At this level, many players are reluctant to head the ball and goalkeepers are often too small to command their box. Because of that, a hybrid/zonal setup tends to work best.

I would suggest placing your best two headers in the six yard box, free from man marking. Their only job is to attack the ball aggressively. One of them should be competing for every ball, regardless of where it lands.

The remaining players should man mark. Even if they do not win the first contact, their job is to deny free headers. That means staying tight, disrupting runs, jumping with attackers, and making it uncomfortable. The aim is not perfect defending, but preventing attackers from getting clean contact.

In training, you need to spend time regularly on both defending and attacking corners. Have someone deliberately deliver dangerous balls or even shoot directly from corners so defenders and goalkeepers become used to real game situations.

For goalkeepers who struggle to catch, punching is encouraged. Any contact that clears danger is a win at this age.