Heading the ball in Football is one of the most essential skills necessary, whether offensively advancing it forward or defensively clearing it away. Being able to head accurately can make an enormous difference to a game – whether that be receiving long passes from teammates, crossing into space, or for strikers taking shots on goal.
An effective football header must always remain aware of their surroundings, especially other players that could also be heading the same ball or nearby, to prevent collisions that could cause injury and use proper technique when heading so as not to strike their skull too hard and cause concussions.
Young players tend to self-toss the ball into the air in order to play it with their heads, which can be an expensive mistake as they risk striking it with an incorrect part of their forehead (typically the top portion) rather than hitting it directly at center. This increases risk for concussion while simultaneously diminishing accuracy and power when headering the ball.
When heading a ball it is essential that your eyes remain open until impact. This will prevent colliding into opposing or friendly players as well as prevent glancing headers that could knock your teeth out or cause lasting damage to the back of your head.
Heading a ball requires considerable power, so it is vital that your neck and back muscles are engaged to absorb any shock of an impactful header. Clamp down on your teeth as tightly as possible in order to avoid biting into tongue or breaking any teeth during an impactful header, while shock absorbing headgear may help soften its impact; some coaches encourage this practice; however, never use headgear as a replacement for proper technique!
As soon as possible, training headers is important to build confidence and skills – but only with an age appropriate soccer ball that is properly inflated to prevent increased force on headers that could result in injuries. Assign one person the responsibility of inflating soccer balls for youth players so that there is no opportunity for anyone else to overinflate and cause injuries. Limit the time spent on heading drills, and only introduce competition when players feel secure that they can safely interact with other players. New guidelines have been released for young players that limit them to participating in 10 high force headers per week; it is vital that all players strictly abide by these regulations to avoid injuries and concussions.
