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Heading Drills Heading is an essential part of successful football play. Approximately 20 percent of goals come from headed shots. A player must be able to pass, shoot, clear and even control the ball using their head, from a standing, jumping or diving position. For example, a central defender must be able to make good head clearances while having the capacity to move forward and score with a header from a corner kick. Younger players are encouraged to start heading the ball early, using a correctly sized ball that is light and smooth to avoid the risk of head injury. Some younger players may be afraid to head the ball for fear of hurting themselves. The coach must dispel this fear, using carefully chosen introductory practices and lots of encouragement.   Indeed, courage is a major factor in heading. "Putting your head in where it hurts" is an often coined phrase. A good example is the diving header, which, while spectacular, can sometimes put the player at risk of injury, is one of the most satisfying goal scoring actions. Likewise, attacking the ball is an important technique. Out of fear, younger players may shut their eyes and let the ball strike their head, when the aim is to assertively attack the ball. There are two important aspects of good heading technique.   Accurate contact with the ball Contact with the ball should always be made with the forehead. From time to time, a player may use the top of their head to flick the ball from a long flight pass or throw-in. The eyes need to always be open until impact and fixed on the ball, and the body positioned in line. To direct the ball downwards, the forehead must make contact with the top half of the ball. The side of the forehead can be used to glance headers and the middle for more direct power headers. In a stationary position, the power comes from the legs, back and neck. The player rocks backward and pushes their body forward to meet the ball.   Attacking the ball As mentioned earlier, this is an extremely important technique. Putting power into a header requires successful coordination of different forces. To gain power, a player can run and jump off one leg to meet the ball. This requires both good timing of the run as well as anticipation of where the ball will be placed. After take off, the upper body arches backward. This momentum produces a snapping action when the body is propelled forward. At the same time, the neck is extended then snapped forward in synchronization with the body to strike the ball with maximum power. The ball must be struck at the top of the jump. If the player jumps too early, the player will touch the ball on the way down and lose all power. The ability to run and jump is useful in winning the ball in a crowd of players and needs to be practiced to ensure perfect synchronization of the action.   It is important to mention the technique for flicking the ball, which is often neglected by coaching books. This technique involves jumping for the ball to play or continue it in more or less the same direction as it was played. Many teams will play a long flight pass from the back to the center forward who will try to win the aerial challenge and flick the ball on to a teammate running behind them. This requires good timing and the ability to jump high. The player jumps in the same way as mentioned earlier, but drops slightly forward before making a backward flicking movement with the head to strike the ball, usually with the top of the head, to keep it moving forward.   To build up heading technique, the coach may want to start with simple practices, such as encouraging players to juggle the ball with their heads and gently throwing the ball in the air so the player can head it back to the thrower or to players positioned around the receiver. The receiver can be static to begin with, and then try to attack the ball. This will allow the player to gain confidence before moving on to more complex techniques. Once the basic technique has been acquired, different flight balls can be played  to test and improve their ability (e.g. crosses to be headed into the goal or high balls to be cleared).     Lower Ability — Head to Coach   Purpose of the Drill Encourage players to be alert at all times. Helps coach perfect technique.   Steps Designate a 15-yard-by-15-yard square. Assign one coach per three players. Each coach has a soccer hall. Players jog around the coaches. Coach calls a player's name then gently tosses a ball to be headed back. One point for a successful header. To keep players thinking, introduce surprise commands like "freeze," "sit" and "all to the center," to which players must react quickly or lose a point.   Points of Emphasis: Correct contact with head When to Use: Use as part of individual skills     Intermediate Head on Goal   Purpose of the Drill Encourage players to think quickly under pressure. Increase confidence and timing under pressure.   Steps Divide players into two teams of three players each: attacking team and goalkeeping team. Set up a 4-yard-by-2-yard goal and a marker cone at 12 yards in front of the goal. Coach stands to the side of the goal and throws a ball underhand to an oncoming attacker. Attacker attempts to head the ball and score. Goalkeepers must remain within 1 yard of the goal line. Goalkeepers rotate after each shot. Repeat. Each player will get three attempts; then switch teams.   Coaching Tips Players must have correct technique. Let this be a fun exercise. Use at the end of a session to allow the players to wind down.

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