Field goal attempt Near the end of the 1950 Rose Bowl

Chapter 1, Problem 98

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Field goal attempt Near the end of the 1950 Rose Bowl football game between the University of California and Ohio State University, Ohio State was preparing to attempt a field goal from a distance of 23 yd from the endline at point A on the edge of the kicking region (see figure). But before the kick, Ohio State committed a penalty and the ball was backed up 5 yd to point B on the edge of the kicking region. After the game, the Ohio State coach claimed that his team deliberately committed a penalty to improve the kicking angle. Given that a successful kick must go between the uprights of the goal posts G1 and G2, is _G1BG2 greater than _G1AG2? (In 1950, the uprights were 23 ft 4 in apart, equidistant from the origin on the end line. The boundaries of the kicking region are 53 ft 4 in apart and are equidistant from the y-axis. (Source: The College Mathematics Journal 27, 4, Sep 1996)