Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): U12 Technical Session: Heading (1) - Drills & SSG

Defensive Heading in Threes (10 mins)

Organisation

Place players in groups of three, standing in a line with 5 yards between them.

Aim

To develop defensive heading technique.

Instructions

Player A throws to Player B, who heads the ball over Player A to Player C. Player C controls the ball and returns it to Player A. It then becomes Player C's turn to head the ball. Players rotate every 2 mins.

Coaching Points

Player heading the ball:

stands with feet apart and uses the ground for leverage.

attempts to strike the bottom half of the ball to gain height

uses his arms to pull the chest forward to add power to the contact

keeps teh neck and body muscles firm and is aggressive

have feet apart

be ready to adjust his feet according to the flight of the service in order to shift his body

Coaching Progressions

1. Increase distance between the players

2. look to increase the height of the clearance

3. introduce run, jump and head with players to head the ball standing a further 5 yards back from the server to begin (use yellow cones as the starting position)

4. the next receiver (in the above example Player C) must move to one of the two cones, at the point Player A serves the ball to Player B, so as to make a target for Plaer B to head the ball to.

5. the server, having served, becomes an opponent, and tries to intercept the ball, to include with his hands. If successful or, if the player heading the ball fails to head the ball beyond the receing players two red cones, the server swaps places with the player heading the ball (in effect, piggy-in-the-middle).

SSG: Throw, Head, Catch (10 mins)

Organisation

Split players into two even teams with GK's. Create area width of penalty area x length of half a pitch.

Instructions

Players progress by throwing to a teammate who must head to another teammate, who then catches the ball and throws.

Opponents can gain possession only by using the same sequence (eg. by heading a pass that has been thrown by the opponents, or catching a ball that has been headed.

If the ball falls to the ground, first player from either side secures possession and game restarts.

Player in possession is not allowed to take more than three steps while holding the ball.

All goals must be scoered from a headed attempt at goal.

If the ball leaves the field of play, play recommences with a throw in, a throw corner or a throw from the GK.

Coaching Points

Players must create space to receive a throw.

Players receiving a throw must be aware of the positions of teammates before the ball arrives - constant checking of shoulder and surveying the pitch.

Defenders - may need to clear the ball - or, if they have time, direct an intercepted header to a teammate.

Progressions

1. Goals can only be scored by a player with both feet off the ground (eg. diving header or attacking the ball at its highest point).