ERIC Number: EJ906695
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 14
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0819-4564
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Things May Not Always Be as They Seem: The Set Shot in AFL Football
Galbraith, Peter; Lockwood, Terry
Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, v24 n2 p29-42 2010
In this article, the authors investigate how the difficulty of a "set shot" at goal varies with position on the field. By "set shot" they mean a player kicking for goal following a mark or free kick. The analysis begins by defining the "angle of opportunity" as a measure of difficulty for kicks at a given distance and angle from goal, where the "angle of opportunity" is the angle subtended by the goalmouth at the point of contact. The second section explores how different positions on the field provide equal goal scoring opportunity to the kicker, while the third section considers how opportunity changes with distance--for set shots taken directly in front of goal. The authors introduce the "equal opportunity angle locus", and then explore its implications. They next introduce goalposts of typical width, to test the robustness of earlier results. These remain reliable, except for a very few situations--extremely acute angle shots from close to goal. They then consider implications for practice from the viewpoint of coaches, players, and commentators. The paper concludes with a linking of the mathematics and modelling involved to educational settings in terms of curriculum content and possible teaching approaches. (Contains 10 figures.)
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Secondary School Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction, Team Sports, Mathematical Concepts, Geometric Concepts, Mathematical Models
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT). GPO Box 1729, Adelaide 5001, South Australia. Tel: +61-8-8363-0288; Fax: +61-8-8362-9288; e-mail: office@aamt.edu.au; Web site: http://www.aamt.edu.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A