Heading
MixedChecked
In one sentence
Headed shots are aimed as if he had 5 more Heading, he heads the ball down twice as often, and only he can head a fast ball at knee height. He does not jump higher or win more aerial duels.
Who does this affect?
Both: the aiming, speed, downward-header and low-header effects apply to the player you control and to CPU players; the choice of who attacks crosses and set pieces is made by the team AI.
How it works
On every headed shot the game adds 5 to his Heading inside the aiming calculation. The same +5 also lifts the top speed of his headed shots a little (about 1–2 km/h). Between 5 and 12 m from goal he heads the ball down 40 % of the time instead of 20 %, and close to goal he goes for a header rather than a volley. Players without the skill can never head a ball that is at knee height or lower.
When it applies
- +5 Heading: headed shots only. Headed passes and clearances get nothing.
- Downward header 40 % (20 % without): an ordinary headed shot (not a Stunning Shot), power bar under 95 %, about 5–12 m from goal, body turned less than 120° away and the aim within 22.5°.
- Header instead of volley: when the target is closer than 8 m he always goes for the header; without the skill only if his Heading is more than 10 above his Finishing.
- Low header: the ball will be at knee height or lower (about 0.56 m for an average-sized player) a moment later and is moving at 65 km/h or more.
- One extra header animation can only be chosen by players with the skill.
Without it
Headed shots use his plain Heading. Downward headers happen 20 % of the time. A ball at knee height or lower is never headed: he volleys it or plays another touch. Close in he only prefers a header if his Heading beats his Finishing by more than 10.
Which stats it reads
Heading raised by the skill
Headed shots aim as if Heading were 5 higher. The gain is biggest from 60 to 85 and about half as big from 90 up, but it never disappears: the +5 is added inside the shot, after the 99 cap, so it still counts at 99 and with boosters. The same raised value also sets a slightly higher top speed for the header.
Finishing decides if it happens
Only matters without the skill: inside 8 m a player without it prefers a header only when Heading − 10 is higher than Finishing. With the skill this comparison is skipped.
Height decides if it happens
For the team AI's choice of aerial target: 195 cm or taller always counts; 190–194 cm counts with the skill (or with Heading 81+, card value). Below that the skill adds a small bonus to a random reach test.
In numbers
Heading → · degrees
Chart values
| 60 | 4.09 | 4.72 |
| 80 | 1.65 | 2.18 |
| 99 | 0.92 | 0.94 |
| 120 | 0.86 | 0.87 |
Common questions
Does the Heading skill make him jump higher?
Short answerNo
The jump code never reads this skill; jump height comes from Jump and Height.
Does it help him win aerial duels?
Short answerNo
The contested-header calculation uses Heading, Jump, Physical Contact, Height, Aerial Superiority and Bullet Header, not this skill.
Does it improve headed passes and clearances?
Short answerNo
The +5 is only given when the header is a shot.
Is the +5 wasted when Heading is already 99?
Short answerNo
It is added inside the shot calculation, so it still helps at 99 and with boosters, just less than at 60–85.
Does it make headers more powerful?
Short answerPartly
The header's top speed rises with the same Heading value that gets the +5, so headed shots get about 1–2 km/h more top speed; Bullet Header adds a flat 4 km/h.
Not yet confirmed
- Which header animation is reserved for skill owners has not been identified.
- The 8 m distance in the header-or-volley choice is read as the distance to the target.
- The knee-height limit is scaled by a body-size factor of the player; that it follows his height is assumed.
The maths
BendThe +5 helps most between Heading 60 and 85; from 90 up it is worth about half as much, and below 55 almost nothing.
DetailExample, 14 m headed shot: Heading 70 misses by 3.4° on average without the skill and 2.8° with it; 80: 2.2° → 1.65°; 99: 0.94° → 0.92°.
DetailNot stacked with Visionary Pass: if a headed shot follows a Visionary Pass, the game gives +6 instead of the +5, not +11.
ConditionLow headers need the ball to arrive at 65 km/h or faster; slower low balls are never headed, skill or not.
DetailThe team AI ranks him higher as an aerial target (worth about as much as 10 cm of height in its ranking) and as a set-piece header target.
DetailNot used by this skill: Jump — the skill never changes how high he jumps.; Physical Contact — aerial duels do not read this skill.; Weak Foot Accuracy — headers never get a weak-foot penalty, with or without the skill.
Booster points per stat
HeadingBooster points count here.
FinishingBooster points count here.
HeightBooster points do not count here.