Hands-on Activity Paper Football Physics:
Engineering Safer Designs for the Field

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Describe and perform the steps of the engineering design process.
• Calculate velocity from collected data.
• Explain how different shapes can affect an object’s speed/trajectory.
• Describe how to develop and solve various problems using the engineering design process.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science

Materials List

Each group needs:

• 1 meter stick and/or measuring tape (both are good choices)
• 9-12 sheets of construction paper
• 1 stopwatch (the smaller the increments, the better; milliseconds preferred)
• Paper Football Physics Project Constraints handout (one for each group)
• Paper Football Physics Worksheet (one for each student)
• Paper Football Physics Post-Activity Assessment (one for each student)
• (optional) engineering notebook
• (optional) pencils, colored pencils, markers (to decorate paper footballs)

Worksheets and Attachments

Pre-Req Knowledge

Students should:

• Be able to perform basic mathematic functions such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication.
• Have a basic understanding of how to use measuring tools, including both rulers and stopwatches.
• Helpful but not necessary: Some knowledge of basic physics is recommended, to help explain velocity. It is not necessary, however, due to the fluidity of the project.

Introduction/Motivation

Hut! Hut! Hut!

From its early days at Yale University as a version of rugby, to becoming the most popular sport in the U.S., with more than 100 million viewers every year, American football has grown a lot. But did you know that engineers have helped to make the game better and safer? Football may seem simple, with 11 players on each team trying to move the ball to the other end of the field while avoiding tackles, but there’s one big risk all players face: concussions.

A concussion is a type of brain injury that happens when you get hit hard on the head, causing your brain to move inside your skull. This can stretch and bruise the nerves and blood vessels in your brain, leading to changes that make it hard for your brain to work properly for a while. Even though football is much safer than it was 100 years ago, thanks to better helmets and rule changes, concussions are still a big problem, especially for younger players.
Kids and teens are more likely to get concussions because their brains are still developing. But engineers, doctors, and scientists are working together to find ways to make football safer. For example, in 2016-2017, Ivy League schools changed the kickoff rules to move the starting lines. This simple change reduced the number of concussions by more than 68%, showing that even small changes can make a big difference.

That’s where you come in as engineers! Using the engineering design process, we’re going to create and test three different paper football shapes to see which one flies the farthest and fastest. By studying the aerodynamics (how objects move through the air) of these footballs, you’ll get to experience how engineers work to improve the sports we love.

Who knows? Your design might even help reduce concussions by making it easier for players to catch the ball or create safer plays like touchbacks. Let’s get started and see how engineering can make football better and safer!

Procedure

Background:

Aerodynamics and football shape:

Aerodynamics is the study of how air interacts with objects in motion. When something moves through the air, it has to push the air out of the way, which creates forces that can either help or hinder its movement.

For a football, aerodynamics plays a key role in how far and how accurately the ball travels. A well-designed football reduces air resistance (the force of air pushing against it), which allows it to travel farther and faster. The classic pointed, oval shape of a football is more aerodynamic than a round shape because it can slice through the air more easily, reducing drag and keeping it on a smoother path.

When students design their paper footballs, they’ll need to think about how the shape affects the amount of air resistance. A streamlined design will help the football travel farther, while a bulkier design might slow it down. By experimenting with different shapes, students can learn how aerodynamics helps create footballs that move more efficiently through the air.

Football shape and concussions:

The shape of a football can help to reduce concussions by influencing how the game is played, especially in terms of how the ball moves and is caught. Here are a few key ways that this happens:

1. Improved aerodynamics for controlled play: A football's aerodynamic shape (pointed and oval) allows it to travel farther and more accurately. When players can throw or kick the ball with precision, it becomes easier for the receiving players to anticipate and catch the ball without colliding with others or falling awkwardly, both of which can lead to head injuries like concussions.
2. Safer plays like touchbacks: In certain situations, a well-designed football that can travel farther—such as during a kickoff—might increase the chance of a touchback. A touchback means the ball is caught in the end zone and the play stops without a physical return, reducing the chance of collisions during kickoffs, a time when concussions frequently occur.
3. Fewer high-impact collisions: A more predictable, well-thrown football can lead to fewer scrambling or unexpected movements by players. When the ball is easier to catch and control, players are less likely to engage in high-impact collisions with opponents, which are a major cause of concussions.

By improving how the ball moves through the air, a well-designed football can help make the game safer by reducing chaotic or high-speed collisions that often lead to concussions.

Before the Activity

• Gather all necessary materials.
• Make copies of the Paper Football Physics Worksheet (one for each student).
• Make copies of the Paper Football Physics Post-Activity Assessment (one for each student).
• Make copies of the Paper Football Physics Project Constraints handout (one for each group).
• Look at some instructional videos on how to build a paper football; this will allow you to help the students if any difficulties arise.
• Familiarize yourself with the Paper Football Physics Project Constraints handout.

During the Activity

Day 1: Ask, Research, Imagine, and Plan

1. Present the Introduction and Motivation section to the class.
2. Give students five minutes to write a short summary on how they think science and engineering impact sports, or football specifically. (This allows the students to begin thinking about the project topic and allows you to gauge students’ prior knowledge on the subject.)
3. Pass out one Paper Football Physics Worksheet to each student.
4. Go over the steps of the engineering design process.
5. Divide the class into groups of three.
6. Pass out one Paper Football Physics Project Constraints handout to each group or project/post somewhere where all students can see it.
7. Review the instructions and constraints with the students.

1. Instructions: Using the engineering design process, we’re going to create and test three different paper football shapes to see which one flies the farthest.
2. Constraints:
1. Triangle-shaped football: No larger than 3 cm x 4 cm x 5 cm
2. Square-shaped football: No larger than 5 cm x 5 cm
3. Round/oval-shaped football: Circumference can be no larger than 4 cm
4. Rectangle-shaped football: No larger than 5 cm x 4 cm

8. Give students five minutes to think about the criteria/constraints of the given project problem with their group members.
9. Have students write their ideas in the “Ask” section of their Paper Football Physics Worksheet or in their engineering notebook.
10. Give students time to research the problem. Note: The Reference section has a couple of articles for the students to better understand concussions, and how science can help reduce them. (Direct students to research how the football shape, weight, distance thrown, precision throwing, etc. can help reduce concussions. See the Background section for more ideas. Overall, by improving how the ball moves through the air, a well-designed football can help make the game safer by reducing chaotic or high-speed collisions that often lead to concussions.)
11. Have students write down their research notes in the “Research” section of the worksheet.
12. Give students five minutes to each individually brainstorm four different football shapes to design for the project, while keeping in mind the project constraints. They should sketch these ideas in the “Imagine” section of their worksheet or in their engineering notebook.
13. After individuals have brainstormed multiple designs for the project, give each group five minutes to discuss the individual designs. Note: Make sure to guide the students to discuss their reasoning behind each design and idea.
14. Have each group decide on three designs they want to build and test.
15. Direct students to each create detailed sketches of their group’s three chosen designs, noting the dimensions, in the “Plan” section of their worksheet or in their engineering notebook.

Day 2: Create, Test, and Improve

1. Direct students to retrieve their materials and notes from the previous session.
2. Before passing out the materials for the project, look at the students’ football drawings. Also, make sure the students have written adequate notes for why they chose a particular shape or size.
3. Pass out materials to each group. Each group will receive nine pieces of construction paper/sheet paper, three sheets per student.
4. Once the materials are received, have students begin constructing their prototype footballs.
5. Have students build their initial designs.

   

6. To test their prototype footballs, have each group do the following:

• A group brings their prototype footballs to you.
• They briefly explain their design concept and measurements.
• Assign roles to each team member:
1. Flight engineer: Launches each paper football from a specific location.
2. Flight time analyst: Measures how long the paper football remains in the air from launch to landing.
3. Flight range specialist: Measures the distance between the launch point and the landing point.
• The flight engineer places the football on a specific mark on the floor. (Note: Make sure there are no students in the line of trajectory to avoid any unnecessary injuries).
• The flight engineer launches the football while the flight time analyst measures the football’s airtime from launch to landing with a stopwatch.
• Once the football lands, the flight range specialist measures the distance traveled with a measuring tape or stick.
• All students in the group will write down the measurements and their observations in the “Test” section of their worksheets or in their engineering notebook.
• Have students note the performance of each design in their worksheet.
• Have students calculate the velocity for each of their designs: velocity = distance / time.

7. After testing, direct students answer the questions in the “Test” section of their worksheet. These questions include:

• What worked in your designs, and why?
• What did not work in your designs, and why?
• How would you improve your designs?

8. Give students time to improve their designs based on team feedback and their design testing. If more paper is needed, have it ready to provide for their final football version.
9. Walk around the classroom during the improvement time, providing each group with design feedback as needed.
10. Once modifications are finished, have each group test their football designs to see which goes the farthest and has the highest velocity.
11. Have students record all data in the “Improve” section of their worksheet or in their engineering notebook.
12. Direct students to answer the questions in the Paper Football Physics Post-Activity Assessment.

Vocabulary/Definitions

concussion: A mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function.

engineering design process: A systematic method used to solve complex problems and develop functional products and processes.

trajectory: The path that an object with mass in motion follows through space as a function of time.

velocity: The rate of speed in combination with the direction of motion; measured in meters per second (m/s).

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Pre-activity question: Have students write a short summary on how they think science and engineering impact sports, or football specifically. This allows the students to begin thinking about the project topic and allows the teacher to gauge students’ prior knowledge on the subject.

Activity Embedded (Formative) Assessment

Paper Football Physics Worksheet: Have students complete the Paper Football Physics Worksheet as they work through the engineering design process.

Post-Activity (Summative) Assessment

Post-activity assessment worksheet: Have students reflect on the activity and the steps of the engineering design process by completing the Paper Football Physics Post-Activity Assessment.

Project rubric: This rubric can be applied to the Paper Football Project Rubric to assess student understanding.

Safety Issues

Even though the footballs are made of paper, they can be harmful if a student is struck in the eye, etc. Make sure that when the footballs are being tested, there are no students in the line of trajectory, which should help to avoid most injuries.

Troubleshooting Tips

The paper footballs may take some trial and error to create, so make sure to practice making some before students start building and testing. This will allow you to better help the students build their projects.

Activity Extensions

• Students can build their footballs out of different materials (e.g., foil, carboard, fabric, etc.).

Activity Scaling

• For lower grades:
• Instead of calculating velocity, the focus would be on the shape of the football and building a football for distance.
• Instead of going through the entire engineering design process, a simpler/streamlined version of the engineering design process can be used (e.g., plan, design, create, build and test one prototype).
• For more advanced students of upper grades:
• Students can calculate velocity and acceleration.
• Calculus can be incorporated into the project. Students can use graphs and data, with their derivative calculations, to try and predict the maximum distance, velocity, and acceleration their football can reach.

Copyright

Contributors

Supporting Program

Acknowledgements

This digital library content was developed by the University of Houston's College of Engineering under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant number 1855147. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the NSF and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.