[hardik988]

I'm more of a soccer fan, and there's this video of a famous soccer player Ronaldinho doing the "crossbar challenge" - from about 30-40 yards out, he repeatedly hits the crossbar with a soccer ball, only to have it come back to him. The precision required to pull of such a feat is just mind boggling. http://youtu.be/KNwLn85I75Y?t=1m25s

[kayoone]

Sorry but that Ronaldinho video is a Nike ad and is obviously fake!

[hardik988]

I knew it was an ad. But, I wouldn't be surprised if a professional soccer player could pull that off. Also, could you tell me why you think it is "obviously fake"?

[alexkus]

I've played soccer for years, including with some ex-professionals and I'd be very surprised if any player could hit the crossbar that many times in a row from that distance with that precision. The bit that screams "obviously fake", for me at least, is the near perfect return trajectory each time.

Hitting the crossbar requires kicking something ~8.5" in diameter at something 5" wide so you've got a 'window' of 22" to aim at. With practice you might be able to do it 3/5 times from 20 yards.

(3/5)^4 =~ 1/8

So 8 tries to do it 4 times in a row.

To get the ball to come back like that each time the 'window' is now about 1" (if that). Outside that window and it bounces down to the ground, or glances the bar and goes behind the goal, or bounces way up in the air and never returns to you. So each kick is now 3/(5x22) and (3/(5x22))^4 = 1 in 1.8 million. Good luck.