Soccer-enthused scientists have poured over the game at minute levels and found that gravity, friction, and something called the Magnus force all play a role in deciding which team ends up notching a win.

And if you've ever thought the referees are blind, one study reveals they actually are, at least when it comes to calling an offside penalty.

How to make a ball 'banana'

Similar to how a billiards player puts English on a ball, a soccer player can influence a ball's spin by striking it in various spots. If done correctly, a spinning ball can bend like a banana around a wall of defensive players or float like a frustrating knuckleball towards the goal.

Here's how it works:

A forward-moving ball spinning in the clockwise direction creates greater air friction on its left side. This is because the left surface of the ball is moving against air flow.

This creates a slightly higher pressure on the left, causing the ball to move toward the right as the pressure tries to reach a balance. The opposite occurs for a ball spinning counterclockwise.

The faster the ball spins, the greater the friction and pressure difference, which leads to a bigger and more deceptive break.

Scientists call this effect the Magnus force, whereby an object's rotation or spin affects its path through air or a liquid. The Magnus force plays a role in other sports, too, particularly in baseball. Magnus force named after Heinrich Gustav Magnus, the German physicist who first described it (although some people claim Isaac Newton did it first).

A new ball introduced in this year's World Cup has proven even more frustrating than normal, as fewer panels and seams have caused the ball to fly even more unpredictably [learn more].

Page:

1

2