News Physics

Spiraling footballs wobble at one of two specific frequencies

The wobbling is also why football passes drift sideways

A child throwing a toy football to an older man standing in the driveway of a suburban neighborhood

When a football flies through the air, it tends to visibly wobble at one of two frequencies. The wobble may cause the pass to veer left or right by as much as a few meters.

Annie Otzen/moment/Getty Images

By Nikk Ogasa

- More than 2 years ago

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

In American football, some passes are caught and some are dropped — but all wobble as they fly.