A Comparative Study of the Mechanical Properties of a Football According to Spin Direction

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effects of different spin directions (topspin, backspin, sidespin, minimal spin) on the mechanical characteristics of a football. Accurate scientific knowledge of the targeted subject provides answers to questions about how mechanical changes occur in the ball when its direction of rotation changes, and how these changes affect actual performance on the field by identifying the mechanical properties of the ball’s rotational states. The descriptive approach was used with comparative design. And dependent variables included: pre-impact speed, post-rebound speed, impact angle, rebound angle, coefficient of restitution (COR), and post-rebound distance by conducting an analysis of kicking the ball from the goalkeeper’s area over a distance of 50 meters across a series of attempts involving the four types of rotation, considering them as independent variables. The results showed significant differences between spin directions. Backspin recorded the highest values across all post-rebound variables, while topspin recorded the lowest and the side spin has moderate values compared to the other types of rotation, while the zero spin is the most stable, with consistently moderate results and relatively fixed values. MANOVA results confirmed that spin direction significantly affects ball behavior. The study concluded that the direction of the ball’s spin has a clear impact on the values of its mechanical properties, and that external forces interact significantly to influence the ball’s behavior and trajectory. The study recommends training players to control ball spin directions to enhance technical performance and to study the impact of external forces on the ball’s behavior and trajectory, or in other sports fields and activities, and not to overlook it.