The Effectiveness (Or Not) Of Corners

Whenever your team earns a corner, you probably cheer and encourage them, as you think there's a good chance they will score from it. I know I do.

I found an interesting statistic in The Guardian's The Joy Of Six article today.

Apparently, in the last five seasons of the Premier League, there have been 21,245 corners taken. Of these, 627 have resulted in goals being scored.

This equates to a paltry success rate of 2.95%. In other words, only one goal per 33.89 corners taken.

Apparently for last season alone the success rate was a slightly more impressive 3.6%, but that's still only a goal from every 27.78 corners.

Let's break the main figures down. In five seasons where 20 teams each play 38 games, there will be a total of 1900 games, which is 171,000 minutes of play.

Therefore, on average, a Premier League game in the last five years featured 11.18 corners, or effectively one every eight minutes.

A goal was scored from a corner every 272 minutes, or once every 3 games (give-or-take).

So the next time your team needs a goal and gets a corner late in a game, don't get your hopes up too much or shout yourself hoarse, as it probably won't happen.

I don't have the answers as to why. Goalkeepers getting free-kicks for even the slightest contact on them probably has something to do with it. Better defensive coaching no doubt has a bearing too.

But whatever the reasons, one thing is clear: a corner is a less effective attacking tool than most people think.

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