Heads and volleys

This game in some forms requires only two players, however most often it needs at least three. In the game one player crosses the ball to another who must then either head or volley the ball into the goal which is defended by another player.

Dozens of different variations of the game exist, including the keeping of 'life tallies' (lives are lost by strikers if they miss, or by goalkeepers if they concede). An optional rule states that when the goalkeeper catches the ball they can then throw the ball to another player; if that player scores (a header or volley) then the original striker is put in goal.

In another variant a striker gains a point by scoring and the keeper loses a point; if the striker misses he loses 2 points and must become the goalkeeper. Other variants include the setting of shooting distances (e.g. shots are not allowed within 6 yards). In some more aggressive variants when a player loses all of their points each of the other players will take a turn to attempt to hit them from the penalty spot.

One version rules that if a shot goes wide or over, the player who had the last touch goes in goal. If a shot isn't volleyed or half-volleyed, again the shot-taker goes in goal. If an outfielder lets a shot go wide he/she goes in. If the keeper catches the ball before it bounces, or if it only bounces once, the player who touched the ball last goes in goal. If a player handballs it twice in one round (until another player goes in goal) they go in goal, however, if they handball it once or don't handball it before the round ends, they lose their handball count.

Also there is a variation of this game in which every time the player in goal concedes a goal he or she gains a letter towards a word (e.g. HORSE) and when the word is spelled out the player has to face a wall whilst other players take shots at the loser's backside. In the United Kingdom this is known as "Brandy", "Megasaurarse", "Bum Blasters", "Red Arse" or "Stingers". Another variation called "Crucifix" sees the losing player standing with his back against the wall with his arms out while the other players take penalties with the aim of inflicting as much pain as possible. If the losing player flinches or moves from this position, a retake is ordered.

In "Crowcombe Rules", played in Somerset, England, outfield players work as a team to score as many goals with a header or a volley as possible. However, every time they miss or score a goal which is either not a volley or is only a half-volley, they lose a goal from their total. If they lose a goal whilst their total is zero, then the last player to touch the ball must go in goal. In the mid 1990s, due to incredibly high scoring sessions causing great distress to goalkeepers, a score limit was introduced. This is decided before the game but is commonly 2 or 3. The other significant difference in "Crowcombe Rules" is that a player may take as many touches as they like in order to set themselves up for a volley, so long as they received the ball in the air and do not let it touch the ground before shooting. "Yarde Rules", a variant of "Crowcombe Rules" also involves a rule whereby if a player kicks a ball into another field, they shall immediately go in goal, irrespective of the current score.

A colloquial name for “Headers and Volleys”, that was coined in the Manchester region of England in the early 1990's, is Gooma. The name is an amalgamation of the two famous sporting clothes brands, Gola and Puma. Around this time both brands were particularly popular in the football boot market. Puma for their High-end Status and signature model, the Puma King. Gola for their bargain basement prices, which were a welcome respite for struggling parents caught in the midst of the early 90’s Economic Recession. Aspiring young professional footballers in the Moss Side area of Manchester used to regularly be found playing Headers and Volleys on the Platt Fields, a multi-pitch park in the area. A particular group of boys became known as the Puma Kings, after the famous football boots, as they each wore a pair. They largely dominated proceedings in the Gooma market and would take on all comers and, for the most part, send them packing in quick time. Finally though, the football playing youth of Moss Side decided to take a collective stand against this dominance. The leader of the revolt was from a particularly poor family, even for such a run down area as Moss Side, which was one of the worst hit areas of Manchester by the recession. As such, he could not afford a pair of Puma Kings and instead used to ply his trade with boots from the complete opposite end of the financial scale, Gola. His skills though and his leadership, more than made up for his financial shortfalls and he managed to gather a strong group, who all decided to follow in his footsteps, quite literally, by donning the Gola footwear. The battle between the Gola Keepers and the Puma Kings was a long standing and regular affair and at some point thereafter, the name was abbreviated to its current form, Gooma.