Ball Speed in km/h: Kick, Throw and Serve
Students measure the launch speed of a soccer kick, a team handball throw and a volleyball serve by filming in slow motion as the ball passes between two cones a known distance apart. They calculate average speeds, convert them to km/h and analyze which technical cues increase speed.
How to play
- Review average speed as distance over time and converting m/s to km/h; show how to count frames in slow-motion video (4 min).
- Set up three stations with two cones 5 m apart right in front of the thrower and a phone filming from the side: kick at goal, handball throw at the wall and volleyball serve (3 min).
- Groups of five rotate through the stations: each student does three tries per station while one films and one records (15 min).
- Each group calculates speeds from the frames, picks each person's best try and converts it to km/h (5 min).
- Compare technique: link the approach run, trunk rotation and whip of the arm or leg to the fastest speeds (3 min).
Rules
- Nobody stands in the ball's path or behind the target goal or wall.
- The phone is placed to the side, more than 10 feet from the throwing line.
- Wait for the recorder's signal before each try.
- Warm up the shoulder and legs before throwing or kicking at full effort.
Variations
Easier
Measure only the handball throw and provide a table with the conversions already done.
Standard
Three skills, three tries per skill and frame-based calculation.
Harder
Compare throw speed with and without an approach run and calculate what percentage the run adds.
Adaptations
- Wheelchair user: throw the handball and volleyball from the chair and compare results only with their own.
- Autism: know the station order ahead of time and choose the recorder role if the noise of hits is bothersome.
- Shoulder injury: do only the kick and act as video analyst at the other stations.
Learning goals
- Calculate average speeds from distance and time measured on video.
- Relate technique to the speed of the ball.
- Work as a team with performer, filmer and recorder roles.
Equipment for a class of 25
- balls: 9
- cones: 6
- tablets or phones: 3
- tape measure: 3
- worksheets: 6
Teacher tip
If phones film at 240 frames per second, each frame is 0.004 s; at 120 fps, double that. Have students check before calculating.
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