Changes to Heading Advice for Youth Players

The English FA has announced updated Heading Guidance for all age groups between Under 6 and Under 18, in association with the Irish and Scottish FAs.

FA Chief Executive, Mark Bullingham, said: "This updated Heading Guidance is an evolution of our current guidelines and will help coaches and teachers to reduce and remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football. 

"Our research has shown that heading is very rare in youth football matches, so we believe this is a responsible development to our grassroots coaching, which will help to mitigate any potential risks without impacting the way the matches are played."

In the younger age brackets from U6 through to U11, heading should not be introduced in training sessions. Moving into the U12 heading remains a low priority with 1 session per month with light balls, limited repetition of a maximum of five headers using self-serve or short distances. 

Within the U13 age cohort, heading again remains low priority and it is something that should not be actively introduced regularly. Yet, coaches, if they feel it is necessary can introduce one session per week of heading with light balls with each player having a maximum five headers each.

U14 through to U16 shows further progression for heading guidance. Heading can be practiced as 1 session per week limiting the number of headers per player to 10 in each session. Different types of headers can start to be used, and coaches can introduce position-specific movement patterns. 

Final heading guidance and progression in youth football in U17-18 as the game begins to replicate adult guidelines coaches should use a variety. The important guideline and progression with the introduction of contested headers. Players should still be limited to 10 headers per session and coaches should limit heading practices to 1 session per week.