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Aerial Duel Practice

Compete safely for aerial balls

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Defending

Attacking

Premium

Aerial Duel Practice is a 12-minute heading drill for 4-16 players, suitable for Under 12 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs. 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

Attacking

Skill Practice

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Full Squad

Minimal Equipment

Youth Friendly

Adult Suitable

Duration

12 min

Players

4-16

Pitch size

15 x 12 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Aerial Duel Practice — Pairs facing each other · 15 x 12 yards

Step 1 of 4Server lofts the ball into the contest zone.

1. Server lofts the ball into the contest zone.
2. Attacker tries to head into the far target, defender clears it.
3. Swap roles every four repetitions.
4. Rotation: Swap roles every four repetitions.

Ball
Pairs working across a marked lane
C = coach / server
Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

-Compete safely for aerial balls
-Win the first contact
-Follow up the duel

Setup

1Two servers on opposite sides of a 15 yard area.
2Pairs of attacker and defender in the middle.
3Cones mark the contest zone.

Coaching instructions

1Server lofts the ball into the contest zone.
2Attacker tries to head into the far target, defender clears it.
3Swap roles every four repetitions.

Coaching points

-Get the body in front to claim the space
-Time the jump on the ball's flight
-Stay strong but fair in the contact

Common mistakes

-Jumping too soon
-Backing away from the contact
-Watching the opponent instead of the ball

Equipment needed

Balls

Cones

Bibs

Age groups

Under 12

Under 13

Under 14

Under 15

Under 16

Adults

Progressions

+Two-Touch Limit: drop to one touch in the central area
+Weak Foot Only: add a defender to raise the pressure
+Tempo Clock: cut the clock to four seconds
+Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

-Two-Touch Limit: allow three touches while the picture is learned
-Weak Foot Only: static, unopposed reps before adding movement
-Tempo Clock: extend the clock to ten seconds
-Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

-Two-Touch Limit — Players are limited to two touches — one to control, one to release.
-Weak Foot Only — Every touch, pass and finish must be with the weaker foot.
-Tempo Clock — The ball must reach the end action inside six seconds or the rep restarts.
-Scan and Cue — The coach shows a colour or number and the receiver must call it before their first touch.
-Shadow Pressure — A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.
-Score Challenge — Run it as a timed competition — pairs or teams count successful reps and compare scores.
-1-to-1 Session — Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.
-Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch