How do I determine when to use a football jig over a casting jig? Are there any limitations where you can’t throw a football jig?

A football jig is designed to deflect off rock, and wiggle when it does so to present it's trailer with great effect.  I, personally, would not tie a football on for a bottom without hard bottom and at least some structure for the head to roll off of.

 

A casting jig is a very all purpose jig and works decently for most everything, and the head is designed to stand the trailer up to present it.  It requires no roll.

 

In short, hard cover to deflect off of with rock being the primary target, use a football for that enticing wobble.  Otherwise, use the casting jig for that enticing defensive position.

You can cast any jig, getting through cover requires a jig designed to do it.

The first bass jigs were round heads using a 90 degree bent hook eye to sit at the top of the ball, no weed guard. Good casting jig design.

Football heads are a modified round head elongated to prevent rolling sideways on slack line and snagging. Early football heads used a wire weed guard, no room for a fiber weed guard.

Arkie head was the first weedless jig head using a 60 degree hook eye to accommodate the weed guard and head design to slide through cover. The longer flatter Arkie head design shortens the length between line tie eye and hook point, more compact jig vs the round or football head.

Advantage of round head / football head is longer open space between hook eye and backend of head, improves hook sets and work good in rocky areas.

Disadvantage of round /football head is they snag easily trying to go through cover because of the longer open hook design.

Today you have hundreds of jig head designs to choose from all trying to improve on the basic round, football or Arkie head designs.

Tom

Use a football jig on hard bottoms, use a casting jig to go through cover.

Football jigs are more for dragging through rocks and deeper, more open water situations. Often they have thinner hooks and weed guards better suited for sparse cover situations and the head design comes through rocks better than others.