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The NFL provides a number of "new" unused balls for use in kicking in each game. They are used for kickoffs, punting, field goals, and extra points. The stated object of having special balls is to minimize the effect of ball wear on kicking accuracy. However, the reason they were instituted was due to complaints over teams using "doctored" balls to gain a kicking advantage.
However, because they are not used in other play, they differ from the balls that kickers use in practice. So many NFL kickers can be seen beating, squeezing, or working a ball before a kickoff. They are used to kicking a 'beat up' ball. Some kickers have openly complained about the slickness of the K-balls.
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BeauThere is no difference, but the kickers and punters are punished in a way. They don't get these kicking balls until 2 hours before a game and can use them sparingly in warm ups. These balls are brand new right out of the box and not broken in as much as the regular balls that are used on offensive plays. Those balls are given to the teams during the week before the game for use in practice. Anyone who has played football knows a brand new ball is much harder to handle, throw, carry, catch or kick than a ball that is broken in. The reason the league implemented this policy was there were legends about kickers taking balls into saunas and washing them in washing machines in order to break them in so they would be easier to kick. The league did this to even the playing filed between opponents. Essentially, the kickers and punters are all now kicking the same balls (no pun intended).
No all NFL football games only involve one ball (the game ball) the same is used for blitzs, hale marys, field goals, punts and any other play during the game. During kicks the ball is set on a tee and the ball is also always the same size in all NFL games (Pro size; official NFL ball) *Yes, they use K-balls (unused/new balls, marked with a 'K').
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