A
headbutt is a targeted
strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's
cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as the
nose, utilising the stronger bones in the
forehead (
frontal bone) or the back of the skull (
occipital or
parietal bone). It can be considered a quick, very effective but risky maneuver, as a misplaced strike can cause greater injury to the person delivering the headbutt than to the person receiving it. A headbutt does not have to be against another person's head, although this is usually the nearest and easiest target. Another notable version of the headbutt, the head-to-chestbutt, was notoriously used by
Zinadine Zidane during the
2006 World Cup.