Developing players to use their heads like their feet.

Players must have the confidence and skill to both control, pass and shoot the ball with their head. They must be able to cope with balls moving at speed while under physical pressure from opponents. In order to accomplish this they must have the fundamental skill of moving the ball where they want.

White Grade.

The player will self feed in order to head the ball in each of the four directions across a 3m space.

Progressions to Black grade

Eventually the player must be able to confidently, powerfully and accurately control a fast moving ball arriving with realistic variability.

Challenge game

Bombers. Here

Top tip

We have to walk a sensible line between the paranoia of future litigation stopping us form teaching heading at all, and the irresponsible approach of saying "carry on as before, it never did me any harm."

I only let players do this repetitively with a size 2 ball or once a session with a bigger ball. The younger the players the less they do this challenge, but everyone is taught to head a ball safely and without fear.