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Aerial Duel Practice: Scan and Cue
Compete safely for aerial balls
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Defending
Attacking
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Aerial Duel Practice: Scan and Cue 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
Scanning
Decision Making
Awareness
Duration
12 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
15 x 12 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Aerial Duel Practice: Scan and Cue — 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. The coach shows a colour or number and the receiver must call it before their 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.
- 4The coach shows a colour or number and the receiver must call it before their 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
- -Scan over the shoulder as the ball travels
- -Head up early so the picture is taken pre-touch
Common mistakes
- -Jumping too soon
- -Backing away from the contact
- -Watching the opponent instead of the ball