Unlocking the Secrets of NFL Football with the Pythagorean Theorem 🏈

"Science of NFL Football" is a 10-part video series funded by the National Science Foundation and produced in partnership with the National Football League. NBC's Lester Holts explores the path a defender must take in order to tackle a ball carrier, and how this distance - called the "angle of pursuit" - can be calculated by using the Pythagorean Theorem to find the hypotenuse of a right triangle, and the distance of a defender's angle of pursuit. Dr. John Ziegert of Clemson University explains that a player who finds the correct angle of pursuit has the best chance of catching their opponent.

Provided by the National Science Foundation & NBC Learn