The Scottish Premiership plays the most long balls in the whole of Europe

The Scottish top flight has been 'crowned' the home of the long ball, a new study has revealed.

And Livingston have been rated as the second highest team in Europe for the average length of their passes this season.

A study of the top 35 European leagues by Swiss stats organisation CIES Football Observatory measured the average length of pass from all teams.

And they discovered the Scottish Premiership launch more long balls than any other European top flight.

The average length of pass in the Scottish top flight was 21.08 metres, with France's Ligue 1 being the shortest length of pass at 18.89, held jointly with Finland's top league.

Celtic play shorter passes than the rest of their Premiership rivals (SNS Group)

And of all the clubs studied in the league, Gary Holt's Livi were the second highest side in Europe for the length of their average pass at 23.38. Only Rotherham United had a higher total. Hamilton were the next highest-placed Scottish club to play long balls – in eighth position – with St Johnstone at 18th.

The shortest length of passes by club were Paris Saint-Germain with 15.85 followed by Barcelona at 16.31.

Scottish champions Celtic were 23rd on the list of shortest length of pass at 17.96.