ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses successful methodology to calculate both the linear and angular kinematics of a soccer ball in flight, most importantly the ball velocity, spin rate, horizontal spin angle and vertical spin angle. The kicking tasks were structured such that the soccer ball was kicked from a distance of 18 yards from a modified soccer goal, with participants instructed to aim for the top right-hand corner of the goal. The capability to measure soccer ball flight characteristics provides coaches with quantitative performance information that is beneficial in assessing and directing technical kicking training. Tracking of the ball's motion during flight was measured using three orthogonally placed reflective, spherical markers attached directly to the ball's surface. Finally, the chapter concludes that the measurement of the kinematic properties of a soccer ball during flight provides players and coaches with a quantitative assessment of kicking performance.
