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NFL rules require each team to provide 12 primary balls to the referee for testing 2 hours, 15 minutes before kickoff to ensure they fall between the proper inflation limits of 12½ to 13½ pounds per square inch.
The referee "shall be the sole judge as to whether all balls offered for play comply with these specifications" and the balls "remain under the supervision of the Referee until they are delivered to the ball attendant just prior to the start of the game," according to Rule 2, Section 1.
The ball attendant is a uniformed official who comes to the locker room to pick up the balls and takes them to the officials' locker room for testing.
The ball attendant delivers the balls to the ball boys who make sure their quarterback's preferred balls get into the game.
At halftime, the balls return to the officials' locker room. So, if proper protocol is followed, the only opportunity to manipulate the balls is minutes before kickoff or during the game on the sideline, where there's a risk of anyone in the stadium and dozens of TV cameras seeing it.
*** So .... taking into account all of the above if someone does tamper with a ball it really is a big deal.
It's deliberate cheating, it's deliberately trying to gain an unfair edge over the competition.
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