WEST POINT, N.Y. — In order to deliver the game ball to the referee before home games at Michie Stadium, Army engages in a death-defying ritual.

If visibility and wind conditions are favorable, five seniors make a 4,000-foot jump to midfield, the target they trained to hit through hundreds of practice sessions.

During the performance, the coach of the Black Knights parachute team, Tom Falzone, transforms into a cameraman. He leans out of a black Lakota helicopter to which he is strapped to shoot video that is shown on the stadium’s huge scoreboard screen.

Falzone also orchestrates what is called a stack of jumpers out of the helicopter at specified intervals. Maintaining proper spacing is critical; a midair collision could be catastrophic. Each jumper free-falls for 10 to 15 seconds before opening the main parachute based on a reading from an altimeter, which measures height above ground. Each is also equipped with a reserve parachute and an inflatable life jacket to allow for a landing in the Hudson River, which runs next to the picturesque stadium.