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Play Soccer with Pelé
3. The Header
In this
third lesson I'm going to try and explain how I headed the ball that scored the
first goal for Brazil in the World Cup Final in Mexico. I expect you
remember that goal and how thrilled I was when I saw the ball in the Italian
net. All that joy wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't been prepared by
constant training and if I hadn't learned some of the finer points of heading.
I have already explained that you should ask 'why' something is before 'how' to
do it. The first thing I tried to do was to understand the fundamental laws of
heading. I expect you've heard of the law of gravity. I hope you also know
about the force of inertia.
The two forces of gravity and inertia are combined in the
leap for the header. The force of inertia is utilized by the leap upwards and
gravity prevents the body from rising too high. The more powerful the leap, the
higher you'll go. So the force of inertia helps you rise to the ball and,
having headed the ball, the force of gravity pulls you back to the ground
again. In time you will be able to judge just how high and at what moment you
should jump for the ball. So practice leaping in the air and if you thrust down
one or both arms quickly you'll gain just a bit more height, which might make
all the difference when defending or trying to score a goal. The header must be
taken on the fore head and never with the top of your head. Never shut your
eyes when heading. By keeping them open you are able to see the ball coming and
where you want to send it. So head with your forehead, keeping your eyes open
and your mouth shut in case of any accident like biting your tongue.
To increase
the power of your header, you should lean backwards and then thrust your body
forward very quickly and vigorously at the moment of impact so the work isn't
only done by your neck muscles. The movement of the body backwards is slower
than the explosive thrust forward. This can be practiced at first without a
ball and later on with one. First practice the header while standing and then
jumping. Don't forget that heading is as important as passing when it comes to
defending or scoring. Unfortunately there are many Brazilian footballers who
just do not know how to head the ball. Perhaps it's because of inadequate
training or maybe they do not realize how important heading is in football. For
this reason start practicing and trying to understand the basic principles of
heading as soon as you possibly can.
A good header can get your attack going. Heading really does speed up the game.
By using your head you don't have to waste precious seconds for the ball to
reach the ground so you can kick it. During a game the opportunity of heading
occurs very frequently. You can head the ball while you're standing, running or
jumping. The ball can be headed forwards, sideways or backwards; at different
heights -upwards, level or down. You can also try a diving header. Don't be
frightened of this one because if you do it correctly you can't get hurt. Use
your forehead because the ball doesn't hurt the front of your head. In a diving
header you must know how to protect yourself with your arms when you fall to
prevent a nasty accident. You'll be able to do this with practice, training
with and without the ball, alone or with friends.
At first you should learn how
to head the ball forwards while standing still, running and lumping. Having
mastered this technique, it's time to learn others. It's essential to keep
practicing because the act of heading is a coordinated movement which uses
nearly every muscle in your body. If you are learning how to jump and head the
ball, don't forget that you shouldn't only use your stronger leg to push you
off the ground but the other one as well. Learn to push with the left foot and
the right. If you push with the right leg, bend your left knee to increase your
thrust upwards. Sometimes you'll have to use both feet to push off with for the
jump, whether standing or running. When you push off with both feet the arms
help to achieve the whole movement by adding to the lift of the body. Just
before your feet leave the ground extend your relaxed arms behind you. Then, at
the moment you leap, thrust your arms forward and upwards. This will add
momentum to your jump. Practice these tactics and you'll be able to reach that
high ball. I expect you now know how I managed to head that goal against Italy.
If it hadn't been for my training and all the tips I picked up through
observation, study and advice from experts and more experienced players, I am
sure I'd never have been able to head that ball into goal.
Next Chapter: 4. The Kick
Previous Chapter: 2. The Pass
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