Purpose: To practice defensive heading clearances in a gamelike situation.

Procedure: In addition to the 3 v. 3 at the top of the box, three defenders will play against two attackers at the halfway line. Two midfield attackers are positioned about 30 yards from the goal line. Crossers 1 and 2 are waiting on the flanks. The exercise begins with a punt from the goalkeeper to the 3 v. 2 at the halfway line. The defenders at the halfway line head the ball to one of their midfield teammates. The midfield player who receives the ball will diagonally change the point of attack to the opposite crosser. As in previous exercises, Crosser 1 or 2 will dribble and cross the ball into the box for the defenders to head. Whenever a ball is misheaded or lost, the goalkeeper immediately punts to the group at the halfway line, and the exercise continues. Depending on the quality of the keeper's punts, the coach may allow the keeper to move out of the box toward the halfway line to ensure a quality punt.

Coaching Points: The coach again may manipulate the variables to achieve the desired conditions. He or she might begin with no attackers at the halfway line, one attacker, or two attackers --or the coach might even use two of the team's shorter players to elicit initial success for the three defenders.

Variation: Any ball misheaded by the three defenders that goes to the midfielders is a cue for the exercise to become live for a shot on goal. The crossers are always wide, and if played to, they must cross the ball into the box. The exercise is now very much like what the three defenders would experience in a real game. At this point the coach may increase the number of attackers and defenders in the box to even more closely replicate a match. Still, whenever a ball goes out or is saved by the goalkeeper, the next repetition of the exercise begins with a punt to the 3 v. 2 at the halfway line.

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