Corner Tactics in Women's Football

England’s goal against France at the Women’s Euros 2025 has interested me…

From the corner, they had three players all waiting at the edge of the box. Walsh then received the clearance and looked to get a shot away quickly. But why commit three players to the edge of the box?

Footage from the game. Credit: ITV Sport YouTube

What the data says:

Looking at the data I have available through StatsBomb, I found the following:

During the 2020/2021 WSL season, 51% of all cleared corners didn’t make it outside the 18-yard line. The average percentage per team was also 51% within the 18-yard line - the highest figure belonging to Brighton, Aston Villa & West Ham on 57%, and the lowest owing to Manchester City with 38%.

I examined the same statistics for the Women’s Euros in 2022 and the percentage increased. 56% of clearances from corners didn’t make it past the 18-yard line. The average being 57%. In comparison, during the Men’s FIFA World Cup in 2022, 38% of clearances from crosses didn’t make it past the 18-yard line.

So, is it beneficial to have more players ready to pounce on poor clearances within the women’s game, rather than crowding the box to try and score directly?

Watch this space for future exploration of this phenomenon, across different seasons and competitions.