Head Soccer Tips: 15 Ways to Win More Matches
Head soccer is one of the simplest sports games ever made. Two players, two oversized heads, one ball and two goals. You move, you jump, you kick, and that is about it. Yet some players win nine matches out of ten while others keep watching the ball fly past their ear.
The difference is rarely reflexes. It is where you stand, when you jump and what you do with your special shot. The tips below work in almost any big-head soccer game. For the examples we use Meme Heads Soccer, our own free version that runs in the browser.
How head soccer works
Big-head soccer games took off as browser and phone games in the early 2010s, and the basic rules have barely changed since:
- One player on each side, each with a goal behind them.
- You can move left and right, jump and kick. Your head is the biggest part of your body, so most touches are headers.
- Matches are short, usually a minute or two. Most goals wins.
- Most versions add a power shot that charges over time.
In Meme Heads Soccer a match lasts about a minute, your super shot charges every 20 seconds, and each of the 14 heads has its own super.
Positioning: where to stand
1. Stand a little in front of your goal, not inside it. If you hug the goal line, every shot that gets past your head goes straight in. Stand about one head-width out. You can still get back in time, and you meet the ball earlier, before it picks up speed.
2. Stay between the ball and your goal. It sounds obvious, but most goals in head soccer come from a player who chased the ball and ended up on the wrong side of it. Before you run at the ball, ask yourself: if I miss it, am I still blocking my goal?
3. Cross the halfway line only with a reason. Going forward pays off when the ball is on your opponent's half and moving away from you. Push up then, because a ball that bounces off their head and drops near the middle is an easy shot. The rest of the time, stay home.
4. Watch the other head, not only the ball. If your opponent is deep in their goal, aim high. If they have come far out, a low shot along the ground can roll under them.
Jumping and heading
5. Jump late. The most common mistake is jumping the moment the ball goes up. You reach the top of your jump, start falling, and the ball sails over you. Wait until the ball is coming down toward you, then jump into it.
6. Use your head as a wall. Standing still under a dropping ball often works better than jumping. The ball lands on top of your head and bounces away from your goal, and you are still on the ground and ready for the next touch.
7. Move forward when you head the ball. In most head soccer games, the direction you are moving changes where the ball goes. Head it while stepping toward your opponent and it flies their way. Head it while backing off and it can loop toward your own net.
Kicking
8. Kick when the ball is near your feet. Swinging at a ball that is still high in the air usually misses, and it can leave you off balance while the ball drops behind you.
9. Shoot from close range. A long kick from your own half rarely scores, because your opponent has time to get under it. Head or nudge the ball forward first, then kick when you are near their goal.
10. Follow your shot. In most head soccer games the ball bounces off the walls, the top of the goal and the other player. Shots that get blocked often drop right in front of the goal, so keep moving after you shoot. The physics in Meme Heads Soccer are on the bouncy side, so second chances come often.
Super shots
11. Do not fire the super the second it charges. A super is strongest when your opponent is out of position: in the air, on the wrong side, or far from their goal. A super fired straight at a player who is waiting for it is the easiest one to stop.
12. Learn to block supers. In Meme Heads Soccer you block a super by kicking it or by jumping into it. Standing still and hoping is the worst choice. Every head has a different super, and some are built to fool you: one is a rocket that falls from space, another is a fake-out that waits before it flies. Play a few matches against each head so nothing surprises you.
13. Keep count of their timer. Your opponent's super charges on a timer too. If about 20 seconds have passed since they last used it, get back between the ball and your goal before the glow appears.
Leads and comebacks
14. Plan around the Rage Puff. In Meme Heads Soccer, conceding a goal makes your head puff up with rage: it grows bigger, and its super charges faster. That changes tactics on both sides:
- When you are behind, your bigger head covers more of the goal. Defend calmly and wait for the faster super.
- When you are ahead, expect a bigger head in the way and more supers coming at you. A two-goal lead is not safe, so keep defending.
15. Attack right after a goal or a big save. Players are often out of position for a second or two after a goal, a save or a super. Push the ball forward fast before they reset.
Playing a friend on one phone or keyboard
Meme Heads Soccer works for two players on the same phone, tablet or keyboard. On a phone, hold it sideways and share the screen.
| Action | Player 1 | Player 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Phone controls | bottom-left buttons | bottom-right buttons |
| Move | A and D | arrow keys |
| Jump | W | arrow keys |
| Kick | Space or S | Down arrow |
| Super | E | period key |
On a laptop, Player 1 sits on the left and Player 2 on the right, so hands do not collide in the middle of the keyboard.
Playing with a younger kid? Turn on Easy controls on the title screen. One tap jumps and kicks, and the head moves by itself. A good house rule is that the stronger player uses normal controls and the younger one uses Easy, which makes the match close.
Practicing alone
Solo mode has 16 bots spread across four cups, and winning unlocks new heads. Use the early cups as practice: pick one tip per match, for example jumping late, and focus on only that. There is also a daily match with a new twist each day, which is a good short warm-up.
The five mistakes that lose most matches
- Jumping too early and letting the ball pass over you.
- Chasing the ball to the wrong side of it.
- Firing the super straight at a waiting opponent.
- Kicking from too far away.
- Relaxing after taking the lead.
Fix the first two and you will win more matches right away. Ready for a rematch?
If you like fast games for two, Paw Hockey is air hockey on one phone where a new puck drops in every 20 seconds, and Rooftop Bonk is a one-button duel that anyone can learn in seconds. More ideas are in our list of 2 player games on one phone, and our head soccer, air hockey and cat pool games are all on the sports games page.
