Football may seem simple, with 11 players on each team trying to move the ball to the opposite end of the field while avoiding tackles, but there’s one big risk all players face: concussions.
From its early days as a version of rugby at Yale University to becoming the most popular sport in the United States, American football has grown with more than 100 million viewers every year. Even though football is much safer than it was in those early days, thanks to better helmets and rule changes, concussions are still a big problem, especially for younger players. Children 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. Even small changes can make a big difference.
That’s where students come in—as engineers! In this activity from Teach Engineering, students use the engineering design process 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, students get to experience how engineers work to improve the sport.
And, who knows? Their designs might even help reduce concussions by making it easier for players to catch the ball or create safer plays like touchbacks.