All / most of the other balls are being used by the teams during warmups. OR, the team has one ball that is the "game ball". Or, it's just easier / quicker / less disruptive to put the needle in and let the air out than it is to seek out a new ball.

Only if you hide the ball.

No. The game of basketball is a lot more about touch and finesse than soccer. Slight changes in the ball, inflation, texture, weight, etc., even if all the changes are within the legal ranges, will have a bigger impact than the variations in a soccer ball within the legal ranges. Don't change the ball unless it is not legal.

Not true. The ampunt of air in a soccer ball will affect how far it flies, how fast it flies, and the spin rate on those fancy kicks you see. The reason many balls are used is because the clock does not stop when it goes out of bounds and they pay outdoors so it may take a while to get it back.

I can find no rule specifically prohibiting changing the ball but if I deemed it good to start the game we use it for the whole game. Just because one player or one team thinks it doesn't suit their game is not a valid reason to switch. Both teams will need to adapt to the ball being used.

Outdoor sports need to have multiple balls available. In football, each team will have multiple balls checked by the officials so as not to slow play down. There's no need for this in basketball.

This reminded me. We had an AAU game several years ago. The listed home team was to provide the ball. Our team had several good shooters while the other team had more of an inside game. The ball given by the home team (we were visitors) was extremely worn down. We complained, but the "home team" insisted on using that ball. We were playing by NFHS rules and the officials said that the ball was within legal range. Are there any rules regarding the condition of the ball? Thanks.

At the highest levels of soccer, all balls used absolutely must be of identical pressure, weight, and quality. In the amateur and youth competitions that make up 99.9% of the competitive soccer played in the United States, we're not so worried about it. The difference between a basketball with a pressure on the high end of what's legal and a basketball with a pressure on the low end of what's legal is certainly meaningful, but if players generally agree that a ball's pressure is either higher or lower than what they'd prefer (and I'm not talking about games of high enough level where game management specially prepares a ball for game use; I'm talking about games where we're asking a team for a ball to use during the game), I don't see any reason why we can't change one legal ball for another legal ball.

I was reffing a college showcase soccer game a couple months ago and the whole first half the ball sounded flat. I asked the girls during a stoppage for a corner kick how they liked the ball but both teams responded it was ok. I checked it at halftime -- 3 PSI. For comparison, DA and ECNL games use a ball at 13psi and most youth tournament balls are inflated to 9psi.

Why Are Some Balls Returned, While Others Aren't ???
 

Here, in my little corner of Connecticut, fans are allowed to keep balls that go into the stands as souvenirs. Before every game, the officials rub about six dozen balls with Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud. Wait? I'm being told ... What? Baseball? Never mind.

Yes.
1-12-1
1-12-1-b. It shall be spherical
12-1-c. It shall have a deeply-pebbled cover with horizontally shaped panels bonded tightly to the rubber carcass.
1-12-3
The home team shall provide a ball which meets the specifications. The referee shall be the sole judge of the legality of the ball and may select a ball provided by the visiting team.

So, I'm assuming by warn down, you mean 1-12-1c wasn't met (deeply-pebbled cover).

Problem is, "deeply-pebbled" is subjective, and if the R says it's good enough, there won't be much you can do about it at the time.

3? Yikes. If I had a game where the ball was at 3 we'd almost certainly have players complaining about it within the first minute of the game. I hope you switched it out at halftime.

I bring with me an air needle every time onto the court. The reason is because almost every time the ball they give us has more air than needed in the ball. I take it out even if I am not the Referee. I do the bounce test and take out air accordingly. I do not want long rebounds and want to help the ball go in the hole.

Problem solved.

Peace

Hell yeah I did! Contrast that with the DA goalie who asked me to swap out a ball because he could "compress it with his hands". I checked that one at halftime, it was at 11. :D

Same here.

Bingo.

Amazing how basketballs are always overinflated and footballs are always underinflated.