Premier League Launches New Hi-Vis Ball for Winter Months

As England heads into its winter months, the Premier League has once again launched a high-visibility version of its game ball to light up stadiums across the country.

The Nike Flight ball was unveiled on Tuesday, October 25, and will be used for the first time on Saturday, October 29, when Leicester City host Manchester City. It features a bright yellow base that makes it easier to see in darker conditions.

On the yellow base are teal and pink X markings, mimicking those found on the Nike Flight ball used from August until now. Those are overlapped by purple markings that fade out in a halftone pattern.

Both the regular and high-visibility balls feature Nike’s Aerowsculpt technology, which uses molded grooves to “disrupt airflow across the ball for less drag and more stable flight.” It is made up of four fused panels, creating larger sweet spots for powerful strikes. Its All Conditions Control finish is “designed for reliable touch in wet and dry weather.”

Nike has supplied the Premier League with match balls since 2000. Players have scored 326 goals with Nike Flight balls so far this season, putting it on pace to challenge the overall Premier League record of 1,072 goals in a season, set in 2018-19.

Aside from the yellow high-visibility ball, there are also rumors floating around the internet of an orange version of the Nike Flight for use specifically in snowy conditions.

A listing at Pro Direct Soccer shows an orange ball with teal, pink and blue markings, and a large neon yellow Nike swoosh. There’s been no official confirmation of the ball from either Nike or the Premier League yet, though.

According to the Nike Ball Hub on the Premier League’s website, the league has never had a second high-visibility winter ball model. In recent years, though, a new light-colored ball has been introduced in the spring.

The yellow Nike Flight ball will be available for purchase starting on Friday, October 28.