How temperature, pressure, and moisture can impact football
Football season is just a day away, and with that comes many different types of weather throughout the entire season. Different weather conditions and the location of where a football game is played can actually have a large impact on the outcome of these games.
Temperature itself can cause many differences on both the trajectory of the football and on the players. Higher temperature is associated with higher pressure, and higher pressure in the football would lead to a more rigid makeup of the ball. For a field goal kick then, it would mean that the transfer of energy would be more efficient. The ball would be quicker to spring back to its original shape, and this would all lead to a potentially higher success rate for longer field goals in the heat. Lower temperature is associated with lower pressure, and this lower pressure inside the football would lead to a less rigid ball. This would all lead to the ball absorbing more energy as contact is made, meaning a less efficient transfer of energy. So it colder conditions, it could mean a less likely chance to make longer field goals.
An example of heat potentially aiding in field goal distance was on August 9th, 2025, in the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Pittsburg Steelers pre-season game. The temperature in Jacksonville, Florida had gotten up to 88 degrees that afternoon and the dew point had reached 76 degrees. This led to temperatures feeling like they were close to 105 degrees. At the very end of the first half, Jacksonville's kicker Cam Little came to hit a 70 yard field goal, making that the longest field goal made in an organized game. The fact that it was hot, meaning higher pressure was in place, could have been one of the extra factors leading to this lengthy kick.
Although this heat has the potential to aid in more yards, it also has the potential to accelerate heat related illnesses during a game, especially when it is humid. Human bodies sweat when they begin to overheat, and that sweat evaporates. This evaporation is what cools us down. When it is more humid and there is more moisture in the air, it is much harder for the sweat produced from the body to evaporate. The body has no way to cool itself off, so it begins to overheat and suffer from the side effects.
There are still also negatives to playing in the opposite weather, which would be the extreme cold. The colder weather can lead to a slower muscle response because it is working harder to regulate the heat in your body. This delayed response can lead to a slower reaction time than needed to prevent injury, so muscle tears and the likelihood of injury is increased during these games.
Luckily, the weather looks much more ideal for Mizzou's home opener against Central Arkansas on Thursday 28th, 2025. Temperatures by kickoff are only expected to be in the upper 70s, and the humidity is expected to stay on the lower end with dew points in the mid 40s. Winds will be calming down, blowing out of the south at 5-7 mph. All of this means that the Tigers will not have to worry about overheating or winds playing too much of a factor in the trajectory of the football. The only thing in the forecast is a week one win against the bears.
