
The Science of Soccer
A Bouncing Ball and a Banana Kick
John Taylor(Author)
University of New Mexico Press
Will be published approx. on 15. May 2014
Book
Hardback
112 pages
978-0-8263-5464-8 (ISBN)
Description
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is also an endless scientific panorama. Every movement by the players and each interaction with the ball involves physics, fluid mechanics, biology, and physiology, to name just a few of the scientific disciplines. In a book that targets middle and high school players, Taylor begins with a history of soccer and its physical and mathematical aspects. He then addresses important questions such as how and why a ball bounces, how the ball spins, and what these dynamics mean for the game. He introduces readers to the science of kicking, heading, and trapping and looks at the sources of the energy required to run, jump, and kick for an entire game. Taylor then puts it all together by following a sequence of plays and describing the science behind tactical manoeuvres. Sidebars and appendices allow those with a more mathematical bent to follow the physics and perform experiments to see the effects of phenomena like drag, bounce, and spin. In addition, key terminology is highlighted, explained in the text, and summarized in the glossary.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Albuquerque, NM
United States
Target group
Adult education
Reading Age: From 14 to 17 years, Interest Age: From 9 to 11 years
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
617 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8263-5464-8 (9780826354648)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2014
Simon + Schuster LLC
€22.74
Available for download
Person
John Taylor is a former soccer referee, an engineer, a science writer, and a historian who is the author of four books on New Mexican history.