Can my child head the ball?
Rule- England
- England Football
- Mini-soccer
- Under 7
- Under 8
- 3v3
- 5v5
- FutureFit
- 2026/27
- Parents
No. There is no deliberate heading in matches for Under 7s up to and including Under 11s (FA Rule O, the heading trial permitted by IFAB).
- A deliberate header is an offence punished by an indirect free kick to the other team, taken where the header happened.
- If a player deliberately heads the ball inside their own penalty area, the restart is an indirect free kick to the opposition on the nearest edge of the penalty area.
- There's no card for a deliberate header unless a player keeps doing it on purpose, which could lead to a caution.
- In 3v3 (Under 7), heading is simply not allowed.
In training, The FA's heading guidance says heading should not be introduced at all for Under 5s to Under 11s.
Added 21 Oct 2026