An automated game ball inspection apparatus and system for determining quality of surface treatments applied to the surface of game balls. The inspection system includes an imaging system including a detector for creating and providing an image signal of the ball being inspected to an analyzer. The inspection system also includes an environmental modification device to account for contours on the spherical surface of the ball such that the imaging system can create and analyze still images of the ball. A sorter or reject device, may be provided to act upon the ball based on an output signal from the analyzer.