Quote:
Originally Posted by bigjohn
I mean, is there really any advantage to low air in a football? Why should it matter what footballs are used in the game? I don't think anyone gains an unfair advantage one way or the other but officials do this duty like it is their whole being. Say something about a kid having a back plate or cantilever sticking out and you get the ol' "who really cares, Coach?"
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Yes.
Reduced air pressure in the football increases the coefficient of restitution ("springiness") of the ball (to a point... COR eventually falls dramatically with corresponding reduction in gauge pressure). The specified air pressure (with the prescribed bounds) is defined by the rules committees to provide a consistent game. Allowing a team to put an out-of-spec ball into play can allow the team to kick a ball farther, or cause the ball to bound in a manner that opposing players do not anticipate, which is noticeably different than if the ball were inflated properly.
Other violations you mention, such as players having unauthorized prosthetics, should also not be allowed for different reasons (injury and harm to players, etc.) The fact that an official allowed one form of unauthorized item is immaterial to the fact that use of the other unauthorized item is also an unsporting act. Let's address each issue on its own merits, as neither affects the other.