Football Physics: The Science of the Game (Hardcover)

~ Timothy Gay (Author), Bill Belichick (Foreword) "In football, there is a name for teams that fail to execute the fundamentals: losers..." (more)
Key Phrases: infilled turfs, tight spiral pass, kickoff distances, Super Bowl, Newton's Second Law, West Coast (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When we prepare for the annual NFL draft, we look at each player's speed and his quickness. This book provides the best discussion of the difference between the two that I've seen. Whether your primary interest is popular science or pro football, you will enjoy Football Physics. You'll learn something about the way the world works, and you will come away with an increased appreciation for some fine points of a great game."
--Bill Belichick, head coach, New England Patriots

Product Description

You'll never view a football game in quite the same way again--the ultimate guide for the millions of impassioned fans who have turned football into America's most watched sport

What effect does altitude have on the flight of a kicked ball? How do Newton's laws of motion apply to blocking and tackling? What does the science of physics reveal to us about the optimal chase strategies for defensive backs? In this illuminating , enormously entertaining book, a physics professor with a rare gift for making science easy to understand-and fun-for the lay reader reveals the unseen natural laws that govern football. And in so doing, Dr. Timothy Gay broadens and deepens our appreciation for the strategic nuances of this deceptively simple game.

The success of such well received titles as The Physics of Baseball and The Physics of Golf has already demonstrated fans' fascination with the science underlying their favorite sport. But never before have basic physical principles been explained so clearly for sports fans with no scientific background. Readers will relive the game's enthralling moments and legendary feats-Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception, Joe Montana's scrambling pass for The Catch, Dick Butkus's bone-crunching, game-saving tackles, and many more-as they gain new insight into the dynamics of blocking and tackling, open field running, kicking, passing, the line of scrimmage, and the role played by equipment, turf, and the decibels of sound in stadiums.

Illustrated with classic black-and-white NFL action photos along with engaging popular-science diagrams, the book is an outgrowth of Dr. Gay's playful, brilliant lectures on the physics of football that have been adapted by the NFL for videos shown on the TV show Blast! which airs in 190 foreign countries.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157954911X
• ISBN-13: 978-1579549114
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,322 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for football fans and science students..., October 4, 2004

By	Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty (Port Orford, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

If you're a football fan but don't know anything about physics, this book will teach you some things about physics you probably don't know but will enjoy learning. If you're a student of physics but don't know anything about football, this book will teach you some things about football you probably don't know but will enjoy learning. But if you're both a football fan and a student of physics well, then, this book will be a delightful read for you and you will learn some things about the "physics of football" you may not know but should know, if for no other reason than you can now show your family and friends how the principles and methods of physics are applicable to a popular human activity and one of our favorite pastimes. Now, don't get me wrong. You don't have to be a football fan or a student of physics to enjoy this book. In fact, if you don't fall into either of these categories, you may enjoy reading the book even more because you'll be learning about two unfamiliar subjects instead of just one. Consider it an exciting journey into the unknown.

The author of "Football Physics: The Science of the Game" is eminently qualified to write the book. Dr. Timothy Gay played football at Caltech and earned a doctorate in atomic physics at the University of Chicago, and it is obvious from his writing that he remains a loyal fan of the game. Furthermore, there is no question about his talent in applying the principles of physics to an activity that most of us probably never realized had much in the way of scientific principles attached to it. Well, I was certainly surprised to learn just how much physics is involved in a game that hundreds of thousands of fans watch each week during the football season. And I suggest that all those high-school football players out there might profit immensely from taking some time out of practice to spend some time with Dr. Gay's book.

Initially, we are introduced to Newton's First Law. Don't recall who Isaac Newton was? No matter. You'll know who he was and why he is important before you get to Chapter Two. Anyway, Newton's First Law simply says that "mass wants to continue doing what it's doing, whether it's at rest or in motion." What's that got to do with the game of football? Well, for one thing, it "provides the reasoning behind why quarterback sneak plays work if well timed." There's more involved here, of course, but you'll have to read the book to find out what. Then, there is Newton's Second Law which states that "the force applied to an object is the product of the object's mass and its acceleration." When you think of "mass" in the context of football, think Refrigerator Perry. The author explains how this great football player can be used to illustrate this second physical law. You'll also learn a lot about acceleration, speed, and velocity and why these are important to a scientific understanding of football. Finally, there is Newton's Third Law which says that "whenever two objects collide, no matter what their individual masses, no matter how fast they're going, they always exert the same amount of force on each other, but in opposite directions." Are you beginning to see how this might apply to football? Think of all those objects colliding at and beyond the line of scrimmage. At this point in the book, by the way, we haven't even reached Chapter Two yet.

Since it is impossible for me to even begin to condense what the rest of the book holds, just let me tell you that you'll learn much about the "science" of blocking and tackling, about what effect altitude has on the flight of a kicked ball, about the ins and outs of football gear (do you know how helmets work?), what scientific principles are involved in kicking and passing a football, how and why the advent of artificial playing surfaces has changed the game, and a lot more. Do you know anything about the science behind the so-called "West Coast Offense" which was perfected by Joe Montana and Jerry Rice? No? You will after you read "Football Physics."

This is a serious book, to be sure. After all, it is about a basic empirical science, physics, and the application of its principles and methods to a human activity. But it is a fun book, too. It is entertaining and easy to read and understand. Furthermore, Dr. Gay has provided numerous diagrams and charts to help illustrate the principles of physics as they apply to football. There are also some classic photographs of famous NLF players in action which aid in visualizing certain important points that the author is trying to make. Also included are a bibliography and notes, as well as a handy index, which even includes page references to the illustrations and photographs.

The author also provides an appendix where he takes a more in-depth look at some important physics concepts and tools, and how they apply within the context of the game of football, including the Cartesian grid, the Pythagorean theorem, and vectors. Students of philosophy and mathematics please pay attention! You'll discover that philosophy and mathematics can be very practical pursuits indeed. Those who are not familiar with either philosophy or mathematics will be surprised to learn how things considered so "abstract" can also be so "practical."

Without hesitation, I recommend "Football Physics" to all readers who like to explore new territory or investigate new fields of inquiry. You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy it. You don't have to be a student of physics to enjoy it. You just have to be an inquisitive reader who desires to learn more about how the discoveries of science impact our ordinary activities or, conversely, how our ordinary activities are better illuminated by understanding them in the light of scientific principles.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book for the Sports Fan Who Likes Science, September 7, 2005

By	Scott Kongable (Center Point, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From start to finish this was a fascinating book. There is also a great deal of football history sprinkled throughout.

It does a great job introducing the football portion of the topic, then the physics lesson, and then combines them to understand how the physics principle is implemented in real life. It does take a basic understanding of physics to really grasp the concepts since the book does not go into a great deal of detail on the principles.

It starts with the fundamentals of blocking a tackling and you gain a much greater understanding of the forces an NFL player can generate. Then you get to understand the precision required to run a passing and kicking game. I especially enjoyed the section on pursuit angles and maximizing the yardage gain.

A very fast read that was very enjoyable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great way to learn applied Newtonian physics, September 30, 2004

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you are a football fan but could never really quite get a grip on physics Timothy Gay may have the answer for you. Basic Newtonian physics are used to explain what happens when two players of different mass collide, the best pursuit patterns, ball spiral, and even why passes go further in the Denver Broncos stadium when compared to Giants Stadium. Or conversely, he uses football to explain Newtonian physics. Either way, by approaching the subject from the standpoint of a common background (football) the author makes basic physics easy to comprehend.

Football Physics: The Science of the Game is a thoroughly enjoyable book and a great way to introduce students to physics in a way that illustrates its application in every day life. I wish a book like this had been available when I was first learning physics, it would have been a lot more fun.