The death of the diving headers

AngeloHenriquez

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An article written by someone on blogspot but I thought it was quite insightful without the extra waffle of re-wording it several times..

The game of football has changed significantly over the years. Alterations to the rules, formations, tactics and equipment have all influenced the way in which the game is played.

Some changes have certainly made for improvements to the world's favourite sport but there is no doubt that some wonderful elements have been lost over the years. The impact of obscene amounts of money and many changes to the laws of the game has long caused frustration and farce. Though football would not be as fascinating if this was not the case.

The decline in diving headers in recent years is one disappointing truth and there are many factors which have contributed to this occurence.

The primary influence is the improvements that teams have made internationally in defending. The focus upon tightening up at the back and man-marking has evidently made it far more difficult for attacking players to have attempts on goal in this manner.

Additionally, the greater significance that modern football places upon defence means that teams are less likely to commit men deep into opposition territory, unless there is desperation in the final minutes. When one also considers the increasingly fast-paced nature of the game it becomes apparent that full-backs are not as able or willing to support their wingers further up the pitch as Gary Neville often would alongside David Beckham at club and international level. The effective overlapping of full-back and wide midfielder can result in balls from the by-line, begging to be met with a flying forehead.

With the anxiety of getting caught on the break always present in the modern game, crossing from a deeper position is far more common than it used to be. These are invariably dealt with by centre backs with relative ease.

Secondly, as the ball has got lighter it has become more difficult for players to direct firm and accurate diving headers on goal. When the official balls were heavier keeping one's header on a straight course was an easier feat.

And lastly, it is not unfair to point to an increasing lack of bravery in football. With the retirement of the likes of Duncan Ferguson and Alan Shearer, there are far fewer characters still playing that are willing to put themselves at risk of a boot or a knee in the face. Thus it is truly a great shame that the diving header is drifting out of the game, particularly with players like Cristiano Ronaldo in the world of football today.
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Firstly, do you agree that we never see the diving headers of old anymore?

If so, why and what future rule/ tactical changes could happen to see this once again come to the fore?
 
AngeloHenriquez said:
One in how long?
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How would you know that it was the only one in long? Or the only one that's been tried?
I just never took diving headers for more than a solution to a cross that goes a bit too far when you are on the counter. Maybe crosses have gotten better?
 
The 'foot up' rule is poorly enforced.

Though I think this inhibits defenders more than attackers. The amount of overhead kicks allowed, where a defender could've intervened but chose not to as he wished to keep his head, is ridiculous. /off topic bugbear
 
Ødegaard said:
How would you know that it was the only one in long? Or the only one that's been tried?
I just never took diving headers for more than a solution to a cross that goes a bit too far when you are on the counter. Maybe crosses have gotten better?
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smile.jpg
 
Not sure of some of the reasoning there:

Secondly, as the ball has got lighter it has become more difficult for players to direct firm and accurate diving headers on goal. When the official balls were heavier keeping one's header on a straight course was an easier feat.
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Surely the more responsive balls today would make it easier for a diving header to generate the necessary pace to score?

The main change is down to teams no longer basing their game around getting crosses into the box. Better pitches, more possession, shorter possession, control of the midfield, change in the offside rule, passback rule, false wingers, goalscoring wide attackers - all of these contribute to the decline in the diving header.
 
Aguero scored one Newcastle last week. I don't think it's diving headers that have disappeared, it's quality heading ability from attackers in general.
 
DiseaseOfTheAge said:
The 'foot up' rule is poorly enforced.

Though I think this inhibits defenders more than attackers. The amount of overhead kicks allowed, where a defender could've intervened but chose not to as he wished to keep his head, is ridiculous. /off topic bugbear
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I'd rather see over head kicks. Feck that rule.
 
kouroux said:
Aguero scored one Newcastle last week. I don't think it's diving headers that have disappeared, it's quality heading ability from attackers in general.
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I'd thought it's more the quality of the crosses?

For a player to attack the ball and dive for it, the ball has to basically be whipped in with great pace and angle to evade the defenders.

These days we're not seeing more crosses from the wide and more possession football with wingers/wide players trying to take it further into the penalty box for a low cross/one-twos etc.

The article does get it correct in that counter attacking play has probably changed though. Again, the emphasis is to get the ball forward to isolate players one-on-one and that usually means playing on the floor.
 
It has to do with the introduction of electronic advertising boards. It has been scientifically proven that mammals have evolved to track movement of a single body of mass against the relatively stationary background landscape. In the wild this body would manifest itself as either the prey or the predator. Say that the background began to move more vigorously, the body and the background will become harder to distinguish between.

To execute a diving header you are required to stoop to meet the ball. When the player reaches a certain angle of dip the advertising boards enter his field of view. In yesteryear the static adverts would not be a problem, but these days the player no longer knows where the ball ends and the animated Mars bar begins.

You can see this backed up by the greater number of diving headers in lower league football, where technology has yet to catch up.
 
criticalanalysis said:
I'd thought it's more the quality of the crosses?

For a player to attack the ball and dive for it, the ball has to basically be whipped in with great pace and angle to evade the defenders.

These days we're not seeing more crosses from the wide and more possession football with wingers/wide players trying to take it further into the penalty box for a low cross/one-twos etc.

The article does get it correct in that counter attacking play has probably changed though. Again, the emphasis is to get the ball forward to isolate players one-on-one and that usually means playing on the floor.
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I think quality crossing affected quality headers. They're linked.
 
Singling out Ronaldo is a poor choice imo. The header he scored against Roma shows he's definitely not afraid of going in where it hurts.

Plus I think in general there are less quality crossing wingers these days. I remember Dwight Yorke scored one from a Beckham cross
 
kouroux said:
Aguero scored one Newcastle last week. I don't think it's diving headers that have disappeared, it's quality heading ability from attackers in general.
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And Mitrovic scored one for Newcastle in the same match.
 
João Pinto although a small player was an expert on those headers. His goal against England in Euro2000 from a Rui Costa cross was amazing :drool:

 
21st century goalkeepers' speed of reaction time and refusal to tolerate ambiguity in whether a cross should be left or intercepted have done for the diving header.
 
Extract sums it up really:

Less true wingers.
Poor crossing in general.
Better defending.

And changes in footballs have altered the flight and spin of the ball considerably. It's far harder to judge a ball and meet it's descent correctly than it used to be.
 


Not really a quintessential diving header, but half way there and a cracking goal. Rare to see such power generated from almost a standing position.
 
I seem to remember that forwards used to be through on goal (1vs1 agains the keeper) more often in the past. Seem to remember that Schmikes had those scenarios against him all the time, and that he more often than not came out on top. It might be that my memory is colored, but I don't really think it happens as often that players are alone through on goal anymore. If that is correct, it could be that the defences are not lined up as high in the pitch anymore. That too could explain the lack of crosses into the space between the defense and goalkeeper (a space that is smaller now than it was before), which could again contribute the explain the decline in diving headers (if there really is one).

Meh
 
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