Motion Analysis and Biomechanics of the Side-Foot Soccer Kick

Abstract

— Soccer, otherwise known as football, holds the title as the most popular worldwide sport. Soccer players rely heavily on the ability to execute an accurate delivery of the ball to a target using primarily the lower body. Sports science research includes a focus on the most basic kicking techniques, the side-foot kick. In addition to a discussion on recent literature of the biomechanics of this motion, a comparative kinematic study evaluated determinants of an accurate side-foot kick based on subject kicking foot velocity and the subsequent ball velocity. The results revealed that subjects with the lowest foot and ball velocities (3.6±1.5 m·s-1 and 8.0±1.6 m·s-1, respectively) also had the most accurate shots on straight targets (2.7˚±1.5eviation). However, a PCC correlation test revealed a significant correlation between higher foot velocity and higher accuracy. Although the study determined no significant correlation, there existed a trend in the calculated averages of the raw data showing that higher ball velocity resulted in higher accuracy.