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FIFA: The Effect of Mass Imbalance on Football Trajectories
Location: Sheffield UK
Date: September 2024 - 2025
Abstract
This research investigated how mass imbalance affects football trajectories under simulated free-kick conditions. Working with five footballs provided by FIFA and Select, one control and four with varying mass imbalances (1g, 5g, 10g, and 20g), I
captured and analyzed ball flight behavior using high-speed motion capture technology. Each ball was launched 25 times at 26 m/s with a 14-degree angle to simulate a 20-meter free kick. The study revealed that greater mass imbalance leads to greater variability in endpoint location, particularly longitudinally. The 20g ball exhibited the most erratic and unpredictable behavior, while the 1g ball showed the most consistent flight path. These findings provide critical insights for FIFA's Quality Programme as instrumented balls with embedded sensors become standard in professional gameplay.
Project Details
Objective: Investigate the effect of mass imbalance on football flight dynamics to inform FIFA Quality Programme standards for instrumented balls ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Methods:
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Conducted experiments at Sheffield Hallam University's Advanced Wellbeing and Research Centre used Globus Eurogoal 1500 ball launcher to simulate professional free-kick conditions
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Captured trajectories with three Phantom Miro high-speed cameras operating at 500 fps
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Analyzed side deflection, carry distance, height, and endpoint variability using custom MATLAB scripts
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Processed data through background subtraction, Canny edge detection, and Hough transformation for precise ball tracking in MATLAB
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Key Findings:
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The 20g ball displayed the widest range of variability
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The 1g ball exhibited the most compact spread
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Longitudinal displacement increased proportionally with mass imbalance
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Higher mass imbalance conditions produced unpredictable flight paths that could impact professional gameplay
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Impact: This research takes a critical first step into unexplored territory, providing FIFA with data to develop standards for acceptable mass imbalance ranges in professional-level footballs, particularly as sensor-integrated balls become increasingly prevalent.