Heading the Ball

Gina Carrano

Mini-project #3

Heading the Ball

My father, Silvio Carrano, has been playing, coaching and refereeing soccer since he was a kid growing up in a small town in Southern Italy. He basically lives and breathes the sport, so it is only natural that he hoped his only child would take an interest in it as well. Unfortunately, my greatest athletic aptitude has always been throwing and catching—this makes me the ideal catcher in a neighborhood game of baseball, but not a born soccer player. However, my father has always worked with me on mastering the finer points of soccer anyway. Though I don’t possess a natural talent for the sport, I have always enjoyed playing it just for fun. One of my favorite things to work on is the “head bump”—or heading the ball, as it is called in soccer. My head-eye coordination is not as good as my hand-eye coordination, so I have never mastered heading the ball in all my years of trying, but with my dad as a willing teacher, it has certainly been fun to practice.

There are four different types of headers in soccer—the standard header, the diving header, the glancing header and the flick header. Each one is useful in different types of situations. My dad and I have mostly practiced the first three, so for the purposes of this paper I will discuss those.

The standard header is probably the most oft-used by both offensive and defensive players, and comes in handy whenever there is a high ball. To correctly execute a standard header, my dad says, “The most important thing is to meet the flight of the ball. You need to make a moving motion to meet the ball, you can’t stand still and let it come to you.” To do this, as you move in to meet the ball, jerk your head backwards and follow through forward. Right when your head begins to swing forward, it should be making contact with the ball in the center of your forehead. A common mistake in executing a standard header is incorrect timing. When I practice standard headers, I am often too late in arching my head back; instead of moving it backwards as I am rushing in to meet the ball, I sometimes wait until the ball is only an inch or two from me before I begin my head movement. As a result, my forehead doesn’t meet the ball in time and the ball flops harmlessly off the back of my head. Making this mistake in an actual game could prove very costly, but that is what practice is for.

Another header my father and I have often worked at is the glancing header, which is best utilized immediately after a corner kick. If done properly, in a game situation a glancing header can prevent the other team from getting the ball before it hits the ground. Although timing is a crucial element in glancing headers also, the most important thing is to get a good jump on the ball, because the opposing team will also be trying to head the ball, and you need to get to it before them. “You have to be in good shape and move quickly; you need enough spring in your step to out jump your opponent,” my dad said. Good coordination is also very important, because the key to a successful glancing header is to move your head in the direction you want the ball to go. If you want the ball to go to the right, your head must be tilted to the right at the exact moment it makes contact with the ball.

Last but not least is the diving header, which is probably the most difficult of all four headers. Diving headers are utilized exclusively on low balls, and they can be tough because it is crucial that your whole body, not just your head, is positioned correctly to execute one safely and properly. The diving header is aptly named, because you must essentially make your body horizontal and dive out behind the ball, making sure the center of your forehead makes contact with it before it hits the ground. I have found that the biggest roadblock to executing a diving header is often mental. On a field with other running players, it can be very intimidating to essentially place your head in the direct path of their feet. But if you take even a second to think about the injury factor before attempting a diving header, you will not get to the ball on time. Instead you must go full-force at the ball with your forehead, and protect your body in the process by extending your arms out in front of your head as you go for the ball. This helps you protect the sides of your head as you are diving, and also goes a long way toward ensuring you will land safely. Several times I have felt like I’ve had the wind knocked out of me after doing a diving header, because I did not get my arms out in time and instead landed squarely on my chest.

According to my dad, the most important thing to remember about headers is that learning to do them is a work-in-progress. In particular, timing a header correctly is a very delicate balance, and even experienced players sometimes do not get their timing right. “Never be afraid to fail,” said my dad. “And if you do, just make sure to learn from your mistakes for next time.”