Coaching football head control skills is important in both youth and adult soccer. In this section, we discuss cushioning the ball using the head to drop the ball to feet. Attacking, defensive and other heading techniques have their own sections.

The aim of the control header is to drop the ball to feet as soon as possible. Make contact with the ball in the centre of your forehead, and use your whole body as a shock absorber to cushion the ball. In particular, bend your knees to drop your upper body and arch your back on impact. Your head must be upwards when you receive the ball, in order to cushion it. If you try to head the ball down, you will knock it to the ground, but you will not be able to take the pace off the ball. Let gravity drop the ball to your fee

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A training exercise from Soccer Academy

The legs are used to cushion the ball, and act like a shock absorber. The arms are used for balance, and to make it harder for opponents to challenge for the ball.

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