Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 51: Heading & Shooting Competitions

2 complete training sessions with 8 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

Last training week, 2 sessions were already held in which technique was trained in competition formats. Passing and dribbling were applied under pressure. This training week, technique continues to be trained in competitions. The first session works on heading and the second on finishing.

But even though – or precisely because – these two techniques are applied in competition formats and the players' primary aim is to win, attention should be paid to clean technical execution. For heading and finishing, this specifically means:

  • Headers: hit the ball with the flat of the forehead; watch the flight of the ball; head the ball with power and not in an arc; build up arched-back tension; do not turn the upper body sideways
  • Finishing with the inside of the instep: approach at an angle to the direction of the shot; if the ball is to be struck with spin, it has to be struck as far off-centre as possible
  • Side-foot finishing: particularly suitable for placed finishes from close range; the standing foot is placed next to the ball; lock the ankle; lean the upper body over the ball
  • Finishing with the laces: suitable for powerful shots from long range; lean the upper body over the ball; standing foot next to the ball; toes pointing down; kicking leg swings straight through

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

Younger players in particular often still have major weaknesses in heading. Headers are not yet particularly important in games on a small pitch, but that changes in the older age groups. By the move to the full-size pitch at the latest, the basics of heading should be mastered, because set pieces and crosses then become much more important.

However, there are reasons why younger players find heading difficult. One of them is that heading is a technique with quite high coordination demands. The players have to keep their eyes on the ball and jump at the right moment. At the same time, the player also has to hit the ball with the broad surface of the forehead, so that the header does not loop up. But to hit the ball with the forehead, the player has to be able to judge the flight of the ball correctly.

But that is not all. On top of all these demands, the ball should also be headed with enough power. This requires arching the back to build up tension before the ball is headed with full force and the whole body. So most of the power in a header comes from the hips and the core rather than from the neck.

Coaching points for this session
  • Arch the back to build up tension
  • Meet the ball with the large surface of the forehead
  • Watch the flight path of the ball
  • Find the right timing for the take-off (the ball should be met at its highest point in the air)
  • Do not twist the upper body sideways
Drill 1

Star Passing Drill

15 min
  • The player with the ball plays a one-two with the support player in the middle and passes the ball on first time to the team-mate in the bottom right corner.
  • That player passes on, first time if possible, to the next corner at the top right, where the player there also plays a one-two first time with the second support player in the middle.
  • The ball is then passed on, first time if possible, to the player in the top left corner.
  • The starting position and the diagonally opposite side always play a one-two with the middle.
  • After their action the players always move on one position.

Variations: Change the direction of play after 7 to 10 minutes.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones — four for the corners and two for the support positions in the middle.

Equipment: 6 cones and 2 balls.

Players: At least seven players.

Coaching points
  • Play the ball cleanly into the outside foot.
  • Every pass is accompanied by a call.
Drill 2

Heading Competition

15 minPenalty area
  • The team-mates stand diagonally opposite each other about nine metres apart.
  • The players take turns heading at goal from the line after a throw.

Variations: Run it as a competition — which team is the first to score 5, 10 or 15 goals?

Equipment & set-up

Equipment: Enough balls and 1 full-size goal; younger players do the drill with foam balls.

Players: Teams of two players each plus one goalkeeper.

Coaching points

Coaching Point

  • Have the drill run as a competition. Which team is the first to score 5, 10 or 15 goals
Drill 3

Speed Competition With and Without the Ball

20 min
  • A competition is held between the players.
  • The coach calls out three colours — as the drill progresses also numbers, players' names or club names.
  • In this order the players run round the cones and then sprint over the finishing line at the coach.
  • The winner gets a point.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight cones in four colours, plus two tall cones as starting positions.

Equipment: 8 cones and 2 tall cones.

Players: The players stand in the middle at the tall cone.

Coaching points
  • Vary the distance of the finishing line.
  • Start and sprint inside the playing area with a low centre of gravity.
Drill 4

Course: Heading and Finishing

20 minHalf a pitch
  • The players start at the post on both sides at the same time.
  • Both run around the poles.
  • The coaches play the ball into their run at the right moment.
  • The players go straight for the finish.
  • After the shot on goal they change direction towards the goal on the opposite side.
  • There the coaches throw the ball in for a header, which is finished on goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area, two forests of poles stand in the middle; two goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, 4 cones, poles and several balls.

Players: Two groups, placed diagonally next to the goals; plus goalkeepers and two feeders.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to the shooting posture and lean the upper body over the ball.
  • Finish from close range with the inside of the foot.
  • Meet the ball with the large surface of the forehead.
  • Push the ball downwards with the head.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

When finishing is on the agenda, children are usually very enthusiastic. After all, the number of goals scored also decides between victory and defeat. But for younger players, even the number of goals they score themselves is often more important than the team result.

When shooting is trained specifically, make sure the drills are designed to be match-realistic. That means the finishes tend to come from short range and sometimes under pressure from opponents. From U12/U13 at the latest, work can then begin specifically on the individual kicking techniques for finishing. Clean technique is important here, which is why accuracy should initially be given more attention than shooting power.

But alongside executing the technique, training should also address choosing the technique. The players should develop a feel for which kicking technique is best suited to which match situation:

  • Inside-of-the-instep kick: suitable for accurate finishes from short range. Especially when the shot is taken first time.
  • Instep drive: suitable for powerful finishes from long range
  • Inside-of-the-instep kick: suitable for finishes from a tight angle or a steep approach to the ball. The inside-of-the-instep kick is also very good for putting spin on the ball.
  • Toe poke: suitable for finishes without a backswing, to surprise the opponent
Coaching points for this session
  • Look up from the ball once more before the finish (the goalkeeper's positioning)
  • Finish with both feet
  • Switch immediately after the finish to win the ball back or to put away a rebound from the goalkeeper
  • Do not hesitate when a chance to finish arises
Drill 1

Relay Competition | Technique Training

15 min

Exercise 1

  • Within the group the ball is kept up in the air. Every player takes three touches and plays the ball back to the player opposite with the third touch.
  • Whoever has played the ball joins the back of the group again.
  • The aim is to keep the ball up for as long as possible and not let it drop to the ground.
  • If a player makes a mistake or the ball drops to the ground, the team receives a penalty point. The first team to reach five penalty points loses. Three rounds are planned.

Exercise 2

  • The relay competition is then contested as a heading game: within the group the ball is headed back and forth with one touch before joining the back of the queue again.
  • Alternatively two headed touches are possible — control and return. The coach decides.
Equipment & set-up

Equipment: 1 ball per group.

Players: Two groups lining up facing each other.

Coaching points
  • Despite the competition, pay attention to high quality.
Drill 2

Competition on Mini Goals

15 min
  • The ball is passed from position A to Player B, who dribbles around the cone with the ball.
  • This is followed by a step-over at the double cone and a pass to Player A — from the right with the right foot, from the left with the left foot.
  • Beforehand Player A runs through the agility ladder with the prescribed coordination pattern.
  • Player A finishes on the mini goal with the inside of the foot just behind the shooting line.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: An agility ladder, cones and a double cone as shown in the graphic, as well as two mini goals.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, cones, 1 agility ladder and several balls.

Players: The players with a ball stand behind the agility ladder at position A, a second player stands at the other cone at position B.

Coaching points
  • Train with both feet.
  • Pay attention to quality in the execution, also without the ball.
Drill 3

Finishing Drill with Cone Dribbling

20 min
  • On a call the first players of each queue start at the same time; four players are always involved in one round.
  • At position 2 the player pushes the ball forward and shoots at goal immediately.
  • At position 1 the player first completes the slalom course with the ball and then finishes immediately afterwards.
  • Meanwhile Player 3 plays the ball out to the wide position, and Player 4 delivers a cross, if possible first time and on the run.
  • After Players 1 and 2 have shot at goal, they cross their running paths and try to convert the cross.
  • After the execution it is the turn of the next group; the four players move on one position in the next round.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four stations with a slalom course of cones and a goal.

Equipment: 8 cones, 1 goal and several balls.

Players: Four stations with one player each. The players at positions A, B and C have a ball.

Coaching points
  • Pay attention to precise timing.
  • Gradually increase the tempo of the drill.
Drill 4

Team Competition

20 min
  • The players start diagonally and at the same time.
  • They dribble in a slalom through the poles.
  • They run around the mini goal and finish on the goal opposite.
  • Whoever finishes first receives one point; a goal earns a further point.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight to ten poles form two slalom courses; at the ends there are two mini goals.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, 8 to 10 poles and several balls.

Players: Two teams that start diagonally opposite each other.

Coaching points
  • Perform the drills cleanly despite the competition.
  • Look up from the ball.
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