ABOUT SPALDING

SPALDING FIRSTS

From 1871 until 1875, A.G. Spalding won an astounding 241 of the 301 games he pitched for the Boston Red Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings. He pitched every game with a baseball he had developed himself. In 1876 this future Hall of Famer retired and entered the sporting goods business fulltime. For the next 100 years, his baseball would remain as the official ball of the Major Leagues.

In 1887 Spalding develops and manufactures the very first American football. Each ball is made from the finest quality leather and features rawhide lacing. Every ball is guaranteed to be "perfect in material and workmanship and correct in shape and size".

Today Spalding is the official ball of the AFL (Arena Football League) as well as the POP Warner League, the biggest youth football program in the world.

When Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891, players had to use a soccer ball. Naismith asked A.G. Spalding to develop the very first basketball, and it wasn't long before the official rules of the game read, "the ball made by A.G. Spalding & Bros. shall be the official ball". Still today Spalding is the official ball of the NBA and approximately 70 international leagues and federations.

In 1895 the game of volleyball is invented in Holyoke, MA. Spalding is asked to develop a ball and manufactures the very first American volleyball.

Composite
In 1992 Spalding is the first to develop and introduce composite leather cover materials. The new technology makes the ball more durable while providing a super soft touch for greater feel and control vs. traditional leather.

Since 2009 Spalding offers for the first time also in Europe a full range of leather and composite leather footballs in youth and adult sizes for all game situations ideal for practice and league games.

Since 2015 SPALDING also offers for the first time in Europe their range of baseballs for practice and game.