Some people say that field goals, extra points, punts, and kickoffs are useless and unexciting parts of football. Some may argue that the NFL would be better off without it, as these plays (particularly kickoffs) are the most dangerous in football and allow teams to gain an advantage from some scrawny kicker that isn't even really part of the team. But in my opinion, kicking plays can be some of the most exciting parts of the games, like a clutch field goal that gives a kicker's team the lead. And in terms of math, kicking is one of the most interesting parts of the game.
On Sunday, December 8th, Denver's kicker Matt Prater broke the NFL record with a 64-yard field goal. The optimal angle for kicking a field goal is approximately 40 degrees, but it is difficult to get that exact angle when 11 defenders are running after you. According to the link below, for a kicker to make a 70-yard field goal, he would have to kick at an initial velocity of 35 m/s, which is about 78.3 miles per hour! Fortunately for Prater, his home turf of Denver is nearly exactly one mile above sea level. Because of elevation, air is a lot less dense in Denver, so there isn't as much air resistance. According to the model below, because of a loss of air resistance, a kicker whose normal range would be 57 yards is about 61 in Denver (at 1609.3 m above sea level):
Prater can allegedly make field goals of 70+ yards in practice, so his range would be impressive even at a sea level stadium. But with the fact that he plays at least 8 games a year this far above sea level, Prater may break his own record by kicking unbelievable field goals. His amazing ability goes to show that kicking really is an important and exciting part of football.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/are-field-goals-easier-in-denver/
This is quite interesting! I would not want to be the goalie if Prater was kicking since it goes at 78.3 miles per hour (regardless of the fact that I am not a soccer goalie). It seems as if you love seeing how math is incorporated into sports!
ReplyDeleteDenver is very famous for its low air resistance, because of its high elevation. This is probably one of the only reasons why Prater was able to make the field goal! No hate to him though, that was a very field goal since you also have to take the width of the posts.
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