EFL announce big change that we saw for the first time on Monday | OneFootball

A new EFL ball was in action earlier this week

With the clocks moving back an hour last Sunday, it was an indication that winter football is edging ever closer, which, in the eyes of many supporters, can often be their favourite time of the EFL season.

The Championship, League One and League Two are known for presenting high-quality games right across the 46-game regular season, which determines the short, and in some cases, long-term fates of many sides up and down the country.

The winter months are often known for shaping the eventual end table, due to the sheer number of fixture rounds which are fulfilled in such a short period of time.

The EFL's basement divisions have already fulfilled more rounds of fixtures than the Championship, as is customary, due to the second tier already enduring two two-week fixture gaps thus far due to international breaks ahead of next summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, with another pencilled in between the 8th and 22nd of November, with England facing off against Serbia and Albania in the meantime.

Aside from the obvious weather forecast, one way which indicates that temperatures and visibility, particularly in stadiums with lesser infrastructure, have begun to plummet, is the usage of gloves by players, many of whom are still potentially adapting to the typical British weather after transferring from a club in a location known for warmer climates.

However, there was another change which gave said indication that was announced on Monday night ahead of Stockport County's eventual 3-0 success against Port Vale in League One at Vale Park, and one which supporters will become accustomed to in the coming weeks and months.

EFL announce major change which was seen for the first time ahead of Port Vale vs Stockport County fixture

It was confirmed in June 2025 by the EFL and providers, PUMA, that the organisation's 'official match ball supplier' had completed the design for the 2025/26 season in the form of the 'PUMA Orbita Ultimate EFL' design.

At the time of release, it was made clear that the design had taken important factors into account, such as twelve panels which aid the ball's weight distribution, allowing for it to remain balanced across the entirety of a 90-minute period during which players exert maximum force on shots, throw-ins, headers and clearances.

The ball also included deeper seams, ensuring that no negative changes would be forthcoming despite the well-known change in temperatures and weather conditions which follow a Championship, League One, League Two or EFL Cup campaign.

Unsurprisingly, the main ball was kept predominantly white, keeping with long-standing traditions across previous EFL seasons, whilst a fluorescent yellow variant was anticipated to be distributed at the start of November.

However, it was the Valiants and Hatters, in front of the Sky Sports cameras, on Monday night, that were the first sides to gain access to the new ball which is used during times of low visibility.

The EFL marked this change with a simple social media post, which read: "Looking good, @pumafootball. Tonight we see the Orbita High Vis in action for the first time."

EFL Cup matches have also utilised new ball change

Of course, it isn't a given that the ball will be used in all encounters immediately, with it depending on conditions, and eventually being determined by the relevant match officials.

Unsurprisingly, though, it has already been used when required in some EFL Cup last 16 ties, including the all-Welsh affair between Wrexham and Cardiff City on Tuesday night, during which Will Fish's second-half strike was enough to send the Bluebirds into the last eight, defeating their compatriots and rivals en route to the quarter-finals.

The change, of course, has very little impact on players, staff or supporters, it is just an indication of cold weather, and the fact we are edging closer to the jam-packed festive period.