The Physics of Football

The Physics of Football

There is no question that everything people do in their lives involves physics. This is true from the way we communicate to the way that we fight wars. In some cases the influence of the laws of physics on our world are extremely apparent, such as in sports. Basketball, hockey, baseball and even cricket involve physics. From the most basic motions players perform in the game, to different plays designed by coaches, physics touches it all. These appearances of physics in the games that we play are sometimes so subtle we don’t even notice them. In other cases however, the impact of physics can be heard across the stadium as Jerome “The Bus” Bettis barrels his way into the endzone. The influences of physics on the game of football are probably more apparent than in any other sport. By examining these effects in football, such as the motion of players, the motion of the ball, the sounds and sights of the game, and the excruciatingly painful collisions, it will be evident that the laws of physics have played a primary role in the way the game has developed.

The players are initially standing still until the play starts then the players accelerate. When a player decides to change direction they will apply a force to the ground with there foot to help propel them in a different direction, there is another force that plays a very important part and that is friction. If there is less friction then the player will have a harder time changing direction. Newton’s third law of motion also comes into play in which equal and opposite forces help him accelerate (Craig Freudenrich 1998). The less friction caused by the playing field, the more easily the player is able to accelerate, decelerate, and alter his cour...

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...receiver trying to catch the ball resulting in a lost game and a smaller contract. These are just a few of the simplest examples involving physics and the game of football, but even with just these it is evident that a player can outrun the offense, he can outrun the defense, he can outrun the mascot, the coach, the fans and the ball, but he can’t outrun the effects of physics.

Bibliography

1).Kirkpatrick, Larry D. and Wheeler, Gerald F. Physics a World View. 4th ed. Fort Worth, Philadelphia, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Austin, San Antonio, Toronto, Montreal, London, Sydney, Tokyo: Barrosse and Vondeling, 2001

2).Freudenrich, Craig C. How stuff works. 1998 – 2003 http://www.howstuffworks.com/physics-of-football.htm/printable

3).Bennett, Chris. Christopher4. 2 June 1998 http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicspages/PhysOf1998A/Football-Bennett/