An Educated Right Foot

After Jens Lehmann claimed that the modern football can actually pick up speed mid-air, the good guardians over at The Knowledge were asked if Lehmann's argument was scientifically sound. They asked a few physicists, who all replied doubtfully.

In principle a spinning ball can be made to speed up by transferring energy from spin to linear speed – but only under the right conditions, eg when a tennis ball with top-spin hits the ground. It's difficult to see how this could happen to a football in normal air.

Ronaldo has scored a over half dozen free kicks this year. An impressive record to be sure; one to match the impressive technique he employs. But, against Wigan on Wednesday night, he had three free kicks within shooting distance, and each one careered straight into the wall. It wasn't just a off-night. Ronaldo's free kicks, I would guess, hit the wall more often than not.

I would suggest (only half-jokingly) that, although the ball doesn't actually gather any further speed in flight, it seems as if does to everyone watching; because, consciously or otherwise, aren't we all expecting the ball to come to an immediate halt tens yards from where the free kick is taken?