After some days of investigation, the National Football League (NFL) has found that 11 out of 12 of the game balls used by the New England Patriots in their AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts were underinflated.

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The practice of varying the inflation of a football is not an illegal thing to do for any team. In fact, teams are expected to bring 12 footballs for their offense to use.

They are supposed to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch and weigh between 14 ounces and 15 ounces. However, several sources close to the matter told ESPN that the balls were not inflated within the accepted NFL standards.

The investigation yielded that the balls were underinflated by 2 pounds per square inch of air below the regulation in the Patriot's 45-7 blowout victory over the Colts.

Greg Aiello, senior vice president of communications for the NFL said that they were not offering any comment on the matter as of the moment. After the findings of their investigation, one source described the league as angry, distraught, and disappointed.

While they did indeed find out that there were underinflated balls being used by the Patriots, they have yet to uncover how the 11 balls became underinflated.

As per NFL standards, the game balls are provided were required to be inspected and approved by referee Walt Anderson two hours and 15 minutes before kick-off. Afterwards, they were returned to a ball attendant.

Once the balls are approved, no alterations can be done to them.

The NFL began looking into the inflation levels of the footballs as a doctored football can allow for several competitive advantages for the players.

For instance, underinflated football can help players grip the ball easier and even how it travels through the air. Now, players from the Colts are already speculating what would happen if the Patriots were to be disqualified from the game.

TagsNFL, new england patriots, 11 of 12, Footballs, Underinflated