Heading Drills Football

1. Heading technique from the hands

Contact point and neck strength

Set up

Pairs stand four yards apart. One player throws a gentle, waist-to-head-height ball, the partner heads it back into their hands. Six headers each, then swap.

Coaching points

Eyes open, mouth closed, contact with the forehead — never the top of the head. Attack the ball with the whole upper body rather than nodding with the neck alone.

Make it harder

Ask for direction: head down to the left hand, then the right hand. Keep the volume low and the ball soft.

2. Defensive heading for height

Clearing the ball long and high

Set up

A server throws from ten yards. The defender heads the ball back over the server's head, aiming high and long. Four repetitions, then rotate.

Coaching points

Get under the ball, contact the bottom half, and use the arms for balance without leading with them. Head it up the pitch and towards a touchline, never square across the middle.

Make it harder

Serve from a wider angle, then let the defender start with a short recovery step before the header.

3. Attacking header down and in

Directing headers on goal

Set up

A server delivers a soft, high ball from the side of the box ten yards out. The attacker heads it downwards towards a corner of the goal.

Coaching points

Contact the top half of the ball to send it down, meet it in front of the body, and pick the corner before the ball arrives. Downward headers are far harder to save.

Make it harder

Add a passive defender who marks the attacker, then a keeper working live.

4. Near post flick-on

Timing the run to the first contact

Set up

A driven, chest-height cross comes to the near post. The attacker times a run across the defender and glances the ball on towards the far post, where a second attacker arrives.

Coaching points

Start behind the defender and arrive late. A small glancing contact is enough — the pace comes from the cross, not the neck.

Make it harder

Add a marker on the far-post runner, then vary between near-post flicks and far-post finishes.

5. Defending crosses as a pair

First and second contact in the box

Set up

Two defenders against two attackers in the six-yard area. A wide server crosses. Defenders score a point for a clean clearing header, attackers for a header on target.

Coaching points

Attack the ball, do not wait for it. Front defender takes the first contact, second defender covers the space behind. Communicate before the cross arrives.

Make it harder

Add a third attacker, or restrict defenders to headers only in the first phase.

6. Set-piece heading routine

Rehearsing corners and free kicks

Set up

Rehearse one corner routine: two attackers make a blocking run to the near post while a third arrives at the penalty spot to head at goal. Six deliveries, then switch roles.

Coaching points

Movement first, contact second. Start from outside the box so the header is met with momentum, and attack a fixed zone rather than the ball's flight.

Make it harder

Add three defenders and a keeper so the routine has to beat real markers.

7. Head-and-catch keep ball

Heading volume kept low but useful

Set up

6v3 in a 25x20 yard area. The ball is thrown, headed by the receiver, then caught by the next player. A point for five clean sequences.

Coaching points

Head towards a teammate's hands, not just away. Support angles matter as much as the header, so keep moving after every contact.

Make it harder

Reduce the area, or make it a two-team game where an interception turns possession over.

8. Crossing and heading game

Applying heading in a match picture

Set up

6v6 across the width of the box with two wide servers. Goals from headers count double, and every attack must start with a cross.

Coaching points

Time the arrival, occupy different zones — near post, penalty spot, far post — and hold the run until the crosser looks up.

Make it harder

Limit crosses to two touches, or add a rule that the first header must come from outside the six-yard box.

At what age can players head the ball in football?

UK guidance removes deliberate heading from training for under-12s. From U12 upwards heading can be introduced gradually with a low number of headers per session, using light contact and a properly inflated ball. Football Coach Hub hides heading drills for under-12 age groups automatically.

How many headers should a session include?

Keep it low and purposeful. A handful of headers per player in a session is plenty at youth level — six to ten quality repetitions taught well beats a long heading block, and the game itself adds more.

How do you teach heading technique safely?

Start from a partner's throw at chest-to-head height, contact with the forehead, eyes open and mouth closed, and move the whole upper body into the ball rather than flicking the neck. Check the ball is not over-inflated and never use a heavy, wet, over-pumped ball for technique work.

What is the difference between defensive and attacking headers?

Defensive headers go up, long and wide: get under the ball and contact the bottom half. Attacking headers go down and into a corner: meet the ball in front of you and contact the top half so it drops towards the line.