Soccer is famous for its no-hands rule.  Similarly, it is well known as the sport that only uses feet, sometimes knees, to propel a ball into any given direction, only to culminate with a well-placed kick toward a goal. Yet one aspect of soccer is often discussed with awe: heading the ball.  Using one’s head to propel the ball into the goal, away from another player, or even toward a teammate is an aspect of the game that - when executed proficiently - is a sight to behold.

Consider for a moment that a ball is on the collision course with your head, or that you have a good chance of intercepting a ball with your head.  Should you use the top of your head?  Or maybe you should use the side of your head?  As a matter of fact, it is the forehead that should be the only portion of your head that comes in contact with the ball.  Experts agree that if you cannot ensure that it is your forehead that collides with the ball, it is better to let the ball pass. The reason is quite simple: the forehead is the most densely boned portion of your skull, and it is the least likely to be damaged by a high velocity impact, thus protecting your brain the best.  If the ball comes in contact with the temple, however, the same cannot be said.

If you have managed to ascertain that the ball will be connecting with your forehead and thus your brain’s safety is more or less guaranteed, it is now time to take a look at the role your neck will play. While it sometimes looks on TV as though the neck is moving smoothly when a player heads a ball, the reality of the situation dictates otherwise.  As a matter of fact, at the moment of impact, the neck is completely rigid, thus protecting the integrity of the neck muscles as well as that of the spine. The movement of the neck that follows later, such as when the ball is propelled toward its new destination, is almost always coupled with a re-directional move of the torso that further provides the strength the neck needs to assist the forehead in redirecting the ball.

Of course, while proper technique is everything when contemplating your head’s role in soccer, it is also important to realize that using it for heading a ball in the right direction is not all it’s good for. While it may be considered one of soccer’s open secrets, to the uninitiated it is always amazing just how much planning, strategy, and even a psychological warfare goes into the average play.  Consider the staring matches between a striker and an opposing defense player.  While neither of them may have the ball, they both know it is coming, and it is a matter of agility as well as will power to determine who will get it, who will keep it, and ultimately who will win with it.

Keep in mind also that the strategy of the game calls for a well rehearsed and choreographed level of team work that demands a constant memory of the game plan, adherence to the plan, analysis of the developing play, as well as modifications to the play as they are needed because of game developments that may have been unanticipated. Add to this the high amount of concentration that each player needs to bring to the playing field - the game will continue after each play rather than be stopped, as is the case in American football - and you can see just how involved the head is in the moment to aspects of the game!

Thus, it could be said that soccer is an extremely mental game as well as one that is extremely physical.  Of course, quite possibly bearing the brunt of the head game is the goalie that will need to be ready for a high-noon shoot out in case of penalty kicks.  Will he or she be able to best an opposing player who is trying to stare down the goalie in an attempt to unnerve her or him before the penalty kick?  Yes, soccer is indeed very much a game that involves the head - in more ways than just one.

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