In particular, a spinning ball generates a force that is perpendicular to both the flow direction and to the axis of rotation. The lift force generated by a spinning soccer ball is the origin of the "bend", a curved kick to elude the goal keeper. For a "bend", the direction of the lift force is used to move the ball parallel to the surface of the earth, from side to side. The lift force on a soccer ball can also be used to loft or dive the ball. On this page we will discuss some of the details of the lift of a soccer ball.