There’s an interesting development on the American Football side, with sporting goods manufacturer Wilson adding digital capabilities to the ball itself. With the Internet of Things bringing different digital monitoring and enhancement capabilities to a number of industries, it was only a matter of time before the new Wilson X Connected smart football and app made an appearance.

Thanks to the chip inside the Wilson X football, you can determine the distance, spin rate, velocity and spiral efficiency of throws and also whether a pass was caught or dropped. The app itself looks as impressive, with officially licensed teams from the NFL making an appearance, and five different modes on offer, including a game that lets you throw the final pass in a last minute drive towards a match winning touchdown.  

All communication to the iOS/Android smartphone app is done via Bluetooth, with Wilson claiming the ball need not be charged, since it will last for 200 000 throws, which is about 500 hours of throwing.

The Wilson X Connected football goes on sale 8 September for an expensive $199 in the States. With a smart basketball already available for sale from Wilson, one can hope that something similar can come to the world of rugby soon.

See the football in action in the promotional video below.