American-style football including electronics

An American-style football having opposing first and second ends, the football comprising:

• an inflatable prolate spheroidal shaped bladder including a valve assembly;
• a lining positioned over the bladder;
• a cover assembly including at least first, second, third and fourth cover panels joined along longitudinally extending seams and collectively positioned over the bladder and the lining, one of the longitudinally extending seams joining the first and fourth cover panels and being joined together along a longitudinally extending seam including a centrally positioned longitudinally extending slot for receiving the bladder, the second and third panels defining a back side of the football, the first cover panel including a valve aperture, each of the first, second, third and fourth cover panels contacting the lining at locations spaced apart from the seams:
• a lacing coupled to the first and fourth cover panels generally at the longitudinally extending slot;
• and
• an electronic circuit positioned between the lining and the cover assembly and generally aligned with the lacing and the longitudinally extending slot and placed directly below the longitudinally extending slot, the electronic circuit being positioned away from the second and third panels and the first and second ends of the football, the electronic circuit including at least one sensor and the electronic circuit being configured to produce a signal to enable at least one characteristic of the football to be monitored during use.