We’re big fans of Wilson’s Connected Basketball and have been looking forward to seeing them expand their smart equipment roster to other sports. That, apparently, starts now with the introduction of the Wilson X Connected Football, which brings the same automatic stats recording to the gridiron.
While it looks just like any regulation football (or eggball, depending on your preferred sport), the pigskin actually houses sensors along the middle, which it uses to automatically recognize and track various statistics. Specifically, it measures distance, spin rate, velocity, spiral efficiency, number of catches, and number of drops, potentially making for a very informative tool to anyone working on their offensive skills.
The Wilson X Connected Football relays information to an accompanying app over Bluetooth in real time, so everything updates instantaneously, enabling coaches to keep close track of their players’ performance from the sidelines. Aside from tracking the football during every throw, the app comes with five game modes for adding structure to every practice session, such as an elimination mode that requires players to accomplish specific goals and even one that simulates a full game.
To make it look and feel like a real football, there’s no USB connector for charging. Instead, it comes with an integrated battery that can keep the sensors and the Bluetooth operational for up to 200,000 throws. There’s no way to recharge, by the way, so it’s just relegated to regular football duties after that.
Available for preorder with a September ship date, the Wilson X Connected Football is priced at $199.99.