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The
Arena Football League was invented in 1981 by James F. Foster and
is the only sport to have its own patent. The game is played on
a 50-yard field with huge rebound nets behind each endzone. The Arena game ball was made by Spalding until 1993. After a long stretch of using a Wilson ball, the league switched back to using a Spalding model in 2004. Over the years, the ball has usually sported a two-tone leather design and the word “Ironman” near the valve, a reference to the award given to a select player each year. For the 2004 season, the AFL introduced a new Spalding with a distinctive khaki color and blue laces, stripe, and cross-hair tip. Spalding even produced an ad touting the new design.
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Arena
Football League
Each
team is allowed eight men on the field, all playing both ways with
the exception of quarterbacks, kickers, one offensive and two defensive
“specialists.” Four men line up on the line of scrimmage,
and one receiver may go in motion forward before the snap. Punting
is illegal, and the receiving team may field a kickoff or missed
field goal that bounces off the nets. The game is fast-paced and
pass friendly, with scores of 60–70 points not uncommon. The
league played some exhibition games in 1986 before kicking off league
play in 1987. In 2000, the league purchased the 
