Cross (football)
Encyclopedia
In football
, a cross is a delivery of a ball from either side of the field across to the front of the goal
by applying various kicking
techniques. A cross is there to provide a goal-scoring opportunity. Crosses are generally airborne but a ball along the ground from a crossing position may be a low cross or a pass
.
s, wingbacks and fullbacks, deliver the ball into the central part of the pitch
, close to the opponent's goal. Teammates in the central positions, such as strikers and central midfielders, attempt to utilize the delivered ball by deflecting it with their head or feet, depending on the height of the delivery, towards the goal
and hopefully scoring
.
Players who deliver balls this way are normally acknowledged as a crosser.
the ball has on it.
causing the ball to move upward. This is advantageous in close, tense moments near the goal, where power cannot be produced to project the ball upward.
The intention is to produce a cross, which is airborne and is high. This allows teammates, who are receiving the cross, more time to predict where the ball is going to be and position themselves for an attempt to score a goal; conversely, this allows the defending team's defenders and goalkeeper to prepare for the deflection towards goal, or run and capture the ball with his or her hands.
Normally, this type of cross is implemented when the team usually has tall players who can win the aerial battle, or when the crosser is near the goal line
, where curving the ball may be difficult.
. Even though the observations are the same, this type of cross is the ball having curl
applied to it. More specifically, the ball curves towards the goal while being airborne. The advantage of this type of cross is that there is momentum
towards the goal, allowing teammates to subtly touch the ball, with the momentum created by the curl sufficient to possibly enter the goal. On the other hand, there is an abundant tendency by the goalkeeper to retrieve the ball, if it is too close to the goal.
Inswinging crosses usually arise when a player who is right
-footed is on the left side of the pitch (or who is left-footed and is on the right side of the pitch) and prefers to cross with the inside of his or her dominant foot, as using the outside of the foot is hard to direct.
The position from where the cross is delivered from can vary: it can be from the goal line
, requiring the ball to be aimed further away from goal, but it may also be from a deep position, where the curl produced will direct the ball towards goal.
Many players, when running past defenders, along with support in the center, will find this variation easier and successful; in this case, the player has his or her dominate foot with agreement to the flank they are on (i.e. right-footed player on the right-side of the pitch or a left-footed player on the left side of the pitch). The crosser can simply use the inside of their dominant foot while running.
The simplicity allows the crosser to produce curve and height to their desired teammate. The curve away from goal makes it difficult for the opposing goalkeeper to capture; however, the receiver has to be skilled with one-touch skills and prediction, as the outswinging cross requires more effort and precision to be converted into a goal.
Positions for where this type of cross is delivered from vary. Because it is the inverse of an inswinger, it is aimed closer to goal to deceive the goalkeeper in both cases.David Beckham
is very well known for playing out such type of crosses quite often. Most of his Assist (football)
for his former club manchester united, have come in this way, as Ruud van Nistelrooy
successfully converted these crosses into goals.
It is simply a push pass
from close range that travels along the ground. This allows central receivers to quickly use their feet to score a goal. The deception to this is that the defenders find it mundane and can plainly intercept the ball and kick it away.
However, the low cross may also have partial spin or may not be a soft pass. Many players find varying their crosses makes it difficult for the opposing team to predict and this is the alternative.
Low crosses may also be a result of poor level of skill, where players do not have the ability to kick a ball with the correct conventions, although at a profession level, low crosses may be less probable for poor skill and more so mistakes.
This variation can also be instituted when the team's aerial game is poor, but their agility and ball skill with their feet prevail.
and Sebastian Giovinco
, are far more similar to the typical quick striker, and are molded into this position by their coaches. Players such as Garrincha
and David Beckham
have become archaic in terms of how they play, as the crossing part of the game appear to be fading away, and this is arguably attributed to the emphasis on dribbling techniques and "tricks" as opposed to distribution techniques.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, a cross is a delivery of a ball from either side of the field across to the front of the goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
by applying various kicking
Soccer kick
A soccer kick is a reference to a kick that is similar to kicks used in association football. For short distanced passes, the instep or the outside of the foot can be used...
techniques. A cross is there to provide a goal-scoring opportunity. Crosses are generally airborne but a ball along the ground from a crossing position may be a low cross or a pass
Passing (association football)
Passing the ball is a key part of association football. The purpose of passing is to keep possession of the ball by maneuvering it on the ground between different players and to advance it up the playing field....
.
Usage
As hinted before, crosses are primarily used for goal-scoring efforts. Players in flank positions, usually being wingerWinger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
s, wingbacks and fullbacks, deliver the ball into the central part of the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
, close to the opponent's goal. Teammates in the central positions, such as strikers and central midfielders, attempt to utilize the delivered ball by deflecting it with their head or feet, depending on the height of the delivery, towards the goal
Goal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
and hopefully scoring
Score (game)
In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points, and events in the game can raise or lower the score of different parties...
.
Players who deliver balls this way are normally acknowledged as a crosser.
Variety of crosses
Crosses differ qualitatively depending on how far they travel, where they are crossed from, the height of the cross, and what curlCurl (football)
Curl, in football , is spin on the ball which will make it swerve, or bend, when kicked. This is imparted largely through almost slicing across the ball, and utilisation of either the inside foot or outside foot depending on which direction the ball should bend towards...
the ball has on it.
Chip cross
The chip cross is a ball that is kicked at the lower panels, imparting a backspinBackspin
In racquet sports, backspin , is a shot such that the ball rotates backwards after it is hit. The trajectory of the shot involves an upward force that lifts the ball...
causing the ball to move upward. This is advantageous in close, tense moments near the goal, where power cannot be produced to project the ball upward.
The intention is to produce a cross, which is airborne and is high. This allows teammates, who are receiving the cross, more time to predict where the ball is going to be and position themselves for an attempt to score a goal; conversely, this allows the defending team's defenders and goalkeeper to prepare for the deflection towards goal, or run and capture the ball with his or her hands.
Normally, this type of cross is implemented when the team usually has tall players who can win the aerial battle, or when the crosser is near the goal line
Goal line
The goal line is the chalked or painted line dividing the end zone from the field of play in American football and Canadian football. It is the line that must be crossed in order to score a touchdown...
, where curving the ball may be difficult.
Inswinging cross
The inswinging cross or inswinger variation is not to be confused with the type of deliver in cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. Even though the observations are the same, this type of cross is the ball having curl
Curl (football)
Curl, in football , is spin on the ball which will make it swerve, or bend, when kicked. This is imparted largely through almost slicing across the ball, and utilisation of either the inside foot or outside foot depending on which direction the ball should bend towards...
applied to it. More specifically, the ball curves towards the goal while being airborne. The advantage of this type of cross is that there is momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
towards the goal, allowing teammates to subtly touch the ball, with the momentum created by the curl sufficient to possibly enter the goal. On the other hand, there is an abundant tendency by the goalkeeper to retrieve the ball, if it is too close to the goal.
Inswinging crosses usually arise when a player who is right
Right
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
-footed is on the left side of the pitch (or who is left-footed and is on the right side of the pitch) and prefers to cross with the inside of his or her dominant foot, as using the outside of the foot is hard to direct.
The position from where the cross is delivered from can vary: it can be from the goal line
Goal line
The goal line is the chalked or painted line dividing the end zone from the field of play in American football and Canadian football. It is the line that must be crossed in order to score a touchdown...
, requiring the ball to be aimed further away from goal, but it may also be from a deep position, where the curl produced will direct the ball towards goal.
Outswinging cross
The outswinging cross or outswinger cross is the most common cross instituted among professional teams. Unlike the inswinger, it curves away from the goal.Many players, when running past defenders, along with support in the center, will find this variation easier and successful; in this case, the player has his or her dominate foot with agreement to the flank they are on (i.e. right-footed player on the right-side of the pitch or a left-footed player on the left side of the pitch). The crosser can simply use the inside of their dominant foot while running.
The simplicity allows the crosser to produce curve and height to their desired teammate. The curve away from goal makes it difficult for the opposing goalkeeper to capture; however, the receiver has to be skilled with one-touch skills and prediction, as the outswinging cross requires more effort and precision to be converted into a goal.
Positions for where this type of cross is delivered from vary. Because it is the inverse of an inswinger, it is aimed closer to goal to deceive the goalkeeper in both cases.David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
is very well known for playing out such type of crosses quite often. Most of his Assist (football)
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
for his former club manchester united, have come in this way, as Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
successfully converted these crosses into goals.
Low cross
The low cross or, more simply, pass is the easiest way to situate the ball into the center.It is simply a push pass
Passing (association football)
Passing the ball is a key part of association football. The purpose of passing is to keep possession of the ball by maneuvering it on the ground between different players and to advance it up the playing field....
from close range that travels along the ground. This allows central receivers to quickly use their feet to score a goal. The deception to this is that the defenders find it mundane and can plainly intercept the ball and kick it away.
However, the low cross may also have partial spin or may not be a soft pass. Many players find varying their crosses makes it difficult for the opposing team to predict and this is the alternative.
Low crosses may also be a result of poor level of skill, where players do not have the ability to kick a ball with the correct conventions, although at a profession level, low crosses may be less probable for poor skill and more so mistakes.
This variation can also be instituted when the team's aerial game is poor, but their agility and ball skill with their feet prevail.
History
It is apparent that there is a stark lack of high-quality crossers coming through in modern football. "Modern wingers," currently coming through, such as Theo WalcottTheo Walcott
Theo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
and Sebastian Giovinco
Sebastian Giovinco
Sebastian Giovinco is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Parma and the Italian national team. Giovinco is an attacking midfielder with noted dribbling skills, play-making skills and he is known for his freekicks....
, are far more similar to the typical quick striker, and are molded into this position by their coaches. Players such as Garrincha
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos , known by the nickname "Garrincha" , was an association football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for Brazilian club Botafogo.The word garrincha itself...
and David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
have become archaic in terms of how they play, as the crossing part of the game appear to be fading away, and this is arguably attributed to the emphasis on dribbling techniques and "tricks" as opposed to distribution techniques.