But the bigger player will most likely determine where they end up. Even if a player can't control a hit, says David Haas, a physics professor and football buff at North Carolina State University, good players learn to absorb impact in the right places. But think about lying on a bed of nails, if you lie on all the nails at once, your weight is distributed and it won't hurt as much. The foam and plastic padding that players use to arm themselves against injury may seem insignificant, but Bloomfield explains, even slight padding means energy must pass through more material before reaching the body. The resulting decrease in speed makes a big difference.
Physics also applies when trying to stay grounded during a tackle.
Bloomfield explains a lineman keeps low in order to maintain a lower center of gravity. A lower center of gravity ensures that no matter how low an opposing player aims, he can only contact the player near his center of mass. This makes the player more difficult to move since he's less likely to rotate upon contact. Of course, sometimes following the guiding principles of physics doesn't always result in the best football strategy. But if that means running away and toward your own end zone, the coach isn't likely to be pleased.