The whole world was in a frenzy duiring the FIFA World cup that took place in Qatar in November-December 2022. All of us were glued to our television screens and rooting for our favourite teams. But did you know that while watching football, you can also spot many elements of maths?
In this article, we will tell you how football and maths have an interesting correlation between them and how many great footballers apply mathematical concepts of geometry, speed-distance-time, and calculus on the field to score goals for their team.
Tiki-taka strategy
This is a systematic approach to football which relies on team unity and a comprehensive understanding in the geometry of space on a football field. Many times, to increase their ball possession, football players try to form triangles all over the field which makes it difficult for the opposing team to win the ball. This strategy is called tiki-taka. This approach was used by Spain in 2010 and was instrumental in their World Cup win. The next time you are on the playground, you can try incorporating tiki-taka to win the game against your opponent.
Measurements and units
Maths is also essential when it comes to the shape and dimension of the pitch. Thus, measurements and units are also used in football. The preferred size for many professional teams' stadiums is 105 by 68 metres (115 yd x 74 yd) with an area of 7,140 square metres (76,900 sq ft). Notice the various units being used here? Amazing, isn't it?
Strategising based on data
Your favourite team probably has a set of mathematicians or statisticians who work along with the coaches and players to come up with successful strategies based on the data they collect after observing matches that the team plays. An example here would be if two players pass the ball 300 times to each other on average, what kind of advantage can the opposition gain by reducing their total number of passes to 100?
Voronoi diagrams
Voronoi diagrams are friends of every coach. These diagrams help them find the shortest distance to reach a landmark. They help coaches analyse and understand the defence that the team leaves open, helps them find new angles from which they can attack, and helps them gauge how well the players use space.
Let us now make a Voronoi diagram. Take two points A and B, their perpendicular bisector contains all the points that are equidistant from them. You will see the points in one region are closer to A and the other to B. You now have your Voronoi diagram. Add another point Cand follow the same process to get another Voronoi diagram.
Penalty patterns
Goalkeepers also use maths when they want to save penalties. Several players follow a pattern while shooting their penalty shots. Goalkeepers always perform an analysis of the previous shot of the players which puts them in a better situation to predict the next shot and be prepared to stop the opposing team from scoring a goal.
Picture Credit : Google