From soaring field goals to perfectly spiraled passes, physics is the invisible MVP behind every play in American football. To celebrate the Big Game, we're breaking down how the laws of motion, energy and force shape America's most-watched sport—principles that students explore in the Department of Physics at Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). The following insights were gathered from A&S faculty, the American Physical Society and Phys.org.

Tighter spiral, more distance:

Ever wonder why quarterbacks obsess over throwing the perfect spiral? It's all about outsmarting the air. A tight spiral is more aerodynamic and stabilizes the ball's flight, similar to a spinning top or bicycle wheel. This allows it to maintain its trajectory and travel farther downfield—even when Mother Nature tries to interfere with surprise gusts.

Cold weather, hot controversy:

In the 2015 AFC Championship Game, the New England Patriots found themselves at the center of a physics debate when officials discovered their footballs measured below the NFL's required pressure range of 12.5-13.5 psi. While some suspected intentional deflation, others pointed to the role of basic gas laws in explaining pressure changes.

The Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT) demonstrates that when temperature drops, so does pressure—assuming volume remains constant, which it does in a sealed football. This is the same principle behind the drop in tire pressure many people notice during cold weather. Footballs inflated indoors at around 72°F and then brought onto a 50°F field would naturally lose pressure, though analyses differ on exactly how much. Scientists and analysts have debated whether the specific environmental conditions of that game were sufficient to account for the full pressure drop observed, with some arguing they could explain most of the deflation and others suggesting the drop was too large to be attributed to temperature alone.

With temperatures expected to be in the 60s at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX, any physics-related drop in football pressure would be less likely, since warmer ambient conditions naturally help maintain higher internal pressure.

Unpredictable bounce:

That iconic oblong football shape creates two different axes of symmetry, turning every fumble into a physics nightmare (or highlight reel, depending on who recovers it). Unlike a soccer ball, the nonspherical design means that when it bounces, even Sir Isaac Newton would struggle to predict where it'll go. It's chaos theory in leather, and that's exactly what makes the game so thrilling.

Grass vs. turf:

This year's Super Bowl goes down on natural grass at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California—and players' legs and ankles are probably breathing a sigh of relief. While FieldTurf (today's artificial turf standard) lets athletes cut and pivot with lightning speed, there's a trade-off: that extra grip cranks up the force through their legs and ankles to a staggering 800 pounds when they change direction. The result? More non-contact foot, knee and ankle injuries. Natural grass might not be as flashy, but it's friendlier to the joints that keep players in the game.

Laces out?

Turns out laces really do matter. When the laces face your foot, you're kicking an uneven surface, and unless your placement is absolutely perfect, you'll send the ball spinning sideways instead of sailing straight. It's physics sabotage in stitching form.

And here's a fun evolution: old-school kickers used to boot the ball with their toe. Modern placekickers? They've gone full soccer-style, striking with the broad side of their foot. The payoff is huge—way more control, better accuracy and those clutch game-winners that make or break seasons. Turns out borrowing from the world's game was a pretty smart play.