Heading
Pressure Defensive Heading Clear
Clear the ball with height, distance and width
Heading
Defending
Set Pieces
Pressure Defensive Heading Clear is a 10-minute heading drill for 3-14 players, suitable for Under 12 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
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Defending
Set Pieces
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Quick 10 Minutes
Heading Guidance
Under Pressure
Duration
10 min
Players
3-14
Pitch size
24 x 18 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Pressure Defensive Heading Clear — Marked area · 24 x 18 yards
Step 1 of 5Server throws the ball into the zone for the defender to clear.
- 1. Server throws the ball into the zone for the defender to clear.
- 2. The defender heads for height and distance towards a wide target cone.
- 3. Limit each player to a small number of headers per session.
- 4. The defender is released the moment the ball leaves the server's foot.
- 5. The working player scores by completing the action before pressure arrives; the defender scores by blocking it.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- C = coach / server
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
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
- 1A defensive zone in front of goal with a serving cone 12 yards away in a 24 x 18 yards area.
- 2Position a recovering defender behind each working player, starting two yards back.
- 3Soft, correctly inflated balls only — keep total headers low.
Coaching instructions
- 1Server throws the ball into the zone for the defender to clear.
- 2The defender heads for height and distance towards a wide target cone.
- 3Limit each player to a small number of headers per session.
- 4The defender is released the moment the ball leaves the server's foot.
- 5The working player scores by completing the action before pressure arrives; the defender scores by blocking it.
Coaching points
- -Attack the ball with the forehead
- -Head through the bottom half for height
- -Eyes open on contact
- -Feel the pressure with your body, take the touch away from the defender
Common mistakes
- -Backing away from the ball
- -Too many repetitions in one session
- -Facing your own goal and getting trapped by the press
Where this drill fits
- More football heading drills
- More football defending drills
- More football set pieces drills
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme