  In this paper we examine the detailed theory of the American football in
flight, with spin and air resistance included. We find the theory has much in
common with the theory of a gyroscope and also rocket trajectory with a
misaligned thruster. Unfortunately most of the air resistance data, for
rocketry and ballistics, is for speeds of Mach 1 or higher, where the air
resistance increases dramatically. We shall approximate a realistic air
resistance, at the slower speeds of football flight, with a drag force
proportional to cross sectional area and either $v$ or $v^2$, depending on
speed, where $v$ is velocity of the football. We begin with a discussion of the
motion, giving as much detail as possible without the use of complex analytic
calculations. We point out the previous errors made with moments of inertia and
make the necessary corrections for more accurate results. We show that the
shape of an American football closely resembles a parabola of revolution.
