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Defensive Heading Clearance: Weak Foot Only

Clear the ball high, far and wide

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Defending
Set Pieces

Defensive Heading Clearance: Weak Foot Only is a 12-minute heading drill for 3-14 players, suitable for Under 12 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, full goals. 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
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Weak Foot
Technique
Individual Development

Duration

12 min

Players

3-14

Pitch size

Penalty area

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Defensive Heading Clearance: Weak Foot OnlyC123Penalty area

Defensive Heading Clearance: Weak Foot Only — Finishing set-up — serve, receive, shoot · Penalty area

Step 1 of 4Defender attacks the delivery and heads clear into the target zone.

  1. 1. Defender attacks the delivery and heads clear into the target zone.
  2. 2. Recover to the edge of the box after every clearance.
  3. 3. Ten repetitions each.
  4. 4. Every touch, pass and finish must be with the weaker foot.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Full goal
  • C = coach / server
  • Ball
  • Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
  • Shooter becomes the next server
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Clear the ball high, far and wide
  • -Attack the ball first
  • -Reorganise after the clearance

Setup

  1. 1Server on the flank delivering into the box.
  2. 2Defenders start on the six yard line.
  3. 3Target zone cones outside the box.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Defender attacks the delivery and heads clear into the target zone.
  2. 2Recover to the edge of the box after every clearance.
  3. 3Ten repetitions each.
  4. 4Every touch, pass and finish must be with the weaker foot.

Coaching points

  • -Attack the ball at the highest point
  • -Head through the bottom half to send it high
  • -Clear towards the side, not the middle
  • -Plant foot pointed at the target
  • -Slow the action down to keep quality high

Common mistakes

  • -Waiting on the goal line
  • -Heading straight up
  • -Static jump with no run-up

Where this drill fits

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