Fly the ball

[ostap77]

I've been watching the World Cup 2014 and there is something I don't know how to express in English. Would it make sense to say "Player A flew the ball from the left corner on the head of player B."?

 

[emsr2d2]

[STRIKE]As[/STRIKE] I've been watching the World Cup 2014 and there [STRIKE]was[/STRIKE] is something I [STRIKE]didn't[/STRIKE] don't know how to [STRIKE]word[/STRIKE] say/express in English. Would it make [STRIKE]sence[/STRIKE] sense to say "Player A flew the ball from the left corner on the head of player B."?

No. You could say "Ronaldo kicked the ball from the left corner straight onto Suarez' head" or something similar. The ball flew, the player didn't "flew the ball".
(Note I know nothing about the World Cup so I have no idea if Ronaldo and Suarez even play for the same team!)

 

[SoothingDave]

"Off the head" is more likely.

 

[ostap77]

How would you use it in context?

 

[SoothingDave]

A kicked the ball in from the corner off of the head of B.

 

[ostap77]

Does it mean that A kicked the ball so it bounced off of the head of B into the goal?

 

[SoothingDave]

Yes.

 

[Rover_KE]

ems had it right in post #2.

You can't kick a ball off somebody's head.

'A kicked the ball in from the corner onto the head of B.' There's nothing there to say that B scored a goal.

 

[MikeNewYork]

For me, either "onto" or "off" brings up humorous images. I would say "The ball that player A kicked from the left corner bounced off the head of player B.

 

[ostap77]

It doesn't just bounce off the head of player B. When the ball has been kicked in onto the head of player B, he heads it into the goal. Can I just say "to kick in the ball on another player's head"?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Until now, there was no mention of a goal. We are not mindreaders.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"Player A kicked the ball from the left corner to Player B, who headed it into the goal.

 

[emsr2d2]

I did not assume that a goal was scored at the end of the move. All we know is that Player A kicked it (possibly a high kick given the use of "flew") from the left corner post and then Player B headed it somewhere. The result of that header is not given.

 

[Tdol]

How about Player A crossed the ball to Player B, who headed it in?

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't think a cross conveys the fact that it appears to have been a corner kick.

 

[Tdol]

OK I thought it was just kicked in from the side.

 

[emsr2d2]

That's a fair point. The original was ambiguous. I took it to mean a corner kick (ie the ball was placed in the small quarter-circle n the corner of the pitch and the player kicked it back into play) but it could simply mean that the ball had travelled towards the back corner, was still in play and was kicked by Player A and then headed by Player B.

Basically, we don't know the position of the ball, player A, player B or what the result of the header was!

 

[SoothingDave]

ems had it right in post #2.

You can't kick a ball off somebody's head.

'A kicked the ball in from the corner onto the head of B.' There's nothing there to say that B scored a goal.

In BrE things don't bounce off (of) other things?

 

[emsr2d2]

Of course they bounce off other things. However, in a football context, the ball is purposely headed, it doesn't bounce off a player's head accidentally.