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Physics of Tackling


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The physics of a tackle in football, entails two bodies in motion that want to continue in motion but are acted upon by an outside force (Newtons 1st Law of Motion). These conflicting forces are often times so great that it has been known to break bones, cause concussions, and in rare circumstances result in death. It takes a toll on the body. In order to calculate the force enacted by the collision, the below formula is needed.

(Newton’s Second Law) Force = mass*acceleration

If the bodies are in opposite directions then the total force is calculated by adding them together. If the bodies are traveling in the same direction the net force is calculated by subtracting the forces from one another.

The impact of the player on the ground can also be added into the overall impact the body takes in the collision, by Newton’s Third Law, which entails that every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction. The ground exerts the same force on the player as the player exerts on the ground. By the time you add in the force of impact with the player on player contact and the force of the players on the ground, this amounts to a significant force on the body. This is why players wear padding which is made with numerous 90 degree angles on them. This causes the force of the impact to not be focused on a particular area and instead is deflected throughout the padding to various parts of the body. Resulting in a lesser impact on a players immediate body. The ideas applied to tackling are similar in sense to those in blocking.