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Aerial Duel Practice: Score Challenge
Compete safely for aerial balls
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Defending
Attacking
Aerial Duel Practice: Score Challenge 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
Competitive
Fun
Repetition
Duration
12 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
15 x 12 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Aerial Duel Practice: Score Challenge — 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. Run it as a timed competition — pairs or teams count successful reps and compare scores.
- 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.
- 4Run it as a timed competition — pairs or teams count successful reps and compare scores.
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
- -Keep quality while the score matters
- -Reset quickly between reps to fit more in
Common mistakes
- -Jumping too soon
- -Backing away from the contact
- -Watching the opponent instead of the ball