Heading Videos

Watch the technique before you train it — contact, timing, attacking headers, clearances and neck work.

How to Head a Football — Full Technique Tutorial

Unisport break down forehead contact, body shape and timing — the fundamentals before any power work.

Generating Power With Your Body

Progressive Soccer on using the whole upper body, not just the neck, to drive through the ball.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Header vs Sweden

The benchmark for jump timing and hang time — watch how early he leaves the ground.

Robin van Persie's Diving Header

Attacking the front of the ball and directing it down — a masterclass in commitment.

Prefer written guides? Start with how to head a soccer ball or the 10-drill library.

What to look for in a heading video

Watch one part of the action at a time. On the first viewing, follow the ball from delivery to contact. On the next, follow the player’s feet and starting position. Only then examine the jump and contact. A spectacular finish can hide the early movement that created it. The purpose of analysis is to identify a useful decision, not to imitate a professional player’s height, speed or collision.

Pause before the delivery and ask where the player wants the ball to go. A near-post run, a back-post attack and a defensive clearance demand different destinations. Compare the player’s body position with that target. Does the approach create space? Is the player reacting to the flight or continuing a run after the service has changed? These questions connect a highlight to a teachable coaching point.

Slow motion helps show sequence but can be misleading about time. A movement that looks leisurely in a replay may occur very quickly in a match. Do not infer an exact jump height, impact force or contact speed from a broadcast angle. Camera perspective, playback speed and the chosen frame all affect what you see. Use verified measurements when making a numerical claim rather than measuring pixels in a clip.

Professional diving headers and contested jumps are not beginner exercises. Identify the underlying skill, such as early flight reading or choosing a target, and practise that at an appropriate level instead of copying the whole highlight. Start with predictable service only where heading is permitted. Add complexity gradually and stop when control deteriorates. A video cannot assess a player’s medical history or their suitability for contact.

For a team review, ask players to describe what happens after the header. A clearance may land at an opponent’s feet; a flick-on may need a supporting runner; a finish may depend on a teammate drawing a defender away. This avoids judging every action solely by whether the player touched the ball first. The written guides below provide setups and coaching context that a short highlight may omit.

Embedded videos are hosted by YouTube, and availability can change independently of Heading Skills. If a clip fails to load, the written technique and drill guides remain the starting point. Report a missing video through the contact page with the title and page address. Check youth rules before using any contact activity shown, and do not treat a technique demonstration as a promise of injury prevention.