Sport



48 into 32 doesn't go 3 December 22

If you want sporting drama, the format for the 2022 World Cup has been almost perfect. Why has FIFA decided to ruin it in 2026?

Chasing The Ace 29 June 22

Want to improve your tennis performance? The maths says that the best thing to work on is your serve.

Who Scored All the Pi's ? 11 November 20

In an odd statistical fluke, on 9th November 2020 the number of goals per match in the Premier League season so far was almost exactly pi. Will it ever happen again?

Goals Goals Goals 6 October 20

In the first month of the season, there was a glut of goals in the Premier League. Has something changed?

The history of the six yard box 16 February 20

The markings of the penalty area in football had a strange evolution.

How fast would a pole vaulter hit the ground? 10 April 19

A sporting Fermi question

How to find a cricket pitch in a football pitch 28 February 19

The official dimensions of every adult football pitch in the world arose from quaint numbers chosen by a group of Victorians and Edwardians.

A one-in-17 million chance. Or was it? 16 November 17

In October 2017 two women golfers got a hole-in-one at the same hole. What were the chances?

Why UEFA is turning to ABBA 10 May 17

Penalty shootouts tend to favour the team that kicks first - so UEFA are testing out a new approach to make it fairer.

What is meant by the 'speed' of a tennis serve? 8 July 16

When the IBM speedometer says Raonic's serve is 144mph, is it misleading us?

The Game Theory of Penalty-Taking 2 July 16

When taking penalties, strikers - and goalies - seem to go for the corner too often.

From Quidditch to the Davis Cup 30 November 15

Sporting contests with flawed rules

Robshaw's Risky Decision 27 September 15

England's rugby captain was criticised for gambling for a win and losing. Here's the maths.

Momentum 27 April 14

Before playing Chelsea, Liverpool won 11 League games on the trot. They had momentum. But what does that mean?