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Soccer: Heading Variations

What a fantastic tool. I 've found a few drills that are unfamiliar,...

Wes, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

Working in pairs one player feeds whilst the other player is the returning player who heads the ball back to the feeder's hands.

However, the returning player must have their wits about them as they need to listen out to the feeder's call.

The feeder has three calls -

Feet, attacking and defensive.

Depending on the call the heading player must perform a different sort of header.

COACHING POINTS

What headers should do:

1. Feet - Head the ball to the feeder's feet, as if you were passing the ball to them.

2. Attacking - A strong attacking header, aimed at the feeder at chest height (for them to catch).

3. Defensive - The feeder should back track, ready to catch the headerer's clearance style header.

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OFTEN USED WITH...

Point Blank Heading:

Players 1, 3 and 5 are feeding the ball towards the 6 yard box. Players 2, 4 and 6 take turns to either head or volley towards goal.

Once players have either fed, or shot they swap to the other side.

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Heading Game:

Players are split into two teams and line up behind the red cone at their end. One blue player starts in the middle between the two middle cones. They are the goalkeeper.

To start the drill the coach feeds a lofted throw to the red player to advance onto and try to head between the cones. The blue keeper tries to stop the ball and can use any part of their body to do so.

After they have headed the ball the goalkeeping player joins the back of the opposite line and the red player (who just had the attacking header) becomes the new keeper between the cones.

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World Cup Headers:

Groups of 4 players are paired and stationed on the sides of the area as shown in the diagram. Each team takes on the identity of a World Cup Team.

The object of the game is to head the ball past the opposing team and over the opposing goal line. The player in possession serves the ball to his teammate to head towards the opposing goal line. The defending team must attempt to stop the ball from crossing their end line without using their hands. Once the ball has been stopped, the receiving player picks the ball up and serves the ball to his partner to repeat in the opposite direction.

If a team heads a ball straight back and scores, the team gets 2 points.

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Pass Wide, Cross and Attacking Header:

Players line up in 3 queues, with the ball starting with player 1.

Player 1 makes a 1-2 pass with player 2 before passing the ball down the line for player 3 to run onto.

Player 3 times their run to meet the pass and gets the ball under control before swinging a cross into the box for the players 1 and 2 to run onto and head into the goal.

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