Heading
Aerial Duel Practice: Shadow Pressure
Compete safely for aerial balls
Heading
Defending
Attacking
Aerial Duel Practice: Shadow Pressure 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.
Back to drill libraryHeading
Defending
Attacking
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Opposed
Under Pressure
Game Realistic
Duration
12 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
15 x 12 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Aerial Duel Practice: Shadow Pressure — Pairs facing each other · 15 x 12 yards
Step 1 of 5Server 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. A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.
- 5. 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.
- 4A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.
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
- -Take the touch away from pressure
- -Protect the ball with the far foot and body
Common mistakes
- -Jumping too soon
- -Backing away from the contact
- -Watching the opponent instead of the ball