Overload Defensive Heading Clear

Pitch diagram

Objectives

• -Clear the ball with height, distance and width
• -Attack the ball rather than waiting for it
• -Follow age-appropriate heading guidance on volume

Setup

1. 1A defensive zone in front of goal with a serving cone 12 yards away in a 30 x 24 yards area.
2. 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
3. 3Soft, correctly inflated balls only — keep total headers low.

Coaching instructions

1. 1Server throws the ball into the zone for the defender to clear.
2. 2The defender heads for height and distance towards a wide target cone.
3. 3Limit each player to a small number of headers per session.
4. 4The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
5. 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.

Common mistakes

• -Backing away from the ball
• -Too many repetitions in one session
• -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle