Characterizing the performance of footballs

Abstract

This thesis aimed to characterize the performance of footballs by establishing a new metric based on the variation in flight paths in similar free kicks. The variation due to the aerodynamic properties could be described by a single metric and be used in accreditation testing as a means to gauge the performance of the football. Football players could also use this metric to their advantage on the field, as opposed to less tangible measures like the coefficient of lift. The plausibility for such a parameter was established by creating a mathematical model describing the flight path and simulating results when aerodynamic parameters vary. Additionally, this study establishes the plausibility of creating a low cost transportable setup to test footballs as they are kicked. Currently, testing of footballs includes wind tunnel tests and expensive and bulky camera systems. Plausibility is established by proving that translational velocity can be measured with light, portable setups. This was accomplished by using commercial grade cameras in conjunction with computational tools.