What is the difference between headers and aerial challenges?

[Emergo]

I am currently trying a kind of 'Moneyball' approach to my save by focusing on statistics only (instead of attributes). I came across the following question while working on my scouting:

I am trying to figure out what the statistics of headers (won/ratio) and aerial challenges (won/ratio) actually mean. Currently still playing FM19 by the way, not sure how the statistics are used in 20. If a player heads a ball, does that mean the header was contested? How does the header won stat refer to the header stat? And what is the difference between an aerial challenge that is won and a header that is won?

Thank you in advance!

[PatrickReynolds]

I'm going to bump this, because my Google search led to this thread...which doesn't have an answer! 

I'm trying to understand the difference between aerial challenges won and headers won, and their respective %. Are headers offensive and aerial challenges defensive? 

[PatrickReynolds]

I think I've solved this. The stat is actually 'aerial challenges attempted' instead of won. So, if you go up for 24 aerial challenges/90 and win 12 headers/90 your header win % is 50%!

 

[phd_angel]

What's more important for a CD and for a Target Forward: Heading or Jumping?... I'm trying to more precisely understand the application of each attribute. TIA. 

[PatrickReynolds]

I'd say jumping for CD, combo of both for TF. Jumping will help ability to win the aerial challenge, heading attribute determines accuracy/quality of won header.