Or a fearsome feline of football?
When I’m not writing about maths and puzzles, I’m working on my children’s book series, Football School, which uses the sport as a lens to the world. Researching the Football School Encyclopedia, the latest book in the series, I discovered the following geometrical curiosity. When painted pitch markings were introduced in 1891, the goal area was in the shape of a “B”.
Goal posts are 8 yards (7.3m) apart. In 1891, goal kicks had to be taken from within 6 yards (5.5m) of either post, so each curved part of the “B” is a segment of the locus of a point 6 yards from each post.
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