Tsukuba, Japan—Soccer, also known as football, is the most popular sport in 57 countries, and its players are among the most highly paid athletes in the world; therefore, every shot is valuable.

Dr. Lyman J. Briggs, 84, is director emeritus of the National Bureau of Standards. He is also a longtime baseball fan. His scientific mind was drawn to the great curve-ball controversy. How much does ...

To control ball trajectory, a soccer player must understand how to orient the foot and where the ball should make contact on the foot. The findings of a recent study showed foot orientation and swing ...