Physics of Soccer

Soccer is a favorite pastime for many people around the globe. Over 2 million people around the world watched the FIFA 2010 World Cup which was hosted by Africa. Soccer is a universal game that shows no favoritism to either sex or age. It is a game that is easily taught and contains relatively simple rules, which are readily understood. Physics plays a major role in all sports, especially soccer. Between the force needed to propel a ball into the back of the goal, or the friction between the ball and the surface being played on, physics is an imperative part of the game of soccer. Soccer can be traced back as far as 2000 years ago in regions of China, Japan and even Rome. However, soccer really began to take shape in England around 1863 (FIFA). Throughout this paper, soccer will be analyzed in terms of friction, Newton’s three laws of motion, and the principles of aerodynamics.

Soccer balls are the main component to which forces are applied throughout the game of soccer. A force is any influence that causes an object to undergo an acceleration1.The soccer ball has evolved into an aerodynamically friendly ball, from what it used to be. Originally, before the use of rubber balls, the earliest form of a “soccer ball” was either human or animal skulls. Individuals eventually started using cow and pig bladders so it would not hurt as much to kick. These people commented on how the more irregular the shape of the bladder, the more irregular its flight pattern was. This is due to the way that the air moves across the ball, called the drag force2. Another force that affects the ball in flight is the Magnus force3, which is the force that allows the ball to curve in the air. Due to the irregular shape of the bladder, it was impossible to have a predetermined flight pattern; this is why individuals playing the game decided to start using spherical rubber balls. Today a standard soccer ball must be spherical and have a circumference of 27-28 inches and weigh 13-16 ounces...