Release angle for attaining maximum distance in the soccer throw-in

Abstract

We investigated the release angle that maximises the distance attained in a long soccer throw-in. One male soccer player performed maximum-effort throws using release angles of between 10 and 60 degrees, and the throws were analysed using 2-D video. The player's optimum release angle was calculated by substituting mathematical expressions for the measured relations between release speed, release height, and release angle into the equations for the flight of a spherical projectile. We found that the musculoskeletal structure of the player's body had a strong influence on the optimum release angle. When using low release angles the player released the ball with a greater release speed, and because the range of a projectile is strongly dependent on the release speed, this bias toward low release angles reduced the optimum release angle to about 30 degrees. Calculations showed that the distance of a throw may be increased by a few metres by launching the ball with a fast backspin, but the ball must be launched at a slightly lower release angle.