New England Patriots boss Bill Belichick claimed that the kicking footballs used in the 1st half in the weekend’s 27-17 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs were “underinflated by almost 3 pounds,” and he deferred to the league as to why that was the case for both organizations.
“It’s not our fault. Were we aware of it? Yeah, without a doubt,” Belichick admitted. “As I understand it, they were all the same. I don’t know what more I can say about it. It was the same for us and for the Chiefs.
The NFL has declined to comment on underinflated kicking footballs in the first half of the Chiefs-Patriots game.
Patriots HC Bill Belichick said this morning they were 2-2.5 PSI underinflated. Officials are responsible for kicking balls. They were fixed at halftime.…
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) December 22, 2023
“You’d have asked the NFL about what happened on that. That part of it, they are in charge of that.”
Per the National Football League rules, the kicking footballs are supposed to be between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, with the referees needing to ensure that everything is all right before the beginning of the match.