# Please explain to me the physics that allows this weird field goal to happen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327 "2014-11-11T10:51:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/1 "2014-11-11T10:51:10Z")
I have watched football avidly for decades now and I have never seen anything that looked like [this](http://nextimpulsesports.com/2014/11/09/phil-dawsons-game-winning-field-goal-weirdest-game-winning-field-goal/). And it was in a dome! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/2 "2014-11-11T11:09:39Z")
You mean because it hooked? Projectiles will do all sorts of squirrely things unless they’re stabilized in some way, like the way a rifle bullet has spin and is moving along it’s major axis, or the way darts and arrows have flights. A tumbling football moving through the air is bound to do some silly things just from the crazy aerodynamic forces on it. Heck, even a baseball can be made to curve pretty well even in a relatively short distance in the hands of a skilled pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/3 "2014-11-11T11:22:52Z")
But it went one direction and then the other. I have watched more FG attempts than the vast majority of people, I’d have to think. For ten years, I watched four games every week. Then I got NFL Sunday Ticket and spent a few years using multiple TVs to watch games at the same time, plus flipping around to ones that were tight or if a team was driving past midfield. Now for the past few years I’ve had NFL Rewind and I watch the majority of games in their entirety, in a condensed version (takes about 30 min.) that shows every play. So I’ve seen a \*\*lot \*\*of FG attempts, to put it mildly. And I can vouch for that being a strong candidate for the “weirdest ever”. If it’s really true that a “tumbling football moving through the air is bound to do some silly things” then how come I’ve never seen it do anything like that before? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/4 "2014-11-11T11:42:09Z")
Granted it’s a pretty severe hook but it doesn’t look all that weird to me, YMMV. My guess is that field goal kickers are practiced at minimizing the curve of the ball so the vast majority of the kicks you see stay more or less straight. This time the kicker made an error and got lucky it still went through. Do you golf? If you think that was weird think of the way a shanked tee shot can change direction. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/5 "2014-11-11T13:20:03Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So I’ve seen a \*\*lot \*\*of FG attempts, to put it mildly. And I can vouch for that being a strong candidate for the “weirdest ever”. If it’s really true that a “tumbling football moving through the air is bound to do some silly things” then how come I’ve never seen it do anything like that before? Watch that kicker’s other FGs. The announcers said that he does something similar on most of his kicks. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/6 "2014-11-11T14:26:56Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > But it went one direction and then the other. > … I think if you looked at it from above, you would see that it just described a curve. It came off the hold headed way to the left of the goalposts, but curved to the right. Probably, Dawson caught the right hand side of the ball with his foot. In addition to driving it towards the left hand side of the field, he put a huge spin on it, making it hook back right. He kicked a Brooklyn! ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/7 "2014-11-11T14:29:25Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > But it went one direction and then the other. It did? It started out headed towards the left goal post, but sliced right and went through the middle. It’s like when I play golf and compensate for my slice by aiming left. I’ve never seen a field goal curve that much either, though. One thing is that it looks like the ball isn’t spinning purely vertically, but has a sideways tilt to it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/8 "2014-11-11T14:56:38Z")
I’m with the OP. I’ve watched a LOT of football and the only time I’ve seen a place kick move that much is on extremely windy days. Since this was in a dome with presumably no wind, it was quite extraordinary. It’s almost as if there was a very powerful fan that was turned on. Not sayin’, just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/9 "2014-11-11T14:57:19Z")
That’s what happens when you don’t get the laces out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/10 "2014-11-11T15:28:19Z")
It looks to me like it hit something, probably the net behind the goal posts. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/11 "2014-11-11T15:49:21Z")
This is my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/12 "2014-11-11T16:00:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It looks to me like it hit something, probably the net behind the goal posts. It did indeed, but it’s the movement in the air before hitting the net that is very peculiar. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/13 "2014-11-11T16:05:49Z")
Weird things can happen when you kick a ball a certain way. [This goal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ECoR__tJNQ) by Roberto Carlos is rather well know. You really need to watch the slow motion from behind the ball as it is initially kicked off away from the camera (About 1 min in). Then you really get a feeling for how far it moved. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/14 "2014-11-11T16:23:49Z")
In soccer a shot like this is called a knuckleball (I learned that a minute ago searching for youtube vids, only knew the German expression “Flatterball”). Here’s a [German language tutorial with English subtitles how to do this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn54iY3LjCc). It’s effective because the ball is very difficult to estimate for the keeper, but it makes less sense in American football (which I admittedly know almost nothing about), so I maybe it’s rarely seen there. Some more examples: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crm5HqpKqEY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crm5HqpKqEY) ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/15 "2014-11-11T17:32:44Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > It did indeed, but it’s the movement in the air before hitting the net that is very peculiar. It’s a low line-drive. The kicker catches the top of the ball and sends it just over the crossbar with lots of top spin. The ball’s spin carries it up the net and to the right. It might have even skimmed off the cross-bar, hard to tell. It definitely didn’t take that apparent right turn in mid-air. A better quality link is [here](http://www.49ers.com/video/videos/Dawson_35yard_Gamewinning_Field_Goal/79e860db-3704-4343-867b-758281bd6f6b), although it’s the same camera angle. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/16 "2014-11-11T17:56:03Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > It’s a low line-drive. The kicker catches the top of the ball and sends it just over the crossbar with lots of top spin. The ball’s spin carries it up the net and to the right. It might have even skimmed off the cross-bar, hard to tell. It definitely didn’t take that apparent right turn in mid-air. A better quality link is [here](http://www.49ers.com/video/videos/Dawson_35yard_Gamewinning_Field_Goal/79e860db-3704-4343-867b-758281bd6f6b), although it’s the same camera angle. What on earth are you talking about? Up the net? Top spin? Hitting the crossbar? Didn’t turn in mid-air? It’s like you’re talking about something completely separate, but then you linked to the 49ers field goal from Sunday. That one had back spin, just like all field goals do, it came nowhere near a crossbar, and it most certainly made a hard curve to the right in mid-air. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/17 "2014-11-11T18:04:03Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > What on earth are you talking about? Up the net? Top spin? Hitting the crossbar? Didn’t turn in mid-air? It’s like you’re talking about something completely separate, but then you linked to the 49ers field goal from Sunday. > > That one had back spin, just like all field goals do, it came nowhere near a crossbar, and it most certainly made a hard curve to the right in mid-air. _shrug_. The spin isn’t central to my interpretation, so I’m happy to grant that the initial kick had back spin. The point is that the ball’s either in the net already and/or it skimmed the crossbar (very possible from that camera angle) before it appears to curve. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/18 "2014-11-11T18:17:10Z")
As someone who watches “soccer”, that spin was nothing special. If it more difficult to get this effect with an american football is something I can’t comment on, but with a regular round ball this type of spin is as common as it gets. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/19 "2014-11-11T18:36:27Z")
Like a snap hook in golf or a breaking ball in baseball. The initial velocity vector was to the left but due to a rotation (clockwise from the top) it curves to the right. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327/20 "2014-11-11T19:01:16Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > The point is that the ball’s either in the net already and/or it skimmed the crossbar (very possible from that camera angle) before it appears to curve. I think this is where you’re wrong. He’s kicking from 35 yards away (25 yards plus the 10 in the endzone); not enough time passes before it starts to curve to come to the conclusion that it’s already in the net or even at the crossbar. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-to-me-the-physics-that-allows-this-weird-field-goal-to-happen/704327.md?page=2)