dolphins (Dolphins v Broncos -
10/16/1966).
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