⚽ Header Duel
Jump, header, and charge up a kick in a fast 1v1 soccer duel. CPU or a friend, same keyboard.
How to play
- P1: A/D move, W jump, Space charge-kick, F pass, Q special, C swap (2v2 solo).
- P2 (2 Players): Arrow keys move/jump, Enter charge-kick, Shift pass, / special.
- Touching the ball at all knocks it around, but holding your kick key charges real power before you release it.
- Jump into the ball for a header, a steeper arc than a ground kick.
- Land touches, headers, and blocks to fill your special meter, then use your character's unique ability.
- Whoever's ahead when the 60-second clock hits zero wins the match.
A real jump-and-header duel, not just a bump match
Header Duel is built around real gravity physics instead of a flat top-down bump: jump to head the ball out of the air, and every contact with your body knocks it around even without pressing anything else, the same "real physics resolves contact" idea behind this site's Ragdoll Soccer Party, just with a real vertical dimension this time. Holding your kick key charges a real shot, the longer you hold it before releasing, the harder the ball flies, and a shot taken while you're airborne with the ball above your own head is automatically read as a header instead of a ground kick, a different arc and a bit less raw power.
Play solo against a CPU opponent that chases the ball, jumps to meet it, and charges its own shots, or switch to 2 Players and share one keyboard the same way Ragdoll Soccer Party and Cricket Batting's practice pair already do on this site. Every match is a short, fixed 60 seconds, so there's always a next rematch, and your head-to-head series record (wins, losses, and draws) tracks separately for CPU matches and 2-player matches, saved locally in your browser.
Free, no download, no account. For the penalty-kick side of a soccer duel, try Kick It Court, or browse the rest of the lineup on the Sports Games hub.
5 characters, 2v2 teams, and a tournament to win
Pick your fighter before kickoff: Blaze, Dash, Bulwark, Zephyr, and Curveshot are five original characters sharing identical speed and jump so the only real difference between them is one unique special move. Blaze's Power Strike doubles a shot's power and shrugs off a plain body block, Dash's Flash Step is an instant burst straight to the ball, Bulwark's Fortress turns a body block into a hard save for a second, Zephyr's Turbo is a quick speed boost for winning the race to a loose ball, and Curveshot's Spin Shot bends a kick's flight around a defender standing in the way. Every touch, header, and blocked shot fills your special meter, so in this 2 player soccer game the ability arrives as a genuine head soccer game payoff for good play, not a random cooldown.
Beyond the classic 1v1, 2v2 fields two characters per side with a dedicated pass button separate from the kick: a lighter, easier-to-aim touch for setting up a teammate instead of always going for goal yourself. Solo against the CPU, you control whichever of your two characters is closer to the ball and swap between them on the fly, while an AI teammate covers the other; with a friend on the same keyboard, you each run one character and an AI teammate rounds out both sides. Add a difficulty selector (Easy, Medium, Hard) that changes how sharp the CPU's reactions and header timing are, and, on Hard, whether it saves its special ability for the right moment instead of firing it at random. For a longer soccer tournament game session, Tournament Mode runs a 4-team bracket: win your semifinal and the final to lift the cup and unlock a cosmetic gold skin, pure bragging rights with zero effect on gameplay. Quick Match's fast 60-second round is still right there too whenever you just want one rematch, no bracket required.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play Header Duel?
Move toward the ball and touch it to knock it around, or hold your kick key to charge a shot and release for real power. Jump into the ball for a header, a different arc and less pure horizontal power than a ground kick.
Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Switch to 2 Players and share one keyboard: Player 1 uses W, A, D, and Space; Player 2 uses the arrow keys and Enter.
What are the controls against the CPU?
A, D to move, W to jump, and Space to charge and release your kick. The CPU controls the other side automatically.
How does a match end?
Every match is a fixed 60 seconds. Whoever has scored more when time runs out wins; a level score is a draw. Your series record saves in your browser.
Can I play 2v2?
Yes. Pick 2v2 on the mode screen to field two characters per side with a dedicated pass button. Solo, you control whichever of your two is closer to the ball with a swap key while an AI teammate covers the other; with a friend, you each control one and an AI teammate fills out both sides.
What do the special abilities do?
Each of the 5 characters has one unique special move that charges up through play: Blaze's Power Strike doubles shot power, Dash's Flash Step is an instant dash to the ball, Bulwark's Fortress turns a body block into a hard save, Zephyr's Turbo is a burst of speed, and Curveshot's Spin Shot bends a kick around a defender.
Is there a tournament mode?
Yes. Tournament Mode is a 4-team bracket: win your semifinal, then the final, to take the cup. Winning the whole tournament unlocks a cosmetic gold skin, no gameplay advantage, just bragging rights, saved in your browser.