Post by University of Oxford, Department of Physics

It is #FootballFriday! ⚽ In case you missed our posts the last couple of weeks, during the #FIFAWorldCup we are sharing several concepts on #FootballFriday for fun, to share the spirit of the tournament and learn about physics. This week we are looking at the wall, optics and angles - A "defensive wall" in a football match is a line of defending players who stand shoulder-to-shoulder to block a direct free kick. When defending a free-kick, the 'wall' isn't just a physical barrier; it’s a tool used to manipulate optics and angles. The wall is positioned 9.15 metres (10 yards) from the ball. Its primary job is to block the direct line to a significant portion of the goal. Physics dictates that the goalie then covers the ‘open’ side. However, the wall also creates an illusion. From the kicker’s perspective, the wall makes the target area seem smaller.  The best kickers use this 😎 By lining their shot up just over or around the wall (relying on the Magnus Effect we talked about on our post on week 1), they use the wall's edge as a reference point.  The goalie, standing behind the wall, has their field of view obscured, meaning they see the ball slightly later, increasing the effective reaction time needed.  Defending a free-kick is a game of high-stakes physics hide-and-seek. Have you tried it yet? #FIFAWorldCup #Weare26 #Somos26 #Physicsiseverywhere #FootballScience @fifaworldcup #Scienceforall #optics #reaction #angles

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