The 10 Best Junior Footballs

The Wilson NFL Super Grip (about $19) is a sensible first real football for most kids, and its junior version is sized for fourth to sixth graders, roughly ages 9 to 12. The soft composite cover is tacky, so small hands can hold it for a throw without strain, and it has the classic NFL-style laces. Wilson's Pressure Lock bladder is meant to hold air longer between pumpings. Owners widely praise its grip and value for backyard games and flag football. The same ball comes in Official size under the same name, so check that Junior is selected before buying. Some owners report the leather-look surface peeling after a month of hard use, and others say it loses air within a day.

The Franklin Grip-Rite 1000 (about $12) junior ball costs little and comes with what you need to start: it ships deflated, with a hand pump and needle in the box. The brown synthetic leather cover has a deep pebble pattern for grip, the white laces are double-tucked in a pro style, and white stripes circle each end. Franklin lists it at about 10 by 6 inches and just over 15 ounces, and it carries a 90-day limited warranty. A listing with the same name sells an Official-size ball, so confirm Junior before you order. Owners like the size and grip, but some report seams splitting or air leaking within weeks.

The Wilson GST SpeedSkin (about $49) brings the look and feel of Wilson's GST game ball to a synthetic cover that needs no break-in, so it plays the same on day one as it will at midseason. The cover is soft with a fine pebble, the white stripes are sewn on rather than painted, and the raised, pebbled laces give fingers a firm place to grip. The junior ball weighs about 14.4 ounces, and Wilson backs it with a one-year warranty. Owner feedback is strongly positive, with many parents of middle-school and youth-league players praising its feel and how well it holds air. It costs about two and a half times a basic composite ball, and it has a shorter track record than Wilson's older models.

The Wilson GST TDJ (about $99) is the junior version of Wilson's leather GST game ball, built for kids roughly 9 to 12 who play in a league and want a ball like the ones used in high school. It has a leather cover, sewn-on stripes and Wilson's pebbled Accurate Control lacing, and it weighs about 12.8 ounces. Wilson lists a one-year limited warranty. The same ball comes in a youth size, the TDY, for ages 12 to 14. Leather has to be broken in before it feels soft and tacky, and that takes time and use. It costs far more than a composite ball, and some owners say theirs felt hard, lost air, or didn't seem like the leather they expected for the price.

The Wilson NCAA Supreme (about $21) junior ball comes as a small kit, with a hand pump and a kicking tee packed in the box, so a child can practice kickoffs as well as passes. The ball has a PVC composite cover over a butyl bladder, a material known for holding air well, and it weighs about 14 ounces. It looks like a college game ball, with white stripes and NCAA branding. The box marks it for ages 9 and up, while the listing says 7 and up, so treat the age as a guide and judge by your child's hands. PVC is firmer and less tacky than softer composite covers, which can make catches sting a bit more on cold days.

The Wilson NFL MVP Pee Wee (about $15) is a smaller ball for younger players, sized for kids about 8 and under, though Wilson's own size chart stretches pee wee to age 9. It still looks like a real NFL ball, in brown with white laces, which matters to plenty of kids. The cover is a soft composite, and Wilson fits its Pressure Lock bladder to slow air loss. Some versions come with a pump and tee, so check the option you pick. Owners widely like its value and playability for backyard catch. Opinions on grip are mixed, and some owners say it was smaller or bigger than they expected, which is a reason to compare your child's hand with the size chart first.

The Franklin Playbook (about $17) turns a game of catch into a lesson. It has 13 pass routes printed right on the ball, so a parent and child can pick a play and run it. A layer of foam sits under the soft grip cover to take the sting out of hard catches, and Franklin's Spacelace design guides fingers into the right spot on the laces for a spiral. It measures about 10 by 6 inches, weighs about 8 ounces, and has a 90-day limited warranty. Owners say it suits beginners and catching practice well. At about half the weight of a standard junior ball, it won't feel like a game ball, and a few owners report it splitting very soon after they started using it.

The Nerf Pro Grip (about $12) is a 9-inch foam football for the youngest players, and it's rated for ages 3 and up. Because it's semi-soft foam rather than an inflated ball, a dropped catch to the face or a throw into the living room wall does far less harm, and it never needs a pump. Grooves molded into the foam give little fingers something to hold when they try to throw a spiral. It works indoors and outdoors, and its blue and black colors stand out on grass. Owners love how soft it is, but they are split on durability: some say theirs lasted for ages, while others saw the foam tear or crumble within a couple of weeks.

The Franklin Grip-Rite 100 (about $11) is a molded rubber ball for the playground, the driveway and wood chips, where a composite cover would scuff fast. Its deep-pebble rubber and raised laces give a decent grip, and rubber shrugs off water and mud. Franklin lists it at about 10 by 6 inches and roughly 15 ounces, with a 90-day limited warranty, and its listing points it at kids about 6 to 8. Owners report it holds up well on concrete and gravel. Rubber is stiffer than composite, though, so catches can sting, and owners disagree about its size: some found it larger or smaller than they expected, so compare the measurements with your child's current ball.

The Passback Junior (about $32) is a training ball for a kid who wants to practice alone. One end is flattened, so when a player throws that blunt end at a wall, the ball comes spinning back to be caught, and quarterbacks and receivers can rack up reps without a partner. The junior size is meant for ages 9 to 13 and weighs about 11.2 ounces. It ships deflated with no pump, and Passback advises lubricating the needle before inflating to protect the valve. Its warranty runs 60 days. It needs a hard, flat surface like a brick wall or garage door, and because of its shape it isn't a game ball. Owners like the idea, but air loss and tearing come up often.