Is height important if you want to head the ball?

[Jamturk]

But

What you gain in the air from extra height you lose on the ground unless of course you're Peter Crouch who had good feet for a big man

 

[C0YS]

Just look at the average height of CBs, 6 foot is considered small for a cb. Why? May it be that they have to head the ball a lot?

Attacking the ball obviously requires a different set of skills than winning the ball. Being smaller built may even allow one to generate ore power in a header than the tall and lanky types. In fact the technical aspects of heading a ball are a school not really related to height. But to say height is not a factor is simply not true.

Also for the person who made the basket ball example, seriously what is the average height of NBA basketball players (about 6'7 according to the latest figures I could find (2007-2008)), now compare it with the average height of the population in the US (5'9 1/2 (2006)) so why does this difference exist? Of course height matters in Basketball.

Also the idea that Crouch can't head the ball is crap, and is not backed up by statistics. http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/10/15/peter-crouch-headers/

 

[michaelden]

Height matters against height. But this isn't basketball where you will be dealing with 7'2 opponenets. Most of the players you go against range from around 5'9 to 6'3. And therefore, leaping ability is much more important to heading that height. Now, if it's Jan Koller, back in the day, you being 5'11 with an awesome leap, means fuck all. But that's an outlier situation.

And the great thing about leap, is that you can actually make it better via plyometrics.

and steroids!

 

[michaelden]

Just look at the average height of CBs, 6 foot is considered small for a cb. Why? May it be that they have to head the ball a lot?

Attacking the ball obviously requires a different set of skills than winning the ball. Being smaller built may even allow one to generate ore power in a header than the tall and lanky types. In fact the technical aspects of heading a ball are a school not really related to height. But to say height is not a factor is simply not true.

Also for the person who made the basket ball example, seriously what is the average height of NBA basketball players (about 6'7 according to the latest figures I could find (2007-2008)), now compare it with the average height of the population in the US (5'9 1/2 (2006)) so why does this difference exist? Of course height matters in Basketball.

Also the idea that Crouch can't head the ball is crap, and is not backed up by statistics. http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/10/15/peter-crouch-headers/

27 goals over his career, yeah Crouch is a fucking demon with his head

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Peter Crouch, so tall should win the majority of high balls, but never did.

Oh yes he did. VDV will testify.

 

[michaelden]

Oh yes he did. VDV will testify.

you missed out the word majority

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Size doesn't matter.

My gf disagrees.

 

[AyuSpurs]

My gf disagrees.

So your ex gf, then?

 

[SpainSpur85]

Other posters have put it far more eloquantly, but if you have a jump like Micah Richards (5'11 :O ) then you don't need height like Peter Crouch (6'7).

 

[Shadydan]

Fabio Cannavaro
Ayala
Cordoba

and so on...

Can't be bothered to check if someone has brought this up already

You don't need to be tall, you just need to be clever, positioning, anticipation etc..

 

[C0YS]

27 goals over his career, yeah Crouch is a fucking demon with his head

Well those are outdated statistics, firstly, and secondly that is still actually a pretty high amount. Statistics based on the end of the 2011-2012 season have Crouch as the 7th highest all time goalscorer with his head, and the highest still playing. He has since scored 5 goals with his head moving him up to joint 4th. The top 10 list is as follows.

1.Shearer - 46
2.Dublin - 45
3.Ferdinand - 43
4.Yorke - 38
Crouch - 38
6.Ferguson - 35
Sheringham - 35
8.Cahill - 31
9.Cole - 29
10. Heskey - 28
Fowler - 28

http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Statistical_Analysis_of_Top_100_Premier_League_Goalscorers.html

That is not at all a bad record. And if he is around for about 3 more seasons and keeps scoring headed goals at a similar rate he may well finish top by the time he hangs his boots.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Yes but more so for defenders..

A good biggun will always beat a good littleun!

 

[stov]

i believe one needs a head. everything else is superfluous.

 

[chinaman]

No it doesnt it depends on the strength and mass of their heads

Rather the neck muscles.

 

[spurs9]

Well those are outdated statistics, firstly, and secondly that is still actually a pretty high amount. Statistics based on the end of the 2011-2012 season have Crouch as the 7th highest all time goalscorer with his head, and the highest still playing. He has since scored 5 goals with his head moving him up to joint 4th. The top 10 list is as follows.

1.Shearer - 46
2.Dublin - 45
3.Ferdinand - 43
4.Yorke - 38
Crouch - 38
6.Ferguson - 35
Sheringham - 35
8.Cahill - 31
9.Cole - 29
10. Heskey - 28
Fowler - 28

http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Statistical_Analysis_of_Top_100_Premier_League_Goalscorers.html

That is not at all a bad record. And if he is around for about 3 more seasons and keeps scoring headed goals at a similar rate he may well finish top by the time he hangs his boots.

so out of those 11, 4 are over 6ft, 2 are 6ft and 5 are under 6ft, so from an attacking perspective, height obviously isn't an important factor.

 

[Imnotacticalgenius]

Think Peter Crouch.......Think Pele.

 

[C0YS]

so out of those 11, 4 are over 6ft, 2 are 6ft and 5 are under 6ft, so from an attacking perspective, height obviously isn't an important factor.

No but height has an advantage in one getting their head to the ball. The actual technical aspects, the aspect most important for scoring, has no relation to height, but to actually win a ball height does provide an advantage. I don't understand how up this is up for debate.

I mean Cannavaro was amazing at heading the ball, because his leap was amazing and so was his timing, but if cannevaro was 6'2 he'd be better with his head. Obviously one of the reasons he may be so good in the air is because he might of practiced more than other players because he knew he had a height disadvantage etc. But...

Also the stats I gave you are just goals scored. Some of those players scored a hell lot of goals, mostly because they knew where to be, so the odds would suggest that many of the chances they got just happened to be on their head. So it is not necessarily a clear indicator. The fact that Crouch isn't exactly the most regular goalscorer actually makes his headed goal tally very impressive.

 

[Capocrimini]

Well those are outdated statistics, firstly, and secondly that is still actually a pretty high amount. Statistics based on the end of the 2011-2012 season have Crouch as the 7th highest all time goalscorer with his head, and the highest still playing. He has since scored 5 goals with his head moving him up to joint 4th. The top 10 list is as follows.

1.Shearer - 46
2.Dublin - 45
3.Ferdinand - 43
4.Yorke - 38
Crouch - 38
6.Ferguson - 35
Sheringham - 35
8.Cahill - 31
9.Cole - 29
10. Heskey - 28
Fowler - 28

http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Statistical_Analysis_of_Top_100_Premier_League_Goalscorers.html

That is not at all a bad record. And if he is around for about 3 more seasons and keeps scoring headed goals at a similar rate he may well finish top by the time he hangs his boots.

I like Crouch, but those statistics support the point that height isn't the big factor, the top 4 were not at all tall. Also what would be a far more interesting stat if available is what percentage of aerial duels Crouch wins. At Spurs we had success with him but there many games where we might as well have had Defoe challenging for the long balls.

 

[yiddo_4eva]

Depends on the scenario, I'm 6"1 and always win headers against my 9 year old

 

[spursram]

Oblivious hight has an advantage, but a lot to do with it is timing. I am 5 10 and was full time with a Scottish team but I was really good in the air

Timing and positioning are key, if you drop back a couple of yards when the ball is in the air then attack it you will win most headers

Try playing in a Croatian team!