This is a fun way to practice heading for all ages of players.
Objective: to be the first team to knock three balls off cones with a header.
Set up:
- Divide your players into teams of four or five.
- Each team apart from one player, the server, lines up about six feet away from a row of three, flat cones.
- The server stands on the other side of the cones, facing the rest of their team.
- A ball is balanced on top of each of the cones.
How to play:
- On your command, the servers throw a ball to the first player in their team’s line who attempts to knock a ball off one of the cones with a header.
- Hit or miss, the first player goes to the back of the line, the server collects the ball and throws it to the next player.
- The game continues until one team knocks all their balls off the cones.
Progression: modify the distance from the players to the cones and you can practise side-foot volleys, passes or even shots in the same way.