Hmmm I did find this "magnetic transmitter" football. Its from about 10 years ago and looks to be funded by Disney? Guessing tech is further along now.
https://www.vox.com/2014/9/4/6101169...rst-down-chain
I would have thought that putting a microchip on a football would throw off everything BUT the article says that NFL footballs already have small weights in them to help with the balance and that the microchips would take the place of those? Had no idea
Does this affect the ball?
One concern might be that putting a magnetic transmitter in a football would alter its weight or balance. But when it comes to weight, a football is surprisingly forgiving.
"What most people don't realize is that the footballs are handmade, so there's quite a bit of variation from one ball to another — about an ounce of difference," Ricketts says. "So we designed our transmitter to be less than that natural variation." (There's less tolerance for variation in air pressure, as the Deflate-gate scandal has taught us.)
Additionally, footballs are naturally lopsided because of the laces, so manufacturers already need to put a small weight on the side opposite them to balance things out. That provides a natural spot for the transmitter.