Skills & Drills: Offense

Heading
You would be amazed at the distance a hardheaded kid can get by using his noggin’ to redirect a pass in the air. Heading can be used to shoot goals and by defensemen to clear the ball. There are a couple of major do’s and don’ts concerning the use of the head as a ball control weapon. If you can’t take the time to teach this the right way, it is better left untaught until you understand the potential dangers and proper techniques.

1. First and foremost, the player must keep their eyes on the ball and ALWAYS keep their mouth closed. Otherwise, players will have a tendency to bite their tongues upon impact. Ouch!

2. Keep the feet apart and stay balanced and ‘cushion’ the impact of the ball. The player should be relaxed upon impact.

3. After impact and cushion, the player should stiffen the neck and chest muscles while driving the ball forward to the target.