Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Heading fundamentals (Start Time: 2025-02-02 08:30:00)

Heading warm up/ fundamental skills (30 mins)

ORGANISATION:

• Circle 20m across, six on outside, six on inside, ball with each player on outside

HOW TO PLAY:

• Ball is played into the middle, player receives, controls, plays out.
• Step Up:  Opposed with six on outside with three balls, six in middle. players in middle are partnered and becomes one v one. If you win the ball you are the attacker. Rotate after 90 seconds. three sets

COACHING POINTS:

• Perception
  • Scanning
  • Two movements
  • (stay close to your player)
  • (Demand the ball and the space)
  • 
    
• Decision making
  • If we are looking fo
• Exection
  
  • General heading
    • Eyes on the ball
    • Contact between eyebrows and hairline
    • Neck stiff (chin tucked in)
  • Header to shoot
    • Side on to the ball
    • Arms up to protect the ball and the space
    • Drive through with you body, body forward, arms tucked in (chicken dance)
    • Low and accurate
  • Header to switch
    • As you hit the ball, move your head to the way you want the ball to go
    • Hit the nose of the ball
  • Header to clear
    • Hit the chin or mouth of the ball
    • Drive through the ball
    • Make it go high and far
  • For Control
    • Absorb the pressure
    • playing into your own feet

CHANGE IT / PROGRESSIONS:

• Start with passes to feet, stretch
• Header to pass, stretch
• Header to shoot (Distance), stretch
• Header to switch (close), stretch
• Header to clear (distance, stretch
• Header to control, stretch
• Passive pressure header, stretch

8v8+2 game - scoring from headers (25 mins)

ORGANISATION:

• small field. As wide as the half way between by line and 18 yard. second goal on centre circle
• 1-3-2-3 v 1-3-3-2. Bouncers on each outside

HOW TO PLAY:

• Ball starts with goalkeeper, if ball goes out, starts with keeper who didn't kick the ball out
• To score a goal, ball must be played into the wide player who will then throw the ball in for the header.
• Ball from wide areas worth three, headers worth five. Form central play only one

COACHING POINTS:

• Perception
  • Defence
    • Man mark, man to man press or mid block
    • Defending the cross - same as where the attacking players are, a little deeper.
  • Attack
    • Shape - left/right/middle/far
      
    • Make the pitch as big as possible
    • Constant movement into pockets to entice and attract defenders
    • Curve your run
    • goal scoring formation (diamond)
  • Defend,
    • prevent central passes
• Decision Making
  • Control ball to controll ball
  • Can we play the furthest line
  • If we can progress the ball, off the ball can we get where opposition cannot see you and the ball or in between lines where it is hard to defend
  • If unable to progress the ball, can we get level an underneath
• Execution
• General heading
• • Eyes on the ball
  • Contact between eyebrows and hairline
  • Neck stiff (chin tucked in)
  • Header to shoot
    • Side on to the ball
    • Arms up to protect the ball and the space
    • Drive through with you body, body forward, arms tucked in (chicken dance)
    • Low and accurate
  • Header to switch
    • As you hit the ball, move your head to the way you want the ball to go
    • Hit the nose of the ball
  • Header to clear
    • Hit the chin or mouth of the ball
    • Drive through the ball
    • Make it go high and far
• CHANGE IT / PROGRESSIONS:

• PLyaers can now cross the ball in with their feet
• Can only score if entire team is over half way