Heading
The skill of directing the ball with the head to pass, clear or attempt to score.
Overview
Heading is playing the ball with the head, used in football to win aerial balls, clear danger, pass to a teammate or attempt to score. Timing the jump and meeting the ball cleanly are what make it effective.
It is a distinctive skill because contact is made with the head rather than the feet, so judging the flight of the ball and being balanced in the air matter a great deal.
Key points
- Judging the ball’s flight and timing the jump is the key to meeting it cleanly.
- Making contact with the forehead gives the most control and direction.
- Attacking headers are often aimed downward toward goal.
- Defensive headers usually aim for height and distance to clear danger.
- Set-pieces such as corners and free kicks are common heading situations.
Where it’s used
Sports that use heading:
Related skills
How it connects
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Skills Academy
Movement patterns
- StrikeA ballistic, whole-body hitting action that channels ground-generated force through a proximal-to-distal kinetic chain to deliver momentum to a target via the hand, an implement or a body part at the moment of contact.
- JumpThe plyometric pattern of projecting the body off the ground through explosive triple extension and controlling the landing — the core expression of lower-body power.
How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Skill
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-12
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