The physics of kicking a football semantic scholar. Illustrated with classic blackandwhite nfl action photos along with engaging popularscience diagrams, the book is an outgrowth of dr. Momentum is a vector describing a quantity of motion. Many articles here have chronicled the conservative nature playcalling on 4th down in the modern nfl. Bill shankly, the former manager of liverpool football club, once said.
The punt or punt eireannach, also known as the irish pound, which was the currency of ireland prior to its changeover to the euro. Timothy gay football physics so im aiming this book at fans, players, and coaches who love football so much that theyre even willing to tackle some physics to increase their enjoyment of the game. College physics 0th edition 1938168003 9781938168000. The parabolic path of a football can be described by these two equations. Jul 01, 20 you guys are amazing and all the great things you tell us about the game and the book make those projects so worthwhile for us. Some of the best punters in the nfl compete to see who can hit the longest football punt. While punting a football, a kicker rotates his leg about. During his career, guy played in a record 207 consecutive games, averaged 42. Huddle up with one of the greatest players in football history as he shares the techniques, strategies. Feb 27, 2014 longest punt nfl football punters see who can kick the farthest. Throwing the football how the physics of football works. Would kansas football ever think about implementing kevin kelleys never punt system of football. The physics of kicking a football the game of american football is filled with illustrations of the principles of physics.
If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Using initial velocities and launch angles in projectile motion equations, the estimated distances and hang times, neglecting air viscous forces. These segments aired starting in 2002, and ran through 2004. Gays playful, brilliant lectures on the physics of football that have been adapted by the nfl for videos shown on the tv show blast. If theres one topic where quantitative analysis can change the way football is played, its 4th down decisionmaking. Football is a game that contains a lot of athleticism and physics. The football physicssegments on the show feature lectures and demonstrations by gay and interviews with current nfl players. The ninth lesson of a video series explains the horizontal and vertical velocity. Whether youre playing american, canadian, or australian football, the techniques for punting the ball are very similar. It is very complex with all the equations it brings up. Sep 09, 2004 the book football physics by timothy gay phd is one of many books written about the math involved in sports.
It is my sincere hope that after a while theyll start to find the physics as much fun as i do. Typically, a substantial fraction of the students in any introductory physics course follow college or professional football rather closely and are reasonably fimtiliar with the strategies and techniques of play. Kicking it with the outside of his foot allowed him to hit the ball hard. My thanks to mike wise, a texas official, for directing my attention to section 215 of the ncaa rule book where i found that rule 2159 negated my prior advice to also use the placekick punt in ncaa. Physics has an important part in every aspect of football, from running the football, all the way to kicking off and punting football. Kohls professional kohls football kicking and punting. Based on a book by timothy gay, a professor of physics at the university of. Physics world history ancient africa ancient china ancient egypt.
Punting is a unique skill in football and takes a lot of practice. Physic of catching a football blogs high school physics. Gay has also written a book, football physics, published by rodale. Catching a football like pros is no easy task, especially when you have some of the hardest throwing quarterbacks in the world. Read and learn for free about the following article. If a punt doesnt cross the line of scrimmage, either team may pick up the ball and run toward its own end zone. Physic of catching a football high school physics and ap. Discover the science of bonecrunching hits, soaring field goals, and aweinspiring passes on. You can learn much about both if you stick with it. Thanks, sara dear sara, the punt is a unique and important play in football.
Behind those big hits, long kicks, and sensational throws is a science that will give you a whole new perspective on the game of football. Ask the students to briefly discuss what basketball, baseball, football, shot put, tennis, golf, volleyball, and soccer all have in common. While punting a football, a kicker rotates his leg abou. Ask the students to briefly discuss what basketball, baseball, football, shot put, tennis, golf, volleyball, and soccer all. Physicist physicists have a big goal in mindto understand the nature of the entire universe and everything in it. Longest punt nfl football punters see who can kick the. A good punter can make a huge difference in the outcome of a game. This is easily seen during a game where all the action unfolds. However, there is one aspect of the game that the nfl can never change. Upper and lower leg velocities agreed with published results for similar types of kicks. The force acting on the football is gravity causing the ball to move in a parabolic shape.
If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the ask an expert forum. The physics of punting is similar in respect to throwing the football, however, is calculated in a much easier manner. If your drop is good and your fundamentals are solid, youll be in position to make great contact. The physics of football, with discussion on ball flight, ball bounce, and collision. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. The physics of kicking a soccer ball the mathematics shed. Consider these useful numbers and units developed by dr. Physics teacher our universe is full of matter and energy, and how that matter and energy moves and interacts in space and time is the subject of physics. Environmental education resources to commemorate earth days 50th anniversary.
Punt australian football, a way of kicking a ball in the australian variety of football. Some of these rules are designed to maintain the safety of players, while others are designed to increase the competitiveness of the game. Football kicking and punting ray guy, rick sang on. Back in the day, teams were lucky if they mounted one successful scoring drive all game. Physics of punting a football by trace adams on prezi. This page will focus on describing some of the physics of both. Our experts wont do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions. There are mildly interesting parts, like the differences in distance a punt or kick will. Analysis of punting a footballbiomechanics research paper. Dont stop driving your leg when your foot contacts the ball. The main part of the physics of football involves the action of the ball and the players. Physics teachers spend their days showing and explaining the marvels of physics, which underlies all the other science subjects, including biology, chemistry, earth and space science. Typically, a substantial fraction of the students in any introductory physics course follow college or professional football rather closely and are reasonably fimtiliar with the strategies. The most common use of this tactic is to punt the ball downfield to the opposing team, usually on the final down, with the hope of giving the receiving team a field position that is more advantageous to the kicking team when possession changes.
The film was analyzed frame by frame and velocities for the knee, shin, ankle, toe and two tips of the football were calculated as well as the launch angle of each punt. Students will then use a computer simulation program to investigate the variables that affect a projectiles range and time in the air. To play this game you must be fast, agile, strong, big, and intimidating. The physics behind punting, throwing, blocking and carrying a football is fascinating to someone with a science background but i do not think that the ball players themselves even contemplate the science of their sport. For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Punting special teams youth football coaching author steve parker posted on may 17, 2008 may 23, 2008 categories youth coaching tags football, kicking, long snap, punt, punting, snapping, special teams.
In this post ill explain, as clearly and simply as possible, why the evidence points to a more aggressive attack on 4th down. In gridiron football, a punt is a kick performed by dropping the ball from the hands and then kicking the ball before it hits the ground. The authors of hidden game of football suggest that the current 4th down doctrine in football is a holdover from the early days of the sport. The moment of inertia of the leg is and its rotational kinetic energy is 175 j. The kohls kicking program is chosen by elite nfl, collegiate, and high school specialists for training and exposure. This creates a momentum of roughly 10 kg times meters per second. In contrast, a drop punt in australian rules football is a precise kick downfield, usually to a player on the same team. Using initial velocities and launch angles in projectile motion equations. Kohls kicking, punting, and long snapping camps provides the single biggest stage for kickers, punters, and long snappers in america and is the most trusted evaluation resource by college coaches. Physics of punting a football, physics department, the college of wooster. While punting a football, a kicker rotates his leg about the. The book football physics by timothy gay phd is one of many books written about the math involved in sports. Football physics if youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. A touchback occurs when a punt touches the end zone before the ball touches a player on either team, or when the punt returner catches the ball in the end zone and drops to one knee.
The kohls kicking program is chosen by elite nfl, collegiate, and high. Dec 01, 2019 in contrast, a drop punt in australian rules football is a precise kick downfield, usually to a player on the same team. Hartschuh, physics of punting a football, physics department, the college of wooster, wooster, ohio 2002, the presence of air resistance decreases punting distance by 2433% relative to the theoretical punting distance that would occur in the absence of air resistance. Nov 10, 2016 catching a football like pros is no easy task, especially when you have some of the hardest throwing quarterbacks in the world. A football player with more momentum is hard to stop, which is desirable. Skilled ball carriers and defenders for that matter know almost instinctively which paths to follow, and.
The trajectory of a football pass or kick illustrates not only the principles of projectile motion, but also some basic concepts of aerodynamics. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. So im aiming this book at fans, players, and coaches who love football so much that theyre even willing to tackle some physics to increase their enjoyment. The ball is then spotted on the receiving teams 20yard line. Textbook solution for college physics 1st edition paul peter urone chapter 10 problem 26pe. My 2004 freshman high school football team monte vista of danville, ca did this. A football of an nfl quarterback can be close to 60 mph26ms, weighing roughly.
Nov 12, 2014 if the benefit of going for it is so clear, why are coaches choosing to kick so often. This is still an excellent book on physics and football, but a decent background in physics and football is helpful. There are a number of biomechanical techniques for achieving proper form, which make reference to the way the ball is dropped into the kick, how the punter follows through with his leg motion, and how the punter steps into his kick. An engaging lesson breaks down the mechanics of punting a football through an analysis of vectors. V x is the horizontal component of the football s initial velocity to calculate the hangtime t total, peak height y max, and maximum range x max of a punt, you must know the initial velocity v of the ball off the kickers foot, and the angle theta of the kick. Punting is the most common way that possession moves from one team to the other. Hartschuh physics department, the college of wooster, wooster, ohio 44691 may 2, 2002 a digital video camcorder was used to film the kicking leg and initial ball trajectory when punting a football. You guys are amazing and all the great things you tell us about the game and the book make those projects so worthwhile for us. While punting a football, a kicker rotates his leg. Four schools have trialled the activities as part of the physics f. A combination of stephen hawking and mike ditka, physicist and football fan timothy gay breaks down the fundamental laws of physics that govern americas most exciting spectator sport. The sport of football is a fast passed, rough, and tumble sport. These things help but you must have an understanding of physic and its laws.
Since physics is a quantitative science, developing some units and measures is a good way to begin to understand the effects of physics on football. Its not so bad when you have lived with both, but its hard to get a feel of what is happening when the measurement system is explained so often. Shaking up footballs inveterate punting theory rock. A punters objective is to maximize both distance the ball travels, and the hang time time ball is in the air.
The difficulty of presenting the physics concepts involved when the metric units fit the physics and english fit the football are apparent. Physics of punting a football wooster physics the college of. Inform the students that the upcoming lesson will be a fun activity related to the physics of football, but that the introductory activity will have more resemblance to basketball. Football physics go through many aspects of the game of football looking at the game from a mathematical point of view. If you want to know how to punt a football, just follow these steps. Longest punt nfl football punters see who can kick the farthest. The film was analyzed frame by frame and velocities for the knee, shin, ankle, toe and two tips of the football. Football physics missouri university of science and. To reach that goal, they observe and measure natural events seen on earth and in the universe, and then develop theories, using mathematics, to explain why those phenomena occur. Aim the the top of your foot to hit the belly of the football, directly opposite the laces. The punter is able to control a couple of variables. Every year, the nfl makes rule changes that affect team strategy and game outcomes.
As momentum is the product of mass and velocity, a player can get more momentum by either increasing his mass or by running faster. Punters have to receive a snapped ball, take a step while winding up their kicking leg, drop the ball correctly so that the flat bottom surface of the ball the belly is. It is my sincere hope that after a while theyll start to find the physics as much fun as i. This resource explores eight physics activities linked to the beautiful game, and was developed in collaboration with arsenal football club. Picture taken at the university of hawaii football game when the football leaves a punters foot, it follows projectile motion. In the new series by forbes science, football physics, chad orzel. As it has been mentioned the so called simple task that punters have of punting a football are much greater in complexity than many believe. After a short intro activity in which students throw various objects into buckets, the class will watch the science of nfl football. A good punter will help the team gain good field position and can help both the offense and defense. How do kickers launch a football 120 feet in the air at 90 miles per hour. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place.