Dr. Ken Bray`s research
They might not realize it, but football player are very skilled mathematicians, according to the survey of expert from the University of Bath. Dr. Ken Bray from the University of Bath has spent a lot of time analyzing the best players in the world to conclude that 30% of them have an intuitive understanding of mathematics and particularly geometry.
If we look at the remarkable skills of some of the players, their precision in passing and position on the field, their free kick taking, the forebet team could not agree more to this statement.
Dr. Bray said: “Football is an art but it’s also a science and every footballer uses geometry, aerodynamics and probability to perform at their peak. Math plays such a fundamental role in the game that elite footballers are combining athleticism with scientific nous to give them a competitive edge.”
Burnley defender Clark Carlisle is famous as the Britain’s brainiest footballer after winning TV’s Countdown show. He said: “From the forward to the keeper, we rely on scientific and mathematical principles to improve our performance, whether it’s a case of striking the ball cleanly, working out the angle of a slide rule pass or positioning the wall to defend a free kick.”
Dr. Bray mainly researched three aspects of the game – penalties, free kicks and goalkeeping. He said that good penalty-takers understood that 28% of the goal was actually beyond the keeper’s diving reach, while the chances of a penalty being saved when targeted within the goalie’s reach was 50%. Furthermore, he added: “Good penalty kickers understand these odds and play the percentages. The ideal target to aim for is about three metres from the centre of the goal and over 1.5 metres high, in the top left or right hand corner. There is a smaller area on the ground, close to the goalposts, which is still technically beyond the goalie’s reach, but it’s a narrower target to aim at and players who choose this approach often come to grief when the ball is scuffed along the ground making it easier to save.”
Analyzing goalkeeping, Dr. Bray claimed that: “When it comes to facing an attacking striker who’s beaten the defence and is running strongly at goal, the goalie’s best tactic is to try to narrow the angles by closing in on the attacker until his reach effectively covers the goalposts.” However, Dennis Bergkamp has resolved this situation. You can read the article Dennis Bergkamp`s mathematical goals to view his solution to such a situation.
As far as free kicks are concerned, Dr. Bray concludes that from 25 yards, the ball needed to be struck with an elevation of 16 degrees. The initial ball speed should be 60-70mph and it must be spun at about 600 revolutions per minute.
In his research Dr Ken Bray proves that math is all around us and finds great applications in football.
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