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Underload Defensive Heading Clear
Clear the ball with height, distance and width
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Defending
Set Pieces
Underload 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
Underload
Duration
10 min
Players
3-14
Pitch size
24 x 18 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Underload 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 attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
- 5. Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.
- 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.
- 2Add one extra defender to the working area and mark their start position with a flat cone.
- 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 attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
- 5Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.
Coaching points
- -Attack the ball with the forehead
- -Head through the bottom half for height
- -Eyes open on contact
- -Protect the ball and wait for the second runner rather than forcing it
Common mistakes
- -Backing away from the ball
- -Too many repetitions in one session
- -Trying to beat two players instead of releasing early
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