Heading Technique Checklist
The six-step technique and five coaching cues on one page. Print it and take it to training.
Written by James Whitfield, UEFA B License
The 6-step technique
- 1. Track the flight early
Pick the ball up as it leaves the server's foot. Decide your contact point before you move.
- 2. Move to the ball
Take a step toward the flight. Never stand still and let it arrive.
- 3. Set the base
Load one foot for a jump or split the stance for a standing header.
- 4. Brace the neck
Chin firm, jaw closed, head and torso locked as one unit through contact.
- 5. Contact on the forehead
Hairline, flat surface, eyes open all the way through the ball.
- 6. Direct and follow through
Attack the ball, drive through it toward your target, land balanced.
The 5 coaching cues
- ☐ Eyes open
- ☐ Forehead, not the crown
- ☐ Neck locked
- ☐ Attack the ball
- ☐ Direct it down
Next: the full technique guide or the 10-drill library.
Use the checklist as a coaching review
Select one cue for a set rather than calling out all five at once. Watch a complete movement, explain the observation and let the player try the adjustment. A useful correction identifies something visible: an early step, a stable base or contact directed toward an agreed target. General demands to be tougher or more confident do not tell the player what to change.
Use the checklist before adding complexity. A predictable service and a clear target let you separate contact problems from movement problems. If the ball arrives inconsistently, correct the service first. Do not ask for a harder header when the player is still trying to find the right position. Keep the feet, flight and intended destination in the review alongside the contact point.
The phrase “direct it down” applies to an attacking finish, not every header. A defensive clearance often needs height and a destination away from central danger; a passing header needs a teammate as its target. Choose the outcome before selecting the cue. The same forehead contact can serve different tactical decisions, and winning first contact does not always mean winning the next phase.
Before any contact exercise, check the player’s age and applicable competition rules. Where heading is prohibited, rehearse tracking and movement without head contact. Count deliberate headers where practice is permitted and keep within the relevant limits. A checklist is not a safety certificate: good technique, a warm-up and neck strength do not eliminate concussion risk. Stop for discomfort or symptoms and follow qualified medical guidance.
After a set, ask the player to name the cue that helped and the part that remains uncertain. Record the next focus rather than awarding a pass for completing a fixed number of attempts. Printed copies are useful beside a session plan, but should not include children’s private medical information. The full technique guide provides the context behind these reminders.