Can I head the ball?
Rule- England
- England Football
- The FA
- Women's and girls' football
- Youth football
- Mixed football
- Grassroots
- 2026/27
- Players
- Under 7-Open age
It depends on your age group. The same rules apply to girls and boys.
In matches (FA Rule O and the 2026/27 Mini-Soccer Handbook):
- Under 7 to Under 11: no deliberate heading. A deliberate header is punished by an indirect free kick to the other team where it happened. If it happens in the player's own penalty area, the free kick is taken from the nearest point on the edge of the penalty area. There's no card for a header unless it is persistent and deliberate, which can lead to a caution.
- Under 12 and older: heading is allowed in matches.
In training (England Football heading guidance):
| Age group | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Under 7 to Under 11 | No heading in training |
| Under 12 and Under 13 | Very low priority; at most one session a week, light balls, no more than 5 headers per player, self-served or short distance, always unopposed |
| Under 14 to Under 16 | At most one session a week with heading practice, no more than 10 headers per player per session |
| Under 18 and adult grassroots | At most one session a week with heading practice, no more than 10 headers per session |
Added 21 Oct 2026