Physics of Soccer

1799 Words4 Pages

Physics of Soccer

I. Introduction

Soccer is a sport that’s very challenging and during the course of this semester I’ve found physics can also be described as challenging. As far as I was concerned soccer and physics were both challenging and that was all they had in common, consequently upon researching them both this semester I found that I was wrong. For me this was nothing new because I’ve found that physics isn’t a subject that can be skimmed, but rather it has to be studied to the finest detail. Those small details if missed can make all your efforts worthless. Or on the positive side understanding those details can make your efforts worth it in the end. And in soccer if you understand the physics, which to most players would be considered as the small details, it pays off in the end. So really how does physics come into play with soccer?

II. Motion and Soccer

In our text we began our study of physics with motion because motion is a dominant characteristic of the Universe (Kirkpatrick, 21). In class we learned that speed is the distance traveled divided by the time taken, s=d/t. The definition of velocity is very close to that of speed except that direction of an object is also taken into account.

Soccer is a sport that is all about motion and how to use movements most effectively. Speed and velocity are very important when it comes to motion because with out them there would be no motion. When playing soccer speed is essential to being a productive player. The game is fast paced and so the players must also be quick on their feet. Soccer players may not know that velocity is essential to being able to control their movements. But physics proves that both are essential to soccer. Speed and direction are b...

... middle of paper ...

...volved. Soccer requires the use of physics principles such as motion, distance, momentum, angular momentum, friction, and all three of Newton’s Laws of motion. It is important to understand how physics works and affects us even when playing soccer. If players know how physics, the small details, affect them they will be able to control the ball and be efficient in calculating the speed and impact of an approaching opponent. Soccer is a challenging sport, but knowing how the physics around the game works makes improvement almost a guarantee.

Works Cited

Kirkpatrick, Larry D., Wheeler, Gerald F. Physic: A World View. Fourth ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001.

Lange, Thomas L. “Soccer.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1996.

“Physics of Soccer.” www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicpages/po2001/Soccer/ Index.html. Kent School District. 1995-2003.

Show More
Related

  • Soccer: Geometry of Goal-Scoring

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    Soccer is a game that is played a lot on angles and measurements. Most wouldn’t think that angles come into play when playing soccer, they just kick it into the goal wherever they can. To make a good, precise shot, you must take into account where you are in relation to the goal, and decide what angle would be the best to aim and kick for. Where the kicker is standing in correlation to the goal plays a major factor on the difficulty of the shot. Also, if the kicker is a left or right footed kicker and what side of the goal they are on also plays an important factor...

    Read More

  • Effective Ways to Kick a Soccer Ball

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Having a proper soccer kick is a key component to being a successful soccer player. Understanding the biomechanics behind the movement is important in order to guide the player to improving this skill. Kicking is a whole-body movement, more specifically multi-articular (involving many joints), that can be affected by multiple factors such as the individual (age, gender, fatigue, leg dominance), the environment, balance, and coordination.

    Read More

  • Football vs. Soccer

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, football and soccer have their similarities, but these similarities are superficial. There are many fundamental differences, such as the use of one’s hands being illegal in soccer, except for the goalie when he/she is inside his/her respective eighteen-yard boundary. Another example is the alternation of a team’s offense and defense in football as opposed to the simultaneous effort of the offense and defense in soccer. These differences in rules, rituals, and concepts distinguish these two sports from each other. However, there are similarities, such as the fact that both sports allow eleven players on each team to play on the field at a time. Also, the area where one scores is in the same locations in both sports, the end zones of football and the goals of soccer are on opposite sides of the field.

    Read More

  • Soccer Kick Research Paper

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    A 15 segment, three dimensional test was used to determine the biomechanics of the body during the soccer kick (Shan, 2005). Most motions of a soccer kick involve the sagittal plane and therefore can be used mostly by two dimensional analysis. Fifteen soccer players were used in this analysis (Shan, 2005). The results showed that the more experienced the player, the better the kick. This was due to the difference in trunk extension and rotation. The trunk rotated up to 60 degrees in experienced players (Shan, 2005). Once the plant leg was firmly on the ground the experienced player would rotate his body from his trunk causing the should to rotate as well as the head, creating a whip like effect to provide the most force on the ball. The study concluded that the whole body was used in a soccer kick and required multi-joint coordination. (Shan,

    Read More

  • Soccer

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    Soccer is the worlds most popular sport. It is the national sport of most European and Latin-American countries, and of many other nations. Millions of people in more than 140 countries play soccer. The World Cup is held every four years. Soccer is one of the most famous international sports. Soccer is known world wide and is played in the Olympics.

    Read More

  • Catherine The Great Research Paper

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    Catherine the Great of Russia Catherine the Great, who ruled as Empress of Russia from 1762-1796, is one of those highest monarchy. With hard experience, intelligence, and adjure practicality, changed the face of a country against overwhelming odds. Her background as a German princess, as well as her argumentation in philosophy literature, led her to believe that Russia was averse (p) country; she dedicated her monarchy to rescue Russia into the modern, European Age. Catherine herself knew how fragile her perspective re totally was, and at the moment she left the sheltered initiation of a civilized court and stepped into Russia as it was: ignorant, disorganized, and often with diseases She unconquerable to concentrate on

    Read More

  • The Game of Golf and Physics

    2336 Words  | 5 Pages

    A famous saying for many golfers is, “golf is the most enjoyable walk that can be had in two hours”; even though many people disagree with this and say it is, “the worst walk in two hours.” Still, over time many people have had the opportunity to play, learn, and enjoy the beauty of golf courses around the world. Many golfers know that the game of golf requires mental and physical aptitude with hours of practice in order to be proficient at the game. Furthermore, since golf is a sport played in the physical world, the entire game can be explained and actually improved by many principles in Physics. Understanding the principles of Physics in the swing of the golf club, golf ball, collision of the golf club with the golf ball, flight of the golf ball, and putting can help a player shave off points to make the “enjoyable walk” more tolerable.

    Read More

  • Soccer Ball Physics

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    When a soccer ball is kicked the resulting motion of the ball is determined by Newton's laws of motion. From Newton's first law, we know that the moving ball will stay in motion in a straight line unless acted on by external forces. A force may be thought of as a push or pull in a specific direction; a force is a vector quantity. If the initial velocity and direction are known, and we can determine the magnitude and direction of all the forces on the ball, then we can predict the flight path using Newton's laws.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Soccer

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    Soccer the most popular sport in the world, since is the sport with more active players with around 270 million athletes. By having registered so many players, it’s not surprising that this sport has more fans than any other sport worldwide. Every team looks for a player that moves the ball, and that creates plays to score. This means a person that pass the ball through the entire game. To pass the ball in a proper way is one of the main skills a player needs to play soccer. Passing the ball, keeps the game going. Without being able to pass the ball accurately to your teammates, more than likely your team won’t be able to score a goal. The key for passing is to keep things simple. This means passing the ball to your nearest teammate that is not marked by an opponent.

    Read More

  • Newton´s Three Laws of Motion

    1560 Words  | 4 Pages

    Physics is involved in everyday life and can be an essential explanation for how things work. Being a lacrosse goalie involves physics concepts and proves how they apply to every movement that is made on the field. To better understand the physics of a goalie, you must understand how Newton’s Three Laws of Motion work; Inertia, force equals mass times acceleration, and equal and opposite forces, as well as another law torque and leverage.

    Read More

  • The Physics of Basketball

    1941 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many aspects to the game of basketball and physics can be applied to all of them. Although to be good at basketball it is not necessary to play it from a physics point of view. Basketball players become good by developing muscle memory for the actions that must be performed in the game of basketball from years of practice. Nevertheless knowing some of the physics in the game of basketball can help a good player be a better player. In this paper I will cover the three most important aspects of the game, shooting, dribbling and passing.

    Read More

  • Human Microchip Implants

    2320 Words  | 5 Pages

    new advancements such as microchip implant for humans and animals can be very controversial. At first, the implants may seem to have benefits but in the long run they will actually cause more trouble than they are worth. These potential "troublemakers" are about the size of an elongated grain of rice and are injected in the skin under the arm or hand (Feder, Zeller 15). The chip is not powered by battery and there is nothing that can possibly leak out into the body (Posada-Swafford 8). An early form of this technology was used to monitor salmon and has been used for other wildlife research (Verhovek 5). The idea of the chips was started from the September 11 tragedy when the firefighters going into the Twin Towers were "IDing" themselves by writing information on their arm about their blood type, health conditions, and their identity with a permanent marker (Bentley 10). The VeriChip Corporation, which is owned by Applied Digital Solutions, saw this as an opportunity to market their product. As a result of their marketing ploys, Applied Digital claims that so far there have been about 1,000 human recipients of the chip.

    Read More

  • Soccer: The World's Sport

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Soccer has proven to be a notable sport throughout the years starting with its unique history. Soccer began all over the world tracing back thousands of years. The Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Ancient Greek, Persian, Vikings, as well as other nationalities all played a form of the game soccer. In China and Rome, games that were similar to soccer were played around 200 B.C. (Helmer and Owens, 5). People believe that soccer started more than a thousand years ago when villagers killed attacking pirates by cutting off their heads and kicking them around (Helmer and Owens, 5). As time went on, people in Europe also played a game similar to soccer during Medieval Times. In fact, soccer was used to prepare warriors for battles in Ancient Greece and Rome (Dilov-Shultheis). In later history, the English called the game “Football” because soccer was played by kicking the ball with the foot (Helmer and Owens, 6). The name “soccer” came to be when the American’s Association Football was shortened to assoc., and later to soc. Eventually in 1895 it was called soccer (Helmer and Owens, 9). By the late 1700s and 1800s, soccer was played in many universities, but the rules were not ...

    Read More

  • Physics In Basketball: The Physics Of Basketball

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    Basketball dating back to December 21, 1891 has had practically everything to do with Physics. The trajectory of the ball, the gravity that brings it down after a shot, the wind force that alters the basketballs course to the basket, it all leads to Physics. Without Physics practically every sport known to man would be impossible to play, showing the importance of science.

    Read More

  • Social Adety And Social Anxiety Disorder

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people in today’s society are considered shy, but when is it more than that? Many people believe that extreme shyness is just that, shyness, but sometimes it can be something else. People who avoid social interactions, avoid being in the spotlight, and deal with extreme shyness might have social anxiety, or social phobia, a mental disorder that affects daily and social life in a negative way. Like other anxiety disorders, social anxiety is considered to be a mental illness, and medical professionals treat it as one. Other people think that it is just extreme shyness, and will go away on its own. Is social anxiety something that people should treat as an illness or just extreme shyness?

    Read More

More about Physics of Soccer

Open Document