Punch or Catch - Weebly
Goalkeeping Intangibles Diving
Traits to Look for in a GK The Power Step
Being a Back-Up GK Improving Your Power Step
Being a Back-Up GK Teaching the Diving Progression
Shot Blocker vs. A True GK Diving Forwards NOT Backwards
GK as an Effective Communicator Softer Landings After Dives
Communication as a GK Distance on Dives
Avoiding Hesitation Proper Hand for Extension Dive
“Real” Keeper Training Diving Warm-Up
Positioning Punching
Proper Stance Punch or Catch?
The Ready Position Punching With Two-Hands
Staying Square to the Ball
Angles to the Goal Breakaways
GK Positioning on Dead Ball Breakaways
Situations Proper Footwork on Breakaways
Positioning on Corner Kicks Knowing When to Go Down on
Walls Breakaways Training For Breakaways
Catching
Catching, Balance, & Focus Distribution
Catching a Ball in Wet Punting
Conditions Throwing
Bouncing/Skipping Balls Taking Goal Kicks
Handling a Bouncing Ball
Getting Low Balls Penalty Kicks
Stopping Low Balls Saving Penalty Kicks
Picking Up a Rolling Ball Penalty Kicks
Catching & Holding onto
Low Balls GK Conditioning/Footwork
The Diagonal Step Conditioning for GK’s
Front Smother GK Conditioning
Using the Proper Knee Increase Explosiveness
Collecting High Balls Agility Drills
Correctly GK Ab Workout
Judging High Balls Using Medicine Balls
Catching Crosses Footwork/Conditioning Drill
Catching Crosses Under Fitness & Footwork Drill
Pressure Footwork Drill
Handling Different Crosses Footwork Drill
Training for Lofted Crosses Shot Blocking & Footwork
Catching Drills
Catching Drill
Reaction
Reaction & Smothering
Deflection/Reaction Training
Angles, Shot Blocking, & Reaction Drill
Recovery & Close Range
Recovery Save Drill
Initial Save & Second Save Drill
Saving Close-Up Shots
Cleaning Up Rebounds
Miscellaneous Drills
Goalkeeper Drill
Down Time GK Drills
Inside GK Training
Stalking Drill
Easy Two-Person Drills
Keeper Wars
Focus Drill
Sample Session
GK Intangibles
Traits to Look for in a GK
Being a Back-Up GK
Being a Back-Up GK
Shot Blocker vs. A True GK
GK as an Effective Communicator
Communication as a GK
Avoiding Hesitation
“Real” Keeper Training
Traits to Look for in a Goalkeeper
I guess the first thing to say about this subject is what I don't look for. I don't look for the player who is too slow or too fat or too lazy to make it as a field player and then say, "there is my keeper!". This is the fat boy in goal theory (sorry about the politically incorrect statement but this happens too often where we put the fat boy in goal and then don't train them since anyone can play keeper).
As much as we don't always want to admit it, size does matter some when it comes to goalkeepers. It is not vital that the keeper be extremely tall (in fact there is a theory that a keeper can be too tall to be an effective keeper) but obviously, if a keeper is too short to reach the crossbar and they don't have a good jumping ability, then they are in for some trouble. Truthfully, if a keeper is "tall enough" then I am happy and will not obsess on finding a real tall keeper. I had a very talented keeper who I first coached in club soccer and then in college who was only 5'3" but she was able to jump extremely well so it never was a problem. The biggest problem she had to deal with was the perception that she was too short and therefore teams hit more shots at her because they thought they could beat her. It wasn't a big problem since she made the saves but she did have to make more saves then a taller keeper would have.
Quickness is a big factor when it comes to goalkeeping. The keeper does not have to be particularly fast but he must be quick in order to cover the whole goal and goal area. With quickness, size becomes somewhat less important.
The right attitude is another huge factor. I received an email recently from someone asking whether their daughter should be a keeper or a midfielder because she was good at both. The question actually involved what was the best position for opportunities for scholarships but in taking the question out of context some, the answer is really quite simple. If the girl really wants to be a keeper then she should be a keeper. If she isn't sure that it's the position for her, then she should be a midfielder. I think the word passion comes to my mind when looking at keepers. The players who dress the part, talk the part but don't actually seem to love the position are the ones who don't succeed. Passion is a huge part of the position because of the type of training that is required to be a keeper.
Another factor I look at is whether the keeper has soft hands. Even untrained keepers will be able to catch a ball or not depending upon whether they have good hands. This frequently is the sign of a good athlete is a person who catches the ball very easily. While proper catching technique is important, it can be taught but good hands can't be.
Yet another factor to consider is intelligence. The keeper must be a student of the game and a leader so if they aren't able to understand the role of a keeper, they can't be a keeper. Many of the higher-level keepers I have worked with are extremely intelligent and have had the ability to learn things quickly and easily.
The last factor I want to see is the lack of fear. Needless to say, if the player is afraid of the ball or afraid of diving, then they can't be a keeper. I don't want to see them take unnecessary chances but they must be willing to dive at a player feet when the time is right.
Note that the two things I have not mentioned is technique or understanding of the game. I am convinced that with the traits mentioned above, I can teach these two things very easily but a keeper with good technique who is too small, too slow or not courageous or intelligent will not make it. Rather then look for accomplished keepers; I look for ones who have the potential, with training, of becoming an accomplished keeper.
Being a Back-Up Goalkeeper
Being a starting goalkeeper is, in my opinion, the second most difficult position on a team. The most difficult position is the backup keeper.
While the goalkeeper on the field knows that at any time, they might be called on to make the save or to help with distribution, the backup keeper frequently is sitting on the bench watching yet they know that with little more then a moments notice, they might be called on to replace the keeper and have to be physically and mentally prepared to do so. If the starting keeper gets injured, or red carded, there is virtually no time for the backup keeper to prepare to step on the field and be ready to play at a high level.
When there is a need for a keeper change, the last thing I want the backup keeper doing is running around looking for their jersey or looking for their gloves and then trying to find a ball to get a few touches with before stepping on the field. Instead, the successful backup has their jersey and gloves handy, knows where a ball is to warm up (if there is an opportunity) and will even know who will warm them up.
Also, the successful backup will not just be watching the game while it’s being played but will also be analyzing the game from the sideline so they can be prepared to step right in and know what is happening. They shouldn’t be stepping on the field trying to figure out the tendencies of the opponents since they will have been doing that from the sidelines from the start. Even if they don’t get in during that first half, they will be able to help with suggestions/recommendations to the starting keeper to make their job easier (because the primary role of the backup keeper is to help the team get better while preparing for their opportunity to play).
In training, the backup keepers job is to constantly work to get better while also pushing the starting keeper. It’s important that the backup keeper challenge the starting keeper while maintaining a team first mentality. If the keepers can work well together, it will benefit both. If the keepers see each other as adversaries rather then teammates, it could result in a detrimental situation for all.
As a coach, it’s important to have open communication with the back up keeper to make sure they stay involved at all times. If they feel like second-class citizens because they are the second string keeper, this will show in their performance.
Ideally, with younger ages, there wouldn’t be a second string keeper who doesn’t play unless there is an injury but rather either there would be two equal keepers or one keeper and a field player trained as a backup if necessary.
Being a Backup Goalkeeper
Being a backup goalkeeper might be the hardest position in soccer. You have to be prepared to play with no advance notice, yet usually you do not get to play at all.
The role of a backup goalkeeper is extremely important yet very frustrating. The backup goalkeeper has the ability to tear a team apart or, to be an extremely valuable member of the team.
A good backup goalkeeper works hard in all training sessions, maintains a positive attitude at all times, and is always prepared to play.
In training, the backup keeper must challenge the starting keeper in order to force the starting keeper to stay sharp and constantly improving. At the same time, the backup goalkeeper must be supportive of the starting keeper. The backup keeper must realize that there are times when the starting keeper will see more action in training than the backup keeper. There will also be times when the backup keeper will see more action and training in the starting keeper. In neither situation should be construed as a punishment.
For example, the day before a match if a team is working on dead ball situations on the defense side the starting goalkeeper will probably see most of that action. If at the end of the practice prior to a match, the team works on shooting it might make sense for the backup goalkeeper to see more of the action in order to keep the starter for fresh for the match the next day. This doesn't mean the backup keeper should not see some of the action when working on dead ball situations, nor does it mean the starting keeper wouldn't see some of the action during the shooting activities. However, it is important to remember that the starting keeper and backup keeper do have different roles at that time
The day of the game, it is important for both the starting goalkeeper and the backup goalkeeper to warm up properly. The starting goalkeeper might want to see a few shots and warm-up to prepare but might not want to be in goal and see as many shots during the warm-up as the few players would like to hit. The starting goalkeeper would stay in enough to warm up and in the backup goalkeeper would probably take the rest of the shots. The reason the backup goalkeeper does not have to be worried about getting too tired is they will have time in the beginning of the match to rest.
During the match, the backup goalkeeper needs to be studying the game for two reasons. If the backup goalkeeper notices a certain situation, they would be able to share this information with the starting keeper either during a stoppage of play or at halftime. Also, if the starting goalkeeper gets injured or has to come out for some other reason than the backup goalkeeper must be mentally prepared to play right away. If they have been studying the game from the bench they will be better prepared when they set foot on the field.
Also, during a game a backup goalkeeper must know where exactly all of their equipment is and be ready to put it on a moments notice. The last thing a team needs to see is a backup goalkeeper running around frantically looking for their jersey or gloves when the team needs them on the field.
While many teams have backup goalkeepers there are also many teams that do not. The younger club teams might only have one goalkeeper and if that is the case, there had to be a plan for a backup, just in case. If a team already has one goalkeeper and that goalkeepers suddenly gets injured that is not the time for the coach to be wondering who can go in now. Even if there is not a regular backup goalkeeper, the coach must have an idea of who can play goal keeper in an emergency situation. Also that player who will become the goalkeeper in such a situation must know it iadvance and be prepared. Even if that player is not a really trained goalkeeper, that player should have some training, if for no other reason, to prevent injury. Also, that player must have an alternative jersey and know where it is at all times. Too often in this situation the coach is not prepared, there is not an alternative jersey readily available in the thought is that they can use to starting keeper's jersey. However, there are times when this is not possible. They keeper might be injured in a way to make it difficult to get to that jersey. That situation is not the time to be wondering what to do next.
When on the bench, with a good backup goalkeeper will notice a problem and help the starting keeper fix it. The bad backup goalkeeper will either not notice the problem, or if they do, they will complain to their teammates and give that problem as an example of why they should be in goal and not the starter. This is an example of how a backup goalkeeper can either make or break a team.
Shot Blocker vs. A True Goalkeeper
There seems to be a misunderstanding by some between the differences between a shot blocker and a true goalkeeper. A shot blocker is the player who stands in goal and waits for the ball to be shot and then tries to make a save. The goalkeeper spends most of the game communicating to support their teammates in order to help with the attack and also to help prevent goal scoring opportunities from the opponent.
The shot blocker makes a lot more saves than the true goalkeeper and can look more “spectacular” to the uninformed. However, in most cases, the shot blocker also allows more goals to be scored than the true goalkeeper. While it might not make more sense that the shot blocker would both make more saves and also give up more goals than the true goalkeeper, it’s because the goalkeeper works on preventing the shots while the shot blocker waits for the shot and then tries to react.
Most coaches and keepers will acknowledge that it’s important to be a true goal keeper as opposed to just a shot blocker BUT most training is geared toward shot blocking.
It seems most keeper training is done separate from the team training (whether in a one on one situation or group training) and while not impossible, it’s extremely difficult to do true goalkeeping training (besides shot blocking and other skill related activities) outside of a team setting.
In order to help players become more than just shot blockers it’s important that the coaching continue throughout the teams practice and not just when the coach and keepers are able to work in a small group setting. Most team training sessions have some type of small-sided scrimmages involved (or full sided scrimmages whether in a controlled setting or free play), these small sided scrimmages are some of the best learning opportunities for keepers but only if the coaches utilize these opportunities and make the best of them.
The keeper coach could stand behind the goal (or even in the goal to maintain closer contact) and make comments, suggestions and adjustments regarding communication opportunities, positioning and reading the game. If coaches don’t get involved in these learning opportunities, they will continue to develop adequate shot blockers and inadequate goalkeepers.
Please don’t assume it’s an either/or situation regarding whether a person is a shot blocker or a keeper. A top goalkeeper will be an excellent shot blocker while also excelling in positioning, communication, leadership and much more. While it’s certainly possible for a goal keeper to be great at communication, leadership and other qualities while not excelling in shot blocking, it’s not all that common. It’s more common for a shot blocker to not be an effective goalkeeper than the other way around. Ideally, a person would be proficient at both to be truly effective.
Goalkeeper as an Effective Communicator
First of all, I would like to discuss what I see as the important functions of a high level keeper. The most obvious one is to be a shot blocker. This simply means keeping the ball out of the back of the net. While it might seem like this is really all that matters to be a successful keeper, this is really all that it takes if your goal in life is to be a successful “fat kid in goal” The next function is that of leadership of the attack. Rather then relaxing and watching as your team has the ball, this is when you have the opportunity to really make a difference when it comes to having a true affect on the outcome of the match. How valuable are you as a keeper if you stand back on your goal line and simply watch as your team attempts to attack? The real answer is you serve no purpose at all. A real keeper is involved in the attack by supporting his teammates at all times in terms of positioning himself in a spot where he is always available for a back pass. Yes this does mean leaving the 18 to be in proper support! The other way the keeper can “support” his teammates is by telling them what to do. This means letting teammates know when there is a “man on” or when he should pass it back etc. Be as specific as possible. Do not yell, “Make runs” rather tell Bill to check back to the ball or Steve to go diagonal. You as the keeper has the best view of anyone (and that includes the coach) so take advantage of it by supporting your teammates at all times. One of the things keeper must be aware of is saying unnecessary things to the point of irritating their teammates so they get ignored. In my opinion, as a coach, I want the keeper speaking for me so when a keeper tells a field player to do something, it should be taken as if I, the coach, have said it. In order for this to work, the keeper must refrain from being a cheerleader or criticizer and only say things that are important at that time. The more a keeper can use concise clear statements, the more effective they will be.
The next part of being a keeper is leading the defense. Let me start by saying the next keeper who yells “mark up” or “who has #10” should be shot and put out of my misery. Who should mark up? It is the keepers responsibility to say “Steve, you have #10”, Bob, you have #2”etc. Be specific and very firm. Real keepers don’t have to make spectacular saves very often because if they are doing their job correctly, they are preventing the shot rather then saving the shot. This is one of the big differences from being a keeper as opposed to a “fat kid in goal”. Making the decision for the defender regarding whether to force an opponent to the side or to the middle will make your job and your teammate jobs so much better.
Can anyone be a leader in goal? No. Can anyone become more of a leader in goal? Certainly. A long time ago, some idiot made the statement that “you have to be crazy to be a keeper” This has been one of the major reasons that the art and science of being a keeper has been so undeveloped. Stupid coaches assume that their keeper has the right “attitude” to be a keeper so that part of the job of coaching is taken care of. The truth of the matter is high level keepers have to have a much better understanding of the game in order to be successful. They have to be able to let their teammates know whom to mark, when to mark, when to tackle, when to attack, when to balance, when to pass, when to shoot and 1000’s of other things. Not only does a high level keeper have to know how and when to do these things but also how to communicate them to their teammates. Choosing the proper words and the proper tone is so important.
Communication as a Goal Keeper
A large part of goalkeeping involves communicating one issue that is rarely addressed is the voice used while communicating.
Whether it's calling for the ball or giving directions to their teammates the voice used in communicating is very important.
It doesn't do any good if the keeper says something and no one hears it so the first thing is, when communicating, the keeper must be loud. Too often, I have had keepers say “but I called for the ball, I don't know why my teammate kicked it away”. They have to understand if they call for the ball, and the teammate doesn't hear it, it's no good. Not only does it have to be loud but also earlier and clear enough so everyone can hear it.
Another issue with the voice is that it should sound confident. Sometimes a keeper sounds like they are panicking when making their call and that instills panic in their teammates as well. One way to sound confident is to be confident as any doubt in your mind will come out in the sound of your voice. So, if you call for the ball but really aren't sure you can get it, this uncertainty will be heard in your voice and will cause confusion for your teammate.
Another way to sound more confident is to use a deeper voice. The higher the pitch, the less confident the voice can sound when yelling so simply using a somewhat deeper voice when calling for the ball will sound more convincing. This doesn't mean to use a completely artificial baritone voice but if you notice your pitch rising when yelling, just think in terms of using a slightly deeper voice and see the difference. Realize that when most people yell, their pitch rises so if you are starting with a high pitch, it will just get higher. Like most things, the only way to do this effectively is to practice controlling the pitch.
Being loud and using a deeper voice will actually make a difference in your communications.
Avoiding Hesitation
As a coach, the last thing you want to see a keeper do is start coming out for a ball (whether it's a cross or a through pass or a breakaway) and then hesitate. At that point, whether the ultimate decision is to keep going or retreat, the keeper is in a bad situation.
The general rule of thumb is that once a keeper makes up his mind, he should stick to it and NOT change his mind a second later. Even if the initial decision was the wrong one, stick to it because to try to rectify the situation will further complicate the matter.
An example of what I am referring to would be on a through ball down the middle. If the keeper decides that he can't get to it so stays back and then a second or two later realizes he could have arrived at the ball first if he had gone initially, he most likely should stay back because to go late will result in him being far out of position and yet not be able to get to the ball. By staying back after he realizes the mistake, at least he can try to make a reaction save. The flip side of this is if he should have stayed back and instead started to come out, if he tries to get back, he will get caught in "no mans land" and not be able to get to the ball first nor make the save.
It's difficult to teach a keeper to stick with their first instinct especially when they know this first instinct was incorrect but it will increase their chances of success to go with their first instinct and if it was wrong, learn from it for the next time.
Goalkeeping knowledge comes with experience and the only way to get this experience is for them to play as much as possible. As they play, encourage them to go with their first instinct and then after the game, sit down with the keeper and discuss whether each decision was the correct one (if you have games videotaped it makes it even easier).
“Real” Keeper Training
I believe many people misunderstand what ‘real keeper training” really is. Too many keepers, keeper coaches, coaches and parents think that the main part of keeper training takes place over in the corner when a couple of keepers are working with a keeper coach (or when they are working amongst themselves). While this is certainly a part of keeper training (and an important part if done properly) it’s only one part of the proper training of a keeper.
Think about the way many teams train and you will understand this better. They go for a run, then stretch and then spend 20-30 minutes on skill work. This skill work is very important BUT if they just stop there, it will not prepare the team for real games. The next thing they will go to is some type of game related activity in which they get to apply these skills in a more realistic environment. This is where they have to address issues of opposition, spacing, tactics etc. Does the coach put them into this type of exercise and then ignore them? Of course not! The coaches realize that this is a vital part of the training session and appropriate coaching points to individuals and groups is where the players can get a better understanding of how to play the game. Then the team will go into games going toward two goals (usually with some restrictions) so that the players can recreate true game situations that emphasize the topic of the session. Again, this is where a lot of a coaches true coaching takes place because rather than talking in the theoretical he can show them by “painting a picture” with the various players on the field (for example, if a situation was created where an overlapping run would have been appropriate, the coach could recreate the situation to show exactly where and when the overlapping run should have been made and used). Then the team would play an unrestricted game to see if they could apply what they have been working on during the training session.
Now let’s look at most keeper training (assuming there is some keeper training going on). The keeper goes off with a coach and does some type of training (let’s assume they go through the sitting, kneeling, catchers position progression and then work on some type of shot blocking activities etc). This is the equivalent of the 20-30 minute skill training the team is going through (regardless if it lasts longer or shorter). If the training doesn’t then progress to situations with the rest of the team, it’s incomplete! If, when the team is going to it’s game related activities, the keeper is told to stand in goal and then is ignored (or simply becomes a shot blocker), how is this keeper going to develop into a complete keeper. If he is not being given guidance regarding positioning in the modified games of training, how is he going to truly learn proper positioning? While angles are taught in a small group using a goal a server and some string, the only way to really get to understand angles is by applying them under pressure in game like situations. This can be done in real games but the learning process can be speeded up by coaches making improvements, suggestions during these types of modified game activities with the entire team. This is where the “real keeper training” comes into play.
Including keeper training into the team training is one of the most difficult things for coaches to do because, if there is only one coach at a training session, it’s hard to do both. However, if the team training session is designed with the keeper in mind, many of the coaching points can be made to the keeper in advance so the only time play will have to be stopped for the keeper is to re-emphasize a coaching point and make a correction (just like would be done with a field player).
If a team has a keeper coach in addition to the team coach, the keeper coach needs to be involved in the design of the training session so that the “skill work” done in the small groups can relate to what is done with the full team and everyone is working for the good of the team.
Recognizing that a large part of a keepers training must come within the team training is the first step toward successful keeper training.
Positioning
Proper Stance
The Ready Position
Staying Square to the Ball
Angles to the Goal
GK Positioning on Dead Ball Situations
Positioning on Corner Kicks
Walls
Proper Stance
In coaching goalkeepers, the first thing a coach should look at is the keeper's stance. When working with youth players, I can expect close to 70% of all keepers who come to clinics or camps that I run to have a poor stance. There comes a point where we as coaches have to take some responsibility for this shortcoming. Too many coaches want to do drills that involve extension dives into upper corners, or diving over things or various types of pressure training without worrying about whether the keepers know how to stand properly. Without the proper stance, nothing else will work. For example, if the stance is too wide, the power step wont be effective for diving. Also, with a wide stance, the footwork for crosses will prove difficult. My point is that until the stance is proper, nothing positive will be achieved by doing anything else.
So what is a proper stance? It's actually a bit different for each keeper simply because it will depend upon their size. Basically, the feet should be shoulders length apart, with their weight on the balls of the feet, and the feet slight moving (a bit of a bounce). The knees should be bent, the upper body should be somewhat upright and the hands can be in a couple of different positions. Some keepers prefer the hands up and in front of them their catching position for a ball at the waist. Others prefer hands down low, in front and slightly to the side of the calves, which will make it easier to handle low balls. I actually don't care which a keeper chooses as long as they make sure their hands are in front and that they LEAD with their hands wherever they go.
One of the tendencies I see is that once a keeper starts to get tired, the first thing they lose is the proper shape of their stance. It is for this reason that a keeper's condition is so important. A couple of years ago, I was criticized by a player on a soccer forum for doing too much conditioning at my camps. What he didn't (and probably never will) understand is that without being in top condition, you cannot maintain the proper footwork to be a keeper while also maintaining proper shape. One of the reasons that coaches should do pressure training is to see how a keeper maintains their shape while they are tired. With proper training, anyone can start with a proper stance, however, it takes proper training and conditioning to be able to maintain it under pressure. So, those coaches who do pressure training without dealing with the small things like stance and shape, are really just reinforcing bad habits. Think about it next time you see a coach doing pressure training.
Think of the stance for a keeper as being the foundation for a house. Just like without a proper foundation, you will never have a good house, without a proper stance, you will never have a good keeper.
The Ready Position
The ready position is the action taken to load the muscles and to establish a strong, balanced, and agile base just before a shot. This is done by having your feet shoulder width apart, weight on the balls of your feet, slight bend in the knees and back, hands positioned out in front comfortably in the hip area. This stance will help a goalkeeper maintain proper balance and keep their weight forward. The shape of the keeper will appear concave.
One important aspect to remember is that this is a temporary position taken before an action from an attacker; before the shooter’s leg is swinging through the ball. If the keeper is moving into the ready position during the shot the keeper is not ready. Moving forward during the shot makes it is much more difficult to react laterally. When a keeper is leaning back or on their heels it not only exposes more of the goal but also hinders their ability to load the leg muscles to generate explosive momentum forward to the ball.
Establishing the proper ready position will take practice time. You have to develop an understanding or be able to read when an attacker is going to commit to some kind of service, shot or pass. I watch English Premiere League keepers hop to load their muscles into the ready position. And yes they get beat sometimes because their timing is off but 9.8 times out of 10 this works for them. Remember these are professionals that have developed a ready position that works for them. Professional keepers over many years of training develop an understanding of a shooters rhythm and the visual cues as well. More time should be spent training these types of techniques rather than extension saves. Every time a goalkeeper reacts in an outdoor or indoor match to a through ball, pass back, cross, or a shot it comes from this balanced ready position.
Another important fundamental is that when the ball is under control and near an attacker a service or shot can happen at any moment. Because of this a goalkeeper’s movement should be quick small steps when adjusting to the appropriate angle in relation to the ball. Some refer to it as skimming or gliding into position. Within a blink of an eye the goalkeeper should be in a balanced ready position on the balls of the feet ready to react. With every pass or touch a keeper will be required to adjust his or her position slightly. Within inches a keeper must know where they are in relation to the post and goal line.
This footwork will need to be executed quickly to ensure the keeper is ready before the attacker. The shot will more than likely find the keeper if they have taken up the appropriate angle, weight is balanced in the ready position, and they stay on their feet as long as possible.
Staying Square to the Ball
In order to catch a struck ball, it’s extremely important to try to get your upper body behind the ball and square to the path of the ball. This means if the ball were coming from the center of the 18-yard box directly to the center of the goal, the keeper would want their upper body parallel to the goal line so the upper body is perpendicular to the path of the ball. If the ball were coming from the top left side of the 18-yard box toward the near post, the keeper would want to imagine the path of the ball as a line and have their upper bodies parallel to this line. In order to do this, the keeper must first see this path (the eyes) then move the feet to get the body behind the ball and perpendicular to the path (the feet) before using the hands to catch the ball.
If the ball is being served from the corner of the field, and is a cross toward the top of the six yard box, the keeper, in order to try to catch the ball, must try to get out to where they can catch the ball and also get the body turned in order to be square (also known as perpendicular) to the path of the ball. Too many keepers in this situation can get to the ball but don’t get their upper body turned which results in them having to punch the ball away, or they try to catch the ball but end up dropping the ball.
The key to getting square to the path of the ball is first understanding the importance of it (if a keeper’s upper body isn’t square to the path of the ball, it greatly increases the difficulty in trying to catch the ball and also greatly increases the probability of dropping the ball) and then being able and willing to move their feet to get to the proper spot to get behind the ball and finally, being able to get the body turned in time to catch the ball smoothly.
Because of the importance of getting the body behind the ball, keepers must work regularly on proper footwork in order to become more successful. Not only must they work on knowing how to get behind the ball, and knowing how to get the body square to the path of the ball, but also, keepers must work on simple footwork activities to get quickly and improve their balance.
With footwork being one of the three keys to catching, keepers need to work on this on a regular basis in order to become more effective goalkeepers.
Angles to the Goal
If a keeper could only work on one thing in order to become a top keeper, I would recommend it be angle play. Considering the tremendous importance of angles, it’s amazing more time is not spent on the subject. The most effective method of learning angles is what I will be dealing with today.
You will need a ball of string (kite string works fine) and a partner to do this efficiently. It’s best if the string is approximately 60 yards long. Tie an end of the string to each of the goalposts (one goal only). Start with the ball centered and on the 18-yard line. Pull the center of the string so that the ball is at the fulcrum of the angle. It might be necessary to get rid of some of the string I order to pull the sides tight. When you have done this you now can see the exact angle in which a field player can shoot and still have the ball be on target. If the keeper stays on his line, then this angle will show how much space the field player has to shoot at in order to score. Each step the keeper comes out off of his line, he will see how much less room there is to successfully shoot and score. The further he comes out, the less of an angel the player has to shoot at. The thing he will have to worry about is the further he comes off his line, the greater the probability of being chipped. For this reason, the keeper wants to come out far enough so he can save any shot hit along the lines of the string but not any further exposing him unnecessarily to the chip. Once a keeper has found the spot he is most comfortable with the ball should be moved slightly and then he will have to readjust his positioning. Move the ball around the 18 re-adjusting for each location. Realize each keeper will have a different spot they are comfortable in depending upon their height, range, quickness’ and many other variables. The closer the ball gets toward the goal, the further out the keeper is going to have to come in order to cut off the angle. Logic would tell you to cut the angle off by coming straight down the middle of the angle (imagine a straight line from the center of the goal to the ball) but realistically, you want to cheat slightly to the near post since the ball can get to that post quicker then it can to the far post. As the ball gets further from the goal, the keeper can begin to back up since they will have time to get that extra step in before the dive. At some point however, as the ball gets further and further from the goal, the keeper will eventually start coming away from the goal again in order to take on more of the role of the sweeper keeper. Also, as the ball goes further toward the end line (near the corner flag) the keeper will notice that the angle in which the field player has to shoot is smaller and smaller so he can back up further toward the near post and still cover any ball within the angle. By backing up, it allows him to cover the cross as well. The only reason a keeper would have to worry about a ball played outside of these strings is when a ball is hit with a lot of bend, which might allow a ball that initially is struck outside the strings to curve inside the goal. If you are playing against a team or individual capable of bending the ball, simply compensate by taking a small step out further so you can get slightly beyond each of the strings.
GK Positioning on Dead Ball Situations
Unfortunately, people tend to forget about the importance of practicing dead ball situations from the defensive side of things. I want to start with the teams positioning on corner kicks (defensive).
The first thing to do is make sure you have a player at the near post. The best way to position this person is to have him with both feet on the goal line with his shoulder against the near post. This allows him to prevent anything from scoring at the near post. His directions are to only leave the ball if he knows with 100% certainty that he will win the ball. Otherwise he is to stay on the post until the keeper tells him to leave. Next the keeper has to decide about the far post. Some keepers like a player on the far post while others are confident they can cover this area. This is a very personal decision and there is no right or wrong. If you elect to have a player on the far post, he should be positioned just like the person on the near post. Next you will want to try to take away any short corners or driven corners to the near post. Putting a player 10 yards from the ball on the end line can best do this. This takes away a couple of great options for the attacking team so this one person is actually accomplishing a great deal. The next important spot you might want to cover is the area around the 6 yard line at the near post extended. A driven ball into this area is almost impossible for a keeper to get to so if you were to put a player there it will nullify that concern plus encourage the lofted ball far post which allows you to cheat that way. The last important spot I want to mention is the area between the 12-yard spot and the top of the D. This area is where most goals are scored (frequents after the initial clear) so it’s extremely important to have a player ready to get into that position. The rest of the players can either play a zone or man-to-man depending upon the desires of the coach. The keeper should position himself approximately in the middle of the goal 1 yard off his line. His lower body should be facing the center of the field and the head is turned to see the ball. By having his body facing the middle of the field, it opens up the whole field so that he never has to run backwards on a lofted ball played toward the near post. Corner kicks are very dangerous and often neglected and is one area where the keeper must be completely in control. The player (or players) on the posts are going to stay until the keeper tells them to get out so he must make quick decisions and be authoritative. If the keeper positions himself properly, and takes control of the situation, he should be fine.
On direct and indirect kicks within shooting distance of the goal, you would first make sure the wall is set up. Some teams have their keepers do this while others have another player do it. Personally, I prefer the keeper to do this since ultimately you will be held accountable. To set up the wall, go to the near post and you want to set up the end person so that you can see the ball through his legs (his legs should be together so the ball can’t go through). By seeing the ball through his legs, this will guarantee that a ball played straight at the near post is covered by this person (this person should be a tall player and it’s my preference that it be a predetermined person so there is no question on who will be there. The other reason you want to see the ball through his legs is this will allow some of his body to be outside the near post which will make it harder for a bent ball to go around the wall to the near post. As far as how many players should be in the wall, this depends upon the area the free kick is taken from. You want there to be enough but not too many (enough will allow you to cover the whole goal between the wall and the your ability. Too many will make it hard to see the ball and cover the near post for chips. You want to position yourself so that you are on the side of the wall toward the far post but obviously back toward your near post. This should allow you to cover the far post and also cover a chipped ball over the wall toward the near post (either a shot or a chip to a runner). If it were an indirect kick, you would want to have a person just off of the wall on the side toward the far post so that when the ball is kicked, he can charge the ball. When the ball is touched, you want the wall to stay still since this was set up to help you. Only this one charger should move. Everyone else should mark up a player.
The other situation I want to write about is an indirect kick inside of 10 yards from the goal line. If the indirect kick is straight on, then bring all 10 players back onto the goal line with five lined up from one post inward and the other 5 lined up from the other post inward. This will leave a whole in the middle. You as the keeper should be on the goal line in the middle of this whole. When the ball is touched, everyone except the keeper should stay put and the keeper should attack the ball as if in a breakaway situation. Really you just have to worry about the open space in the middle (if they shoot the ball into an upper corner there is nothing you can do about it so worry about what you can do something about). When the time is right to get your teammates off the goal line, take charge and get them out of there. You are in charge. This is a situation that must be practiced on a regular basis with the whole team, as there will be no time for indecision. The rule allows players to be 10 yards from the ball on free kicks or on the goal line so get everyone there early.
Positioning on Corner Kicks
Defending corner kicks is one of the times when the keeper must be in total control of the situation. The first thing he will want to do is make sure the near post is covered. It's not good enough to simply have a player on the near post; they must be close enough so that no ball can get between him and the post. I recommend that the player be on the goal line with the shoulder touching the post (if the corner kick is being taken from the keepers left side, then the players left shoulder should be on the post). The rest of his body should be along the goal line. I then like to get a player on the far post in the same position (his right shoulder would be on the post this time). The next area the keeper must be concerned with is a short corner or a low driven ball to the near post. Placing a player on the end line, 10 yards from the ball, can negate both of these. The next area to worry about is the area between the 12-yard spot and the top of the D. This is the area where most goals are scored on corners so get a player in that area as well. The keepers next concern is to make sure that the 6-yard box is cleared. You can't prevent opponents from coming into that area but you certainly can make sure you don't have to fight teammates as well. You must know your range as a keeper and take full responsibility for any ball played into that space. The rest of the players can either mark up man to man or be placed in a zone.
The keeper should position himself in the middle of the goalmouth, approximately 1 yard off his line. Have your lower body facing out toward the middle of the field. Your upper body (primarily your head) should be turned facing the ball. This position will allow you to see the ball as well as the rest of the field without having to turn all the way around. When the ball is played, make a quick decision whether it is within your range and if so, and there is nothing impeding your path, call for the ball and win it. If you elect not to go get it, yell "away" and prepare for the header or deflection. If you leave your line for the ball, your post players should tuck in toward the middle to back you up. If you elect to stay back, then the post players should stay where they are until you tell them to leave. I am very specific in telling the players on the post that they should not step out unless they are 100% sure they will win the ball, or the keeper tells them to get out. It is the keeper’s job to make this decision, and to be quick and loud in letting them know what you want them to do.
Once the ball is cleared (or in your hands) look into the possibility of the quick throw or punt for a counter attack. Many teams relax when the keeper gets the ball and an aware team will capitalize upon this by attacking quickly.
Walls
In most cases, the purpose of a wall is to make it easier on the keeper to protect the goal from a direct on indirect shot. However it’s important for the keeper not to put so many people in the wall that it allows too many other options for the opponent. For example, if there is an indirect kick from 35 yards out and the keeper chooses to put 5 players in the wall. While this would most likely eliminate any possibility of a goal resulting from a direct shot on goal, it also will most likely leave a number of opponents wide open and in good goal scoring positions. Ideally a keeper would have enough players in the wall to prevent goal from a direct shot on goal (by making the area the keeper has to protect smaller) while at the same time not putting too many players in the wall that there are many options for the opponents.
Another risk of having too many people in a wall is that it makes it difficult for the keeper to both see the ball and also cover the near post. Typically a keeper will line up in a position so that the keeper can see the ball just past the last player in the wall (towards the far post). This was the wall covers driven balls to the near post and the keeper covers driven balls to the far post. However, if there are too many players in the wall, this would force the keeper too far toward that post which would make it difficult if not impossible to cover the near post on chips over the wall. By having fewer players in the wall, it puts the keeper closer to the near post for these chips. The key is to have enough players in the wall to protect driven balls near post while not so many as to expose too much of the goal to a driven shot.
It’s difficult to say exactly how many players should be in a wall when the ball is in a specific area because it will depend upon the ability of the keeper, the ability of the player(s) on the ball, and the tendencies of the attacking team. As a general rule, when the ball is around 18 yards from goal you can see a general idea of how many players should be in the wall in the diagram below. The further out the ball is, the less players are needed in the wall.
Remember, use as many players in the wall as is necessary but not a single player more.
Catching
Catching, Balance, & Focus
Catching a Ball in Wet Conditions
Bouncing/Skipping Balls
Handling a Bouncing Ball
Getting Low Balls
Stopping Low Balls
Picking Up a Rolling Ball
Catching & Holding onto Low Balls
The Diagonal Step
Front Smother
Using the Proper Knee
Collecting High Balls Correctly
Judging High Balls
Catching Crosses
Catching Crosses Under Pressure
Handling Different Crosses
Training for Lofted Crosses
Catching Drills
Catching Drill
Catching, Balance, & Focus
A keeper starts approximately 10 yards away from a server. The server will volley (from their hands) 20 balls to the keeper who must catch each ball cleanly. The one “twist” for this activity is the keeper must balance themselves on one foot the whole time.
Assuming there are good serves, the first few balls the keeper will find relatively easy to handle. However, the longer the keeper has to stay on one foot, the more they have to concentrate in order to keep catching the ball. Also, if the server players a ball slightly to the side, the keeper will have to take a quick hop to that side to get their body behind the ball and to catch the ball cleanly.
Even after the ball has been caught, the keeper must throw the ball back while standing on one foot.
After the keeper catches 20 balls on one foot, they would do the same with the other foot. Then the server would become the keeper and the keeper would become the server.
Not only does this allow the keeper to work on catching but also, they are doing an informal type of plyometrics so it’s an effective form of economical training.
If each keeper does this for three sets on each foot, it’s a nice little work out while working on different parts of the body and on some technical training
Catching a Ball in Wet Conditions
Goalkeeping is always difficult to do but it becomes even more difficult in wet conditions. First of all, it's harder to hold onto a wet ball and secondly, the ball is more likely to skid or stop when it's played on the ground.
In order to catch balls when it's wet, two things are needed. First, it would be a good idea to have a good pair of gloves. The other thing that is needed is good technique. While you might be able to catch a dry ball without good technique, it's very difficult to catch a wet ball this way. Really watch the ball into your hands and you might also want to have your hands slightly closer together then you normally do in order to prevent the ball from slipping through. You must be prepared for a mistake so make an even greater effort then normal to get your body behind the ball at all times.
The importance of getting your body behind the ball is even greater when the ball is on the ground because it might unexpectedly skid which could prevent you from getting your hands on the ball. While I do not believe that keepers should dive unnecessarily, in wet conditions, not only do you want to get your body behind the ball, but also you will want to get as much of your body behind the ball as possible in case of a skid. In other words, while you might be willing to keep your feet on a low driven ball in dry weather, with a wet ball and ground, consider, doing a forward dive to cover the ball as much as possible.
Playing in wet conditions simply means you have to think a bit more and quicker and also you really have to employ a safety first mentality. If you are not completely sure you can catch a ball, then either push it wide, over or away from the goal. Play safe, play simple and everything else will be fine.
Bouncing/Skipping Balls
One of the most difficult balls for a keeper to handle is the ball that bounces just before it gets to the keeper. Usually this is a low driven ball that is dipping (the ball being hit with topspin which forces the ball to drop). Too often, the keeper tries to handle this type of a ball the same as they would any other ball and it results in them giving up a rebound which creates yet another goal scoring opportunity for the opponent.
It's important to realize that when a ball hits the ground just before getting to the keeper, it's vital for the keeper to be able to get their body behind the ball. This way, if the ball gets through the keepers hands/arms, their body is still there to protect them. Also it's important for the keeper to understand that if they aren't confident they can hold onto he ball, there is nothing wrong with parrying a ball that bounces.
If the low shot is hit right at the keeper, rather then trying to maintain their standing position while making the save, it's frequently worthwhile to go with a forward dive. By doing this, not only do you get your body behind the ball but also over the ball so, with the ground under the ball, your body behind and above the ball, there really isn't anywhere for the ball to get squirt out.
If the low shot is hit to the side, the keeper should dive to get their body behind the ball and if they aren't 100% sure they can catch the ball, they should parry the ball to the side to make sure it doesn't get left in a dangerous position.
Low skidding balls are even more difficult on a wet field and it's even more important to get your body behind the ball and be safe.
In most cases, the key to handling low bouncing balls is to simply realize the danger involved and to play safe and not to make assumptions that the save will be easy.
Handling a Bouncing Ball
Ideally, when a ball is going to bounce just in front of the keeper, the keeper would try to get to it before the bounce, however, that is not always possible.
The key to handling a ball on a hop is to get to it as quickly as possible. The quicker a keeper can get to the ball, the less they are effected by a bad bounce, If the ball takes a bad bounce, the further back from the ball the keeper is, the further it will get away.
Not only does the keeper want to get to the ball quickly to deal with a ball that is bouncing to the side, but the keeper also needs to get over the ball in case it takes a quick high bounce. The best way to do this is with a forward dive so that when the ball bounces, the body is behind and over the ball and the hands/arms are under the ball. This will help keep the ball in front of the keeper and make it much easier to hold onto the ball and keep it out of the back of the net.
It's extremely important to train for bouncing balls and to be prepared for the various bounces. This can be done as simply as having a server throw balls at the keeper so that they bounce right in front of the keeper. Start with the keeper on their knees so that they can simply dive/collapse forward. Once the keeper is comfortable in this position, next have it done from a catchers position and then finally in a standing position.
Getting Low Balls
One of the things that most field players don't seem to understand is that it's always easier save high balls then low balls (especially for tall keepers). The first key to handling low balls is to always start with a good stance. It has gotten to the point where when I watch keepers in training or in matches, it is rare for me to see them in a proper stance. Way too many of them are standing completely upright thinking they are in a proper position to make a save. The unwillingness or inability (actually it's only an unwillingness since most keepers are perfectly capable of getting lower) of keepers to bend their knees more is mind-boggling.
I saw Tony Waiters (top keeper coach among other things) do a training session at the NSCAA coaching course a few years ago and he put an incredible emphasis on maintaining a proper stance and keeping your feet moving at all times. It reminded me of what an American football coach might due with the keepers in lines and he would point in one direction and the keepers would move in that direction while maintaining a good stance and then he would point in a different direction and they would change directions and go wherever he pointed. After a minute or two they were exhausted and he reminded them that this is a position you need to be in for a good portion of a match. Not only does it work on proper stance and footwork but it's an excellent conditioning program as well.
Another way to work on getting down on low balls is to have a server play with the ball at his feet with the keeper 5 yards away. The server is just making soft touches with the ball from the right foot to the left foot and at any point, he can play the ball with either foot and try to slot in past the keeper. The better the keeper, the shorter the distance. The objective of the server is to push the ball past the keepers feet (either side) by playing it just hard enough that it's extremely difficult, but still possible, to make the save. This can be done at full speed for a one-minute period and then there can be a one-minute rest. This will encourage the keeper to stay low and to keep his feet moving as anytime he gets caught flat footed, he will get beat.
Stopping Low Balls
Too often I see keepers dive for low balls and the ball seems to go just below the hand. The reason for this is a lack of emphasis on getting the low hand down and in front of the lead foot. In other words, if the ball is played low and to the left of the keeper, he should take a step with his left foot forward and to the side and as this step is being taken, he should get his left hand in front of the left foot and shoot it along the ground. By doing this, there is no way for the ball to get under your hand.
This can be practiced by starting slowly. Begin with your right knee on the ground and your left foot extended out and toward the left. If you think of a clock, have your left foot pointed toward 11 o'clock. Your thigh should be parallel to the ground and your foot should be far enough away from your foot so that it is almost difficult to keep just the ball of your foot on the ground. Your foot should be pointed in the direction you are diving (in the same way that a field players plant foot is used to aim their shots, a keepers plant foot is used to "aim" their dive). Have someone serve the ball by rolling it to your left and shift your weight over your left foot while getting your left hand in front of the left foot and push it along the ground toward your left. If at all possible, get your right hand there as quickly as possible because if you don't, you will have to push the ball instead of catching it.
Once you have done this to both sides, try the same thing from a standing position with a big emphasis on getting your hand low and in front of the lead foot at all costs.
As you get more comfortable with this skill, you will find that it's a lot easier to make what should be a simple save every time. This is a basic skill that is often overlooked. Practice it for a while and you will find that it will make you a much better keeper.
Picking Up a Rolling Ball
For years, coaches taught their keepers that when a ball was coming to them on the ground, they should put both feet together, knees straight and bend at the waist to get their hands low enough to scoop up the ball. The problems with this "technique" are numerous.
By waiting for the ball to come to them, the keeper is taking a number of chances. The first one is that an opponent might get to the ball before it gets to the keeper, which would give the opponent a wonderful scoring opportunity. Secondly, the longer the ball is on the ground, the greater the probability of a bad bounce. The earlier a keeper can get to the ball, the less likely either of these two possibilities can happen (and if either does happen with the keeper coming out to meet the ball, there is a greater chance of the keeper recovering because he would be further from goal.
By standing with the feet together (which was done so the ball couldn't go through the legs) and the knees straight (which was done so that when the keeper bent for the ball his knees wouldn't knock the ball away) the keeper is actually in a very poor position to move in any direction. So, if there is a bad bounce, there isn't much that he could do about it.
The alternative to this technique is for the keeper to go forward to meet the ball at the earliest point possible (inside the 18 of course as we are assuming this is a shot) and while running get low (both from the waist as well as the knees) and get the hands UNDER the ball. At the moment of contact with the ball, one foot should be just behind the ball, one foot should be directly to the side of the ball and, since this will leave a gap between the legs, the arms are in front of but in the space that will prohibit a ball from going through the legs. The keeper should pick the ball up while moving forward (in order to get to the ball at the earliest point possible) and as soon as he picks up the ball; he should veer off on a slight angle if there is an oncoming player. This is done to avoid an unnecessary collision.
The way to practice this is for the keeper to start with a stationary ball 5-10 yards out in front of him and he should practice sprinting to the ball and picking it up properly. Then the ball should be played in softly by a server and again, the emphasis should be on proper technique. Lastly, the ball should be played in with pace for the keeper to work on it under a little bit of pressure.
Please note that in this progression, the keeper never drops to his knees to wait for the ball. If the ball is hit with such velocity that he can't hold onto it with this technique, then a forward dive should be used to make the save.
Catching & Holding onto Low Balls
Too often the keepers don't get their hands low enough to adequately hold onto a low hard shot. The key to catching low balls is to get your arms behind the ball and the hands both behind and under the ball. The under part is a very important part of this catch and is also the most commonly ignored part.
Let's start by thinking in terms of a rolling ball. You want to have your hands almost parallel to the ground and slide them, fingers first, along the ground and under the ball. If this is done with your forearms close together and behind the ball (think of your forearms as being railroad tracks and the ball will roll up the tracks into a pulled in position), you will be able to hold onto balls without regard for how hard the ball has been hit.
There is a tendency for keeper's heads to come up too early on low balls (this is because they are more concerned with where players are located rather then holding onto the ball). As the head comes up, it automatically brings your arms and therefore your hands up. If you don't start with your hands as low as they possibly can be, this will cause your hands to be too high to adequately hold onto a ball. By keeping your head down and your hands under the ball, you will find it much easier to hold onto balls.
It's amazing to me how little keeper's concentrate on actually holding onto balls when you would think that would be their first priority. Get your hands under low balls and your job, as a keeper will be much easier.
The Diagonal Step
Watching keepers receiving low and medium height balls, it's easy to see how few have really thought about and worked on footwork a great deal. You will see keepers who simply reach for the ball without any intention of getting their body behind the ball. You will also see keepers dive for any ball that isn't directly too them. Or, those keepers who seem to have received some training will take a side step (almost a shuffle) to get their bodies behind the ball. While this is good, in my opinion, it's not good enough
A keeper almost always wants to get to a ball at the earliest point possible, so simply going side to side is still somewhat limiting. On low and medium balls, I strongly recommend that keepers take their first step on a diagonal, which will take them forward and to the side. An example would be if the striker is directly in front of the keeper and plays the ball to the side, a shuffle would be at a 90-degree angle. A diagonal step might be at a 45-degree angle. By taking this diagonal step as the first step, it will allow the keeper to get behind the ball and to the ball even quicker. As an added bonus, it's easier for a keeper to end up with the shoulders square to the striker with this diagonal step, which makes it easier to catch the ball.
It's easy to work on this first diagonal step. Just have a server stand 3 yards from the keeper and drop a ball to the server’s side. If the keeper takes a big first step diagonally (without crossing over), he will get to the ball easily. If the first step is to the side and then forward, he will not get to the ball. Do this from different levels and then have a ball thrown or kicked to the keeper but slightly to the side. If the keeper concentrates, he will be able to go with the diagonal step every time to get the ball at the earliest point possible.
The diagonal step is one of those things that is easy to work on and if you do it enough times, it will become a good habit and make you a better keeper.
Front Smother
There is a big difference between diving forwards and forward dives. Almost anytime you dive for a ball you will want to attack the ball, which will result in you diving forward. However, a forward dive is a conscious decision to go straightforward to get to a ball in shortest period of time.
The way to first start working on forward dives is to start on your knees and have the ball rolled directly toward you. As the approaches, begin to fall forward leading with your hands. Have your hands together with your palms facing upwards. Your hands should graze the ground (this is assuming the ball is rolling toward you). When your hands first make contact with the ball, scoop your hands under the ball and then wrap the ball in your arms. This is all done while falling forwards toward the ball. You will land with the ball in your hands with the brunt of the impact of the dive being taken on your forearms. Your forearms should be parallel to each other and your head should be over and slightly beyond the ball. Keep your eyes on the ball at all times and when you have scooped the ball up and pulled it in during this final dive, this will force you to have your head over the ball. Done successfully, a forward dive will end up in your arms with your hands in front of the ball, your forearms are under the ball, your body is behind the ball and your head over the ball.
As you dive forward, you will dive through the ball with the momentum of your body causing your body to force the ball forward but under control.
The next step in this progression is to start in a catchers position and as the ball is coming toward you take a small step forward and then perform a forward dive. Start slowly and gradually build up to the standing position.
I do not work on forward dives a lot during training because it is rough on the body but the proper technique can make it much better.
Their are a couple of reasons for doing a forward dive. First, when a save has been made but the ball was not held and the ball is loose in front of the goal, you might want to perform a forward dive in order to get to the ball before and opponent does. Another reason for a forward dive is when an extremely hard shot is hit directly at a keeper and he isn't sure he can hold the ball using just his hands, he might want to consider a forward dive in order to do a better job of holding onto a ball.
Please realize that unnecessary forward dives increase the risk of injuries. Practice it under control and do it when necessary.
Using the Proper Knee
Many keepers seem to understand the importance of raising the knee on high balls (it’s used for three reasons, first to help you get higher by “throwing” your knee up to get your body going in that direction from the start, second to deter an opponent from hitting you and third, in case an opponent does hit you, they hit you’re your knee/thigh which you are prepared for as opposed to other parts of your body). However too many don’t seem to understand which leg to use in a given situation.
This is a general rule of thumb but start by drawing an imaginary line down the center of the field (from the center of one goal to the center of the other goal). If the keeper is standing in the center of his goal, for any high ball that comes from the right side of the line, you should use your left knee for protection and any ball coming from your left side you should use your right knee for protection. The reason for this is the keeper will most likely get hit from a player coming from the middle of the field so; he should use his knee closest to the center of the field for protection. If he uses the other knee and gets hit, the player coming from the center of the field will most likely hit his body and then his leg as opposed to when he uses his proper knee, it will be the part of the body hit most.
If you are having a difficult time understanding which knee to use from which side, please see the diagram.
While using the correct knee might seem like a minor thing, it very easily could be the difference between holding onto the ball and dropping the ball as well as staying healthy or being injured. In other words, this “minor thing” is actually very important.
Collecting High Balls Correctly
We want our keeper to utilize a one-footed take off when collecting high crosses.
The takeoff leg must be the one closest to the goal, so that the leg and knee closest to the field can be driven upward. This knee being driven upward will help the keeper to get higher but will also serve as important protection for the keeper.
***** Now here is the kicker that most coaches miss. The last step the keeper makes when putting down the takeoff leg must be a long last step. This long last step will help propel the keeper upward. In other words the running forward energy of the keeper is translated into upward energy if the keeper takes a long last step.
Too often we see keepers jumping and because they take a small last step they jump a long distance (like an track and field long jumper) instead of upward (like a high jumper) watch these two field events one day and you will see that a high jumper must take a much, much longer last step than the long jumper.
If we will train our keepers to be patient when going for crosses and not to run out too early and then to take a long last step when they are jumping, then you will see less balls sail over keepers heads on crosses.
Judging High Balls
One of the more difficult things for many keepers to do is judge high balls and determine where they are going to come down. It’s so important that a keeper be good at this because a good keeper will need to adjust their footwork and starting point in order to get to the ball at almost the highest point possible in order to win a high ball over an opponent. However, the ability to judge high balls is something that many keepers don’t have.
There is a simple solution to getting good at judging high balls BUT it’s not a solution many keepers are going to like to read. So often, people are looking for the easy solution to get better at something like this and while the solution is simple, it’s not easy. A keeper needs to spend hours and hours working on the judging of high balls by having a server play balls in from 30-50 yards out.
The keeper should start in a standing position and the server chips the ball from a distance for the keeper to get behind and then take a good step forward (if at all possible) to get behind and under the ball. Once the keeper has done this repeatedly, the next step is for the keeper to start in a sitting position around the 12-yard spot and do the same. This helps prepare a keeper to have to be ready for balls served in from different angles and from different positions. It also helps the keeper to learn to keep their eyes on the ball at all times even when standing up to get to the ball.
Catching Crosses
One reason some keepers struggle catching balls served from the side is they don’t understand this simple to learn but difficult to master concept. When a ball is being served from the side, in order to catch the ball, it’s extremely important to get your shoulders perpendicular to the flight of the ball. Another way to describe this would be to have the center of your chest facing the player serving the ball.
If the keeper doesn’t get their shoulders perpendicular to the flight of the ball, it’s extremely difficult to successfully hold onto the ball.
On a high lofted ball, the way to get your shoulders facing the correct direction is to try to step back away from the direction the ball is coming from so you can get behind the ball and come forward to meet the ball. By getting behind the ball as it comes down it allows you to get your upper body turned which makes catching much easier.
While it’s helpful, for balance purposes to get the lower body turned to face the flight of the ball, it’s not nearly as important as the upper body.
If you are not able to get your upper body perpendicular to the flight of the ball, this would be a good time to consider punching instead of catching as it’s much safer in that situation.
Catching Crosses Under Pressure
One of the problems a lot of keepers have in handling high balls is that in training, they work on it unopposed and without contact so when they feel contact in a real game, they are unprepared for how to handle it properly. This drill will help to prepare them for this contact.
Start with three keepers (or just one keeper and two other field players on their knees right next to each other facing a server. The middle keeper is allowed to use his hands while the two outside players are simply trying to knock the keeper around to recreate the type of contact the keeper will experience in a game. The server tosses the ball up so that the keeper can catch it and the two outside players start knocking the keeper from the sides to try to push her off balance. It is the middle keepers job to offset the contact he is receiving and to keep his focus on the ball and catch it every time. Do this 25 times and then switch (if the others are keepers). Each serve should be more and more difficult by playing it slightly in front of the keeper or behind the keeper or to either side. If you have three keepers doing this, you can turn this into a competition to see who can catch the most balls with 25 attempts. By turning this into a competition, you will make sure that the outside players really make it hard on the center keeper to catch the ball properly.
I have done this drill and had the three keepers almost beat each other up to prevent the others from catching the ball. One of the benefits of having three keepers for this drill is that it adds peer pressure if one is catching a lot more then the other two. People looking on at this drill might see it as being a bit artificial as there appears to be a lot more contact in this drill then in a game situation but the truth is that at a higher level, when a ball is served in and the keeper commits to coming to the ball, there is usually a great deal of contact with the keeper and they must be prepared to handle this contact.
The next step is to do this same thing from a standing position. Make sure the two outside players understand the purpose is to knock the keeper around and NOT to injure them (the risk of injury comes if the keeper jumps up for the ball and the keepers undercut them by knocking their legs out from underneath). As long as everyone understands the purpose of the drill, there can be a great deal of contact and healthy competition without injury.
After doing this drill a few times, just have a server play some balls into the goal mouth from the corner and have the other two players fight for the ball as field players while the keeper tries to catch the ball (or punch it if that would be appropriate). The keeper will find that the regular contact that comes in this situation wont bother them too much once they have trained for the situation.
If you only have one keeper, take two field players and when it’s their turn to be in middle, they can work on heading balls under pressure with contact. It’s an excellent way to work on this as well so that everyone benefits.
Handling Different Crosses
If the ball is driven hard to the near post, there is a tendency for the keeper to go directly toward the post at which point the risk of running into the post is created. With this risk, many keepers shy away which puts them in a difficult situation to make the save. Or they ignore the risk and occasionally do run into the near post. My recommendation is to take a step slightly back and to the left with the left foot, which will put you in the goal but will also make it easier for you to get your body behind the ball. Then you come out from behind the ball HARD and since you are now coming forward you are at much less of a risk at hitting the post and have a much greater probability of making the save. The key here is that this step is a quick step and there should be only one so that there is not a risk of making getting the ball while in the goal and giving up the goal. This is a hard habit to create but once you get accustomed to doing this, you will find that it makes this save much easier.
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The tendency on this type of ball is to take the first step or two forward and at that point the keeper has to start running backwards to try to get to the ball which is NOT going to be very successful. By stepping away from the ball, it increases your chances of not over running the ball which then increases your chances of holding the ball on the cross.
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Neither of these first steps would be considered "normal" in terms of just doing them naturally so these are things that the keepers must do on a regular basis in training to get to the point where they become habits. When I first start working with a keeper, I will put out cones so that they literally know exactly where each step should go. I will have them do this a number of times without balls and then serve balls in and observe their footwork throughout the exercise to make sure they are doing everything properly. This is a GREAT time to videotape a training session so that the keeper can see exactly how their footwork should look.
Training For Lofted Crosses
One of the more difficult things to practice, as a keeper is a high lofted ball played to the far post. This is difficult because it requires the keeper to have someone who can serve the ball properly on a regular basis. The other problem is that even if the server is able to serve the ball consistently it’s then extremely difficult for the server to also observe the footwork of the keeper to make any corrections/suggestions due to their having to keep their head down to serve the ball properly.
One way to work on this is to have a server, holding a ball stand near the corner of the 6-yard box and the end line. The keeper starts in the goal and sprints out and touches the ball with his hands and then does a drop step (if the server is to the keepers left, the drop step is done with the right foot) and then the server lofts the ball toward the far post. Using proper footwork the keeper gets back behind the ball and then goes up to catch it. The keeper then throws the ball back to the server, gets back into goal and then does it again. Each time the keeper catches the ball properly the server then throws the ball a little bit further until the keeper is really pushed to get to the ball properly. Do this 10 times from the left side and then switch and do it 10 times from the right side.
By starting off working on lofted balls this way, it allows the server to be more consistent on the serving of a balls, plus the server can see the footwork of the keeper better in order to make suggestions/corrections.
Once this has been done a few times the server can then go out wider and serve crosses from the sideline in order to add in another variable for the keeper (since the keeper will have to read the flight of the ball and this is the best way to do it).
Catching Drills
The series of drills I would like to talk about today involve just a keeper and a server. The keeper starts in a sitting position with his legs out in front and his feet slightly further apart then shoulders length. His hands should be in a position to catch a ball chest height. The server is just beyond his feet standing with a ball in his hands. The server takes a small step forward and then softly volleys the ball at the keeper’s hands. As soon as the ball is volleyed, the keeper catches it. The server should start off hitting the ball very lightly in order for the keeper to get comfortable with a ball being played at him from so close but each time the ball will get hit harder and harder. The tendency is for the keeper to lean back in the beginning out of fear but once he gets accustomed to catching the ball, he will be fine. It's extremely important for the keeper to catch the ball with his hands in the proper catching position. Typically, he will have some difficulties catching the ball at first but as he relaxes his hands and watches the ball all the way into his hands, he will become much more successful at this. Once his hands are in the proper position, he should have no problem catching the balls as they come harder and harder. This should allow him to work on catching hard shots and really keeping his eyes on the ball.
The next progression is to have the server step back a few steps and now really strike the ball hard. Not only does the keeper have to have his hands in the proper position to catch the ball, and not only will he have to watch the ball into his hands every time, but he will also have to calculate the trajectory of the ball. As a rule of thumb. You want your hands directly behind the balls trajectory. If a ball is coming straight down, your hands should be directly underneath the ball. If it's coming straight up, your hands should be directly above the ball. If it's coming up at an angle, then the hands have to be adjusted to be directly behind that trajectory.
The next progression is for the keeper to be in a standing position and the server to be roughly 5 yards away. The server volleys the balls (hard) to the keeper who now much use all three important parts of the body to catch the ball. He must get his feet moving to get his body behind the ball, then he must get his hands on the ball and this all must be done while watching the ball. These balls can be hit very hard and can also be played slightly to the side of the keeper to make him move.
After doing this three step progression, most keepers will find it easier to hold onto the ball since the drills have reinforced all good habits in catching. It is important for the server to concentrate and do everything possible to make good serves every time since the keeper is in a position where he can get injured with a bad serve (for example a ball to the face). However, I have been doing this series of drills for years and never had an injury so the keeper really doesn't have anything to worry about.
Catching Drill
This catching drill can be done by keepers of all ages. Have two keepers sit down facing each other with their legs out in front of them as if they are in position to start the diving progression from the sitting position. The two keepers feet should almost be touching. The first keeper lies down on his back with the ball in his hands while the other keeper stays up in a sitting position. The keeper with the ball then sits up and throws the ball from over his head to the other keepers face. This throw can be made as hard as he wants. If the receiving keeper catches the ball then he lies back on his back and does a sit up with the ball. As he comes forward, he then throws the ball back to the first keeper (hard). If either keeper drops the ball, the other keeper gets a point. If there is a bad throw, then the receiver gets a point. First keeper to predetermined number wins. At a higher level, you should be able to play a game to three and have this game go on for a good amount of time. There is no limit to how hard the throw can be and no mercy should be given in this game.
This is a real simple game to play but works on your hands, catching, abs and conditioning (if you don't believe it would involved much conditioning, watch two high level keepers go at it in this game).
The one thing that is real important is that the two keepers be around the same level because an older, stronger keeper can injure a younger keeper if they are not evenly matched.
Diving
The Power Step
Improving Your Power Step
Teaching the Diving Progression
Diving Forwards NOT Backwards
Softer Landings After Dives
Distance on Dives
Proper Hand for Extension Dive
Diving Warm-Up
The Power Step
The power step is used primarily to get height on your dives although it will also increase your distance. I will be discussing this with the assumption that you already know how to step into a shot and how to get into a proper stance.
Begin with your right knee on the ground and your left foot extended out and toward the left. If you think of a clock, have your left foot pointed toward 11 o'clock. Your thigh should be parallel to the ground and your foot should be far enough away from your knee so that it is almost difficult to keep just the ball of your foot on the ground. Your foot should be pointed in the direction you are diving (in the same way that a field
players plant foot is used to aim their shots, a keepers plant foot is used to "aim" their dive).
Next transfer your weight over your left foot and push up with your left leg. Go for maximum height. The quicker you transfer your weight the higher you will get. This will be a way to practice the power step. The longer the step the quicker you will be able to get off the ground and into the air.
Once you get the transfer of the weight done properly, have a server hold a ball up high slightly off of the lead left foot. Take the big step, transfer your weight and then explode for the ball. Each time you do this you should be able to get higher and higher. Gradually have the ball held higher and further and when ready, turn this into a diving drill. Keep doing this from this kneeling position as it will force you to transfer you weight properly instead of doing the more typical running after the ball done by less experience keepers.
After you have done this a number of times from each side, then progress to having the ball thrown up and away so that you have to work on the proper technique as well as to begin working on the timing as well.
Once you have done all of this, you can then proceed to doing this from a standing position. Start from a ready position, and when the ball is served, take this big power step, transfer your weight onto your lead foot and then push up and out.
Since the power step gives you height on your dive, what will give you distance? The answer is quite simple. The opposite leg will come around hard as you are pushing up with your power step and the momentum generated from this throwing of your opposite let, combined with the properly executed power step will get you the height and distance you need to make the upper 90 save.
Improving Your Power Step
The power step is the step prior to the dive intended to increase height or distance on the dive. Also, the power step gets the goalkeeper closer to where they intend to dive.
Too often, goalkeepers take this step and then simply fall into a collapse dive. While they think they're executing a proper extension dive, that failure to shift their weight directly over their plant foot results in a lack of power and thus little height and/or distance.
The whole key to the power step is to take a big step and then quickly transfer the wait of the body directly over this lead foot.
For example, if the goalkeeper is diving to their left, from the ready position, the keeper will take a big step to their left ( and slightly forward) and then shift their weight so their hips are directly over their left foot then push up off of their left foot while throwing their right leg around. By transferring their way over their left foot, this allows for an explosion needed for the extension. Driving the right leg across their body will generate momentum giving them the distance there looking for.
If the keeper does not transfer their weight properly and quickly, they will not get the power needed for a proper extension.
A keeper must practice the footwork for the extension dive in order to get to the point when they no longer have to think about taking the big step, and transferring the weight are done automatically. This does not require the keeper to actually dive; rather, they can simply do a step, then hop into a ready position, then a big step and transfer the weight. If the keeper were to do this 20 times a day in each direction they will find that their explosiveness and power for the extension dive will improve dramatically.
Teaching the Diving Progression
In teaching diving, I always start from the sitting position. The keeper should sit with their feet out in front of them, knees slightly bent recreating the standing position while sitting. The ball should be tossed underhand to the side of this sitting keeper who simply catches the ball as they fall on their side. The important things to remember is that the positioning of the lower arm here is very important. If, as you land, the elbow gets caught under the ribs, you will have broken ribs. If you land but decide to break your fall with your hand, you will break your wrist. If you land on you elbow, there is a good chance you will separate or dislocate your shoulder. If you land with your arm out in front of you, NO INJURY! The reason for starting in the sitting position here is that if there is a mistake, there wont be an injury. So instead of starting from a standing position like a lot of people do, start in a sitting position, which will allow you to determine if everything is being done properly without risk of major injury. Keeping in mind that the purpose of diving is to get your body behind the ball, you go toward your side (but slightly forward) as the ball is served and catch the ball right before you land. When catching the ball, you can soften your landing by placing the ball on the ground first with one hand on top of the ball and the other hand behind (not under) the ball. This is called using the ground as your third hand and lets the ball absorb a lot of the shock of the landing. As you are going down, your upper leg should be bent slightly. To get back up to the sitting position, simply kick out with the upper leg and your abs should get you back up. This is a very simple way to start off diving and one of the keys to starting this way is it helps get rid of the fear of injury in new keepers.
Next, the players shift up to a kneeling position. Their legs are bent behind them with their feet shoulders length apart, hands in a proper position. The ball gets served to the side and the keeper goes down on her side while catching the ball exactly like he did in the sitting position. It’s vital for player to land on his side with his body behind the ball and her upper body coming slightly forward. Everything else is the exact same.
Next, the player goes into a baseball catcher’s position (also known as squatting position). Here there is a little more to think about. The keeper goes down and the first contact his body should have with the ground is with the outside of his knee, then her hip and then the outside of his shoulder while catching the ball. Done properly, he will realize that this is a very easy thing to do and involves little or no pain. With strong abs, he can then kick back up to the catcher’s position.
This is all that is involved in the sitting, kneeling, catchers position progression. I am up front about the fact that I consider this to be an extremely important part of the warm up and training process and my keepers do it at the start of every training session. I think it’s vital that they condition their body to land properly and it’s a good way for me to make sure they are doing things properly to ensure there is no unnecessary injury. We do this where balls are served 5 times to each side in each progression. Once they are accustomed to doing this, it takes very little time at all but the benefits are tremendous.
Diving Forwards NOT Backwards
First of all, when a keeper is working on the technique of diving, starting with the sitting position, I see most keepers start off diving backwards. Rather then forcing their upper bodies forward to attack the ball and to further cut off the angle, they end up diving backwards and losing a large part of their range. It gets progressively worse as they work their way up to their knees, and then catchers’ position and finally the standing position. On each level, the keeper tends to get further away from the ball.
This is actually an easy thing to correct. A couple of things have to be concentrated on and this problem will go away. First, the stance becomes extremely important. If the keeper will make sure he has assumed a proper stance with his knees bent and his hands out in front of the feet, this will get his upper body leaning in the correct way and encourage him to come forward on the first movement. The next thing to concentrate on is that as the opposing player prepares to shoot, the keeper must step into the play. This is the way a keeper gets to the spot to cut off the angle. As the field player approaches the ball the keeper will step in and as the player plants her foot to shoot the ball, the keeper must reset into the keepers ready position. In training, I refer to this as taking a step and then a hop into the ready position. As this step and hop is taking place, the keeper will keep his hands in front of his lead foot at all times. This will insure that he keeps his upper body coming forward and attacking the ball on the dive. Lastly, make sure that your power step (the step you take after you leave the ready position to get height on your dive) goes forward. This step should be in the exact same direction that the dive will be executed and while this step is being done, the hands must again be in front of the lead foot at all times. If these three things are done, it should guarantee that the dive would go forward allowing you to attack the ball. Please understand that while I am talking about diving forward, I am not referring to a forward dive. This simply means your upper body should start out in front of the horizontal line you are diving from.
Softer Landings After Dives
The key to a soft landing on power dives is to use the ball to help make the contact with the ground less jarring. Assuming the keeper has made a diving save and has the ball under control, her next step should be to have the ball make the first contact with the ground. The important thing to concentrate on here is to have one hand on top of the ball and the other hand behind the ball when you place the ball on the ground. If you land with one hand under the ball, the ball will come loose upon contact with the ground. Other things to remember are that with the hands in the proper position on the ball, you need to make sure that the elbows are in front of the body and not under the ribs, which could result in broken ribs and/or a dislocated shoulder.
Upon making contact with the ball to the ground the first part of the body to make contact with the ground will be the side of the shoulder. Then the side, hip and finally the outside of the knee. This type of landing is much softer and easier on the body then the alternative that I call the sack of potato landing (this is when a person lands with the completely flat with their whole body hitting the ground at the same time).
In summation, the way to soften your landing on a power dive is to land ball, shoulder, side of upper body, hip and then outside of the knee.
Distance on Dives
When diving for a far, highball, the way to get height on the dive is through the power step. The opposite leg is where the distance on the dive will come from.
Let’s assume that the keeper is diving for a shot hit to the upper corner to the keepers left side. With his left leg, he will take a big step for the power step, transfer his weight and push up. While pushing up with his left leg, he will drive his right knee across his body towards his left in order to get the bodies momentum going in that direction for the distance. The harder the right knee is driven across the body, the greater the distance of the dive.
The way to practice this is to have the keeper to start in a sitting position and a server throws the ball to his left side. The keeper comes forward with the upper body to catch the ball in a simple collapse dive but at the same time drives the right knee across his body to get accustomed to the technique (a warning is that from the sitting position, the keeper will occasionally knee himself in the face BUT they will not get injured doing this and this doesn’t happen from the standing position so it shouldn’t be something that should concern anyone).
One of the mistakes that many keepers make when doing this is that instead of coming forward with the upper body during the dive, they start off going backwards and continue backwards even more so with the knee coming around. It’s extremely important for the upper body to start off forward while diving (the upper body should almost be going in a 45 degree angle from the goal line) and then, if the opposite knee causes the keeper to end up slightly backwards, that is ok because the backwards movement would happen more as a follow through so when the ball is caught the upper body is coming forward.
After doing this from the sitting position, the keeper can progress up the catcher’s position and now the power step can be done in conjunction with the coming around of the opposite knee. Everything stays the same.
Next the keeper can do the exact same thing from a standing position and then finally add in the step and a hop then setting properly, then the power step and coming around hard with the opposite knee. The key is to introduce each step gradually to make sure everything before it is done properly to ensure success and avoid injury
Proper Hand for Extension Dive
When a keeper dives, the first objective is to get both hands on/behind the ball. This allows the keeper to attempt to catch the ball. However, on a ball that is hit hard toward corners, sometimes it’s not possible to get both hands on the ball. When this is the case, it becomes vital for the keeper to use the correct hand to parry the ball.
When there is a hard shot hit low and to the corner, the hand easiest to extend will be the lower hand (this means when a keeper dives to his left, his left hand is the correct hand). The reason for this is when diving properly a keeper gets parallel to the ground so the low hand will be the one closest to a shot below the waist.
When there is a hard shot hit high and to the corner, the hand easiest to extend will be the upper hand (this means when a keeper dives to his left, his right hand is the correct hand). The reason for this is when diving properly a keeper gets parallel to the ground so the upper hand will be the one closest to a shot hit above the waist.
Using the correct hand for extension dives will frequently be the difference between success and failure in making the save!
Diving Warm-Up
Start with a keeper and a server 5 yards apart with the server holding the ball. The keeper starts in a proper stance and then drops to their left side to catch an imaginary ball. The keeper then kicks up quickly (as if they made the save but weren’t able to hold onto the ball) and the server tosses the ball to the keepers left for a simple collapse dive. The keeper makes the save, gets back up and does the same thing to the other side. The keeper goes as quickly as possible between the first collapse dive and then save on the second but there is no rush to get to the next series of dives to the right.
If you have two keepers one should act as the server and the other should act as the keeper. They do 5 balls to each side and then switch roles.
Next the keeper goes down to their left side for the imaginary save and then kicks back up and the ball gets served to the keepers right and the keeper makes the save. Then the keeper goes down to their right, kicks up and then makes the save to their left. This is done 5 times to each side and then the keepers change roles.
If you want to do one more set in this progression, you can do the same thing except now, the ball is served for an extension dive instead of a collapse dive.
This simple (and short) activity allows a keeper to get accustomed to diving properly, landing properly, holding onto balls, agility, and much more.
Punching
Punch or Catch?
Punching with Two Hands
Punch or Catch?
I would like to start off by talking a bit about the technique of punching. There are two types of punches. The first one is the two fisted punch. This is used primarily when it is your intention to return the ball in the same general direction that it came. An example would be a ball served in from the midfield into a crowded box. Assuming the ball is dropping in front of the keeper, he would want to punch it with two hands and return it high and far back to where it came (although ideally at a different trajectory). The proper technique is to ball your hands into fists with the middle joints of each hand touching. Have your elbows close together (within six inches) and your wrists straight. A very important thing to do is make sure your thumbs are not tucked into the fist, as that is a great way to break them. By taking this position, you will be able to maximize the area of your hands to make contact with the ball. As the ball approaches, you would go to meet it and then extend your forearms making contact with the ball as squarely as possible. A common mistake made in punching is to take a hard swing at the ball. The reason this is unnecessary is you will use the momentum of the ball to take care of the power and your main function is to make solid contact and change the trajectory of the ball.
The second type of punch is the one fisted punch. This is used primarily on crossed balls from the side served into the box. If the ball were served in a way that will cause it to be over your head, you would use the one fisted technique to continue the flight of the ball in the same direction that it is coming but with a different trajectory. To do this, you would use the near fist (if the ball is served from YOUR right side, you would use your right fist). Again ball it up with the thumb on the outside and the idea is to make contact with the ball while turning your upper body in the direction you are punching the ball. The idea is to try to maintain contact with the ball as long as possible. This will also prepare you to receive the next cross since the ball will most likely still be live.
The basic rule of thumb for deciding whether to catch or punch is if you think you can catch the ball, then you should punch it. Only when you KNOW you can catch the ball should you actually attempt to catch. The reason for this is if you try to catch and are unsuccessful it most likely results in a great scoring opportunity for the opponent. If you punch a ball that you should have caught, it most likely will result in loss of possession but not a great scoring opportunity for the opponent. In other words, the general rule is to err on the side of safety. Having said this, I feel far too many balls are punched without a good reason. While I stand by the belief that you should only catch when you are 100% sure you can, the truth is that not enough time is spent on receiving high balls and with proper training you should be able to expand your range and catch many more balls then are being caught currently.
Keep in mind, keeping the ball out of the back of the net is just a small part of goalkeeping. Keepers are also required to initiate the attack and the best way to do this is by getting the ball in your hands. The only way to improve in this area is through constant repetition first uncontested and then gradually going against attacking and defending players. Think in terms of safety first but also see what your comfort level is and then work on expanding your comfort level Each keeper will have a different range and different comfort zone and only you can know what you can punch and what you can catch.
It is very rare that I see keeper’s train enough in this very important part of the game. It’s actually one of the easiest things to work on outside of an organized training session because all you really need is a field player to serve balls in.
Punching With Two Hands
Two things to remember from a safety standpoint when punching with two fists is to make sure you do NOT tuck your thumbs under the rest of your fingers while forming your fist. If you do this you are increasing your probability of injury. Also, many keepers seem to separate their elbows while preparing to punch in order to increase their power. The problem with doing this it puts a lot of pressure on the wrists, which could result in unnecessary injury. Instead get the forearms behind the wrists instead of “flared out”.
The other thing to consider when going for the two fisted punch is you want to get to the ball at almost the highest point possible. Too many keepers let the ball drop to almost head height in order to really punch the ball hard and far. The problem with this is that the one advantage you as a keeper have over the other players on the field is the use of your hands so among other things you can get balls at a higher point but if you let the ball drop to head height you have no reach advantage over the field players using their heads.
To work on proper technique in punching start with the keeper on his knees and a server plays a ball to him. He leans forward and with his hands in proper punching position tries to punch the ball over the server’s head (the server would only be 5 yards away or so). Do this a few times and then do the same thing from the catcher’s position and then from a standing position (it works best in groups of 3’s with one keepers working, one serving balls and the third behind the server catching the punched balls). Next add token pressure from a defender and finally add live pressure. By starting on the knees it allows the keeper to concentrate on hand and arm position without regard for footwork then slowly add in the footwork and things will become easier than just starting from a standing position.
By working on punching properly it allows you to become more effective on balls served into the box.
Breakaways
Breakaways
Proper Footwork on Breakaways
Knowing when to go Down on Breakaways
Training for Breakaways
Breakaways
Now on to the issue of breakaways. The first thing to realize is that if you as a keeper are doing your job properly, you can avert most breakaway situations. If a player comes through unmarked, that is because you as a keeper did not do an adequate job of assigning marks and ensuring that there is proper coverage. However, assuming that you are in a breakaway situation, the first objective is to try to beat the attacking player to the ball. Assuming you can’t do that, the next objective is to meet the oncoming player at the top of the 18. . As the player is dribbling at you, you want to take advantage of some factors that you can always count upon. When players are dribbling on a breakaway, they do not dribble with the ball at their feet. Rather they push the ball out in front of them and run after it. As soon as the ball is pushed far in front of the oncoming player, this is when you can afford to steal ground by charging at them as quickly as possible. When the ball gets closer to their feet, you have to slow down and prepare for the possible shot. As you get closer to the opponent, you will look for the opportunity to attack the ball. One of the ideas I teach is to have a very slight bend on your run as you approach the opponent. The idea here is to encourage the opponent to think he has one side open. When you do this, you are able to take the decision away from the attacker and you are now in control. You want to force the attacker to the near post because that will take away as much of the angle as possible. Remember that this must be a very slight curve or else you will be giving up a very easy goal. The next key is to attack immediately after the ball has left the opponent’s foot on his last touch. The reason for this is if you attack when the ball is at the player’s foot, he can very easily pull the ball back or cut it to the side. As soon as the ball is played away from his foot, you will take a step directly in the direction the ball is heading with your nearest foot (if you are forcing the player to your right, the last step will be with your right foot. Have your right hand in front of your right foot when you are taking this step and almost on the ground. You want to be very low when taking this step. Next, while forcing your body forward, extend into a dive that will allow as much of your body to be covering the goalmouth as possible. Get your hands on the ball and then pull it in and cover it up as quickly as possible. Once you have possession, it is then I recommended that you make yourself as small as possible in order to protect yourself. If you have done properly, you will have had control of the situation from the very beginning by making the decision of when to meet the oncoming player, then you would have determined when they will shoot by attacking quickly and even where they will shoot by bending your run. With experience, breakaways become easier and easier. The one thing I really want to emphasize is that you must not go out on a breakaway feet first. This is the best way to get injured as well as to injure someone else. The other thing to remember is lead with your body and not with your head. That is the best way as a keeper to get injured.
To reemphasize the important points on breakaways, control timing, determine which side you want to defend, lead with your hand and inside foot, cover the goal with your body and be in control at all times. Realize that once you make a save, your job is not done until the ball is safely in your hands. Just blocking the ball and thinking your job is done is not enough. Stay with the play until it’s truly over.
Proper Footwork on Breakaways
On breakaways, when a keeper dives to their right side, the last step should be taken with the right foot in order to push off and get to the ball as quickly as possible. Surprisingly, I have seen a lot of keepers recently dive off of the incorrect foot on breakaways where on dives to the right, the last step is with the left foot.
The problem with diving off of the incorrect foot is, in order to get to the ball; the keeper has to be almost right up to the ball before diving to get their body behind the ball. The contrast is by diving off the correct foot, the keeper can dive earlier, which allows them to get to the ball quicker (which will usually result in more saves and also safer play by the keeper) and become a better keeper.
When diving on a breakaway to the right, the last step should be with the right foot. When diving to the left, the last step should be with the left foot.
This simple correction by keepers will result in keepers making more saves, staying healthier and becoming more confident.
Knowing When to Go Down on Breakaways
The one pattern I have seen recently in watching a lot of young keepers come out on breakaways is that they dive based on how close the oncoming player is to the goal and to the keeper. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to take into consideration how close the ball is to the attacking player.
If a keeper dives at a ball when the ball is at the oncoming players feet, the attacking player will be able to slot the ball past the keeper, or chip over the keeper or cut the ball around the keeper. Whenever the ball is at the attacking players feet, the keeper needs to stay on their feet. It’s not till the attacking player plays the ball away from his feet that the keeper should go down to win the ball.
The way to work on the keeper getting into the habit of staying on their feet when the ball is at the attacking players feet and then going down once the ball is touched forward by the attacking player is to have a field player start 5 yards from the keeper who is in a ready position. The field player touches the ball back and forth from the left foot to the right foot and the keeper is ready to pounce BUT must remain patient. Randomly the field player should push the ball slightly in front and then the keeper quickly steps to the ball and dives on it using the proper technique for breakaways.
After doing this a few times, the field player goes back 5 more yards and they do the exact same thing.
Next the field player goes 20 yards from the keeper and takes a touch forward at which point the keeper starts forward to the ball. When the field player gets to the ball for a second touch, the keeper sets again and then when the field player touches the ball forward again, the keeper pounces forward onto the ball.
Next the attacking player goes back 30-40 yards and dribbles down at full speed on a real breakaway and the keeper works on footwork and knowing when to come forward and when to be patient.
The key here is for the keeper to be patient when the ball is at the keeper feet and then when the ball is pushed forward, the keeper can then attack the ball.
Training For Breakaways
The main problem with breakaways is even if a keeper knows how to approach a breakaway, it takes a great deal of experience and experimentation in order to become proficient at dealing with breakaways.
The most difficult part of dealing with breakaways is knowing when to come out, when to stay back, when to dive and when to stay on your feet. The thing that makes it extremely difficult are all of the other variables that effect this decision including how much space the attacking player has created between herself and the closest defending player and also the angle of approach of the attacking player.
If the attacking player has a lot of time and space between themselves and the closest defending player, the keeper is in a lot of trouble because the keeper is looking for a bad touch created by pressure to attack and without the pressure, the bad touch is less likely to occur. If the defender is closing on the attacking player, the keeper is more likely to see the bad touch they need to make the save.
Start with an attacking player with a ball around 40 yards out with a defender 10 yards further back. As soon as the attacking player touches the ball forward the defender chases the attacking player and the keeper has to decide whether the defender is going to catch the attacking player (at which point the keeper stays back) or if the defender is not going to catch the attacking player, the keeper will try to time their approach to meet around 12 to 15 yards out.
After doing this a few times, have the defender start 5 yards closer so there is only 5 yards between the two to start.
Next have the attacking player start 20 yards wide of the center (still 40 yards out) and the defending player is 10 yards back but in the center of the field. This means the keeper has to read the situation and determine whether to come forward and if so, what the angle of approach should be.
In the above activity the distance from the center and the distance back should be changed to create different situations for the keeper to read.
This is also an excellent way for the attacking player to work on finishing breakaways and is great fitness work for the attacking and defending players (it’s best to have a few of each or else they will tire quickly).
Next add a second attacker coming from out wide so if the defender is able to catch the attacking player, the keeper has to still factor in the other attacking player.
Distribution
Punting
Throwing
Taking Goal Kicks
Punting
If you watch professional keepers, you will see many varying styles of punting. One keeper will whip his leg around from the side, another will drop the ball two handed, another will drop the ball with the hand on their same side as the foot they kick with.
After much observation and experimentation, I have found that if we follow the same rules for punting, as when we teach field players how to strike a long ball, that keepers get the most consistent results. Let's review these rules:
1. A long last step is crucial. Observe that when a player takes a long last step when striking a ball, that the kicking leg automatically cocks fully back before striking the ball and therefore the player gets a maximum full swing of the leg.
2. The kicking foot must remain pointed down and the ankle firmly locked out throughout the strike and the follow through.
3. The kicker should strike the ball with enough force as so to lift the plant foot off the ground.
3. The hand opposite the kicking leg should extend out in front of the ball. For a keeper punting, this means that the ball should be released with the hand opposite the kicking foot. Again although you will see varying styles among professional players, when
teaching youth players, releasing the ball with the left hand when kicking right footed, follows the natural way our body works when kicking a soccer ball over distance off the ground. I believe that if we teach one style of kicking off the ground and then can carry this over to punting, that keepers will catch on quicker.
Lastly, I would like to address the release point. I teach that the lower the release point, the easier it is to strike the ball cleanly. I teach keepers to drop the ball about knee height. Young keepers will often want to toss the ball up. Teach them to drop it instead and they will have more success early on.
Keepers need to practice punting allot in order to achieve success. I have my youth keepers punt into the net every session after warm-ups and stretching as part of their daily routine.
Throwing
There are three ways to distribute the ball from the keeper's hands. First is the bowling technique. This is used when the keeper has a teammate a short distance from him who is open and there isn't an opponent between the keeper and his teammate. When this situation occurs, the keeper wants to roll the ball to the field player using a similar technique as used by bowlers. There should be no bounce to the ball and the ball MUST get to the player quickly (the keeper wants to get to the ball to the player as quickly as possible because he wants the player to receive the ball with as little pressure as possible and with pressure being defined as the absence of time and space, getting the ball to him quickly will mean he receives it before an opponent can take away his time and space). Some of the keys to the bowling distribution are to play the ball to players who are open, have the skill to handle the ball properly, and to play it to them to the correct foot. Normally, it will be played to a player whose body is open to the field (meaning her body is facing the goal he is attacking) and the ball will be played slightly in front of this players outside foot (if the ball is being played to the keepers right side, the ball gets played slightly in front of the players right foot so that his body stays open to the field and he can go forward with his first touch. If, by playing the ball to a player this way, he will receive the ball under pressure, the ball should NOT be played.
The next way to distribute with the hands is the baseball throw. This is done when the targeted player is too far away to bowl the ball to and still get it there in a reasonable amount of time. This throw also requires there be no one between the keeper and the target. To make a baseball throw, the ball gets held in one hand (and this is one of the reasons that younger keepers rarely use this throw because it is hard to do this with small hands) next to the ear (if throwing with the right hand the ball is held in the right hand up by the right ear) and the keeper takes a hard step or two forward and then comes forward with the right hand while using the momentum of the step forward to get more power. Unlike throwing a real baseball, you do not take the arm back further than the head (it really is more like the way an American Football is thrown in terms of the release). When the arm comes forward, the knees should be bent so that the release comes from a very low level (if you are throwing with the right hand, the right knee is almost touching the ground when the ball is released). The ball should NOT reach the target in the air but rather, should the ball should be aimed to hit the ground two thirds of the way to the target. The reason for this is that you want the ball to be at the targets feet when it gets to him so that it is easy for him to handle the ball and maintain possession. When keepers try to throw the ball to the player on the fly, too often it arrives at the players waist or chest which makes it much more difficult to handle. Not only does this technique require big enough hands to be able to control the ball while executing this throw, but it also requires a strong upper body to get the appropriate power on the throw. Of the three types of distribution from the hands, this is the one that is done the least.
The third type of distribution is the overhand throw. This is the one that is used for throwing longer distances and also when there are players between the keeper and the target. Again assuming the keeper is going to throw right handed, the ball can be held with both hands slightly in front of the right hip. With the right hand, cup the ball against the right forearm and bring the ball straight back and overhead in a windmill type motion. The key here is to have your arm come straight over hand and NOT sidearm. By doing this, you will maximize your distance and accuracy and get rid of all sidespin which will cause the ball to curve (kind of like a curve ball in baseball). The earlier you release the ball, the higher the trajectory of the ball so this can be used to throw to a target even when there are players in between the keeper and the target. If there aren't players in between, you want to release the ball later so that the trajectory of the ball is lower and it gets to the target quicker. Again, if possible, you want to get the ball to the target in a way that is easy for the target to receive the ball so trying to throw it so that it hits the ground 2/3rds of the way to the target is ideal (this is assuming a low trajectory). The way to aim this type of a throw is to point at the target with the opposite arm full extended (this serves a similar role as the way a player aims a kick by with the plant foot). The great thing about this type of a throw is that it doesn't require great strength to get a good throw because the speed at which a person a person brings the ball around in the wind mill type action is where the power and distance of this throw comes from.
The way to get better at all three of these types of distribution is to work on them each training period. However, you want to do it in moderation. It's better to throw 20-30 times per training session and do it correctly then to do it 100 times a day (which will result in hurting your shoulder). Learn to be consistent in your throwing and you will be a better keeper for it.
Taking Goal Kicks
As goalkeepers, in addition to keeping the ball out of the net and keeping the defense organized, you have become the eleventh field player. To be a top keeper, not only are you expected to be able to handle the ball with the skill of a field player, you are also expected to be able to deliver the ball with accuracy at distances of up to 50 yards and more. This is a skill that very few players, not just keepers, possess.
Whether striking a moving or still ball, the chances for success increase with proper technique. The technique used to strike a soccer ball accurately over long distances is no different than that used by top NFL place-kickers.
Almost all the balls that a keeper is asked to hit a long distance with accuracy are either goal kicks or slow rolling balls where you have time. Both should be struck the same way.
Pick Your Target:
It may sound obvious but you should pick a specific target or spot that you are trying to hit not just a general area. For practice you can place cones at various spots on the field and aim at them.
Focus on the Ball:
You need to focus on the specific point on the ball that you are trying to contact. Solid contact on the proper part of the ball allows you to control trajectory and lets you hit a ball further with less effort.
Control Your Approach:
You don’t gain any power with your approach. You need to be able to repeat the same leg swing over and over. Controlling your approach gives you a better chance of doing this. Power is generated by how fast your foot moves through the ball and how solid your contact is not how fast or how far your approach is.
Follow Through to Your Target:
When striking the ball your plant foot should be even with the ball and pointed towards your target. At impact your body should be square to your intended target. When you swing through the ball, allow your momentum to take you past the ball on your target line. You should still find yourself square to your target after you have finished the kick.
Placement of your plant foot in relation to the ball and approach will vary from player to player. However, successful kickers have two things in common. Their plant foot will be pointed at their target and their follow through will take them to their target. You should not find yourself falling left or right and you should not be stuck on your plant foot after impact.
If I were to pick the two most important keys to success it would be these. You need to make solid contact on the ball and your follow through should be on your target line.
As with anything it takes a lot of practice to be successful. However, if you can master this skill you will become a much more valuable asset to you team.
Penalty Kicks
Saving Penalty Kicks
Penalty Kicks
Saving Penalty Kicks
It's important to remember that all of the pressure during a penalty kick is on the shooter. Take your time and let the shooter think about the situation as long as possible. Also, let the keeper see how confident you are of the situation. If you are going to look scared or be complaining to the ref. and your teammates, this gives the shooter the belief that you don't have faith in yourself. Be confident and be in control.
The first thing to do is to break the goal into thirds. Your primary responsibility is to protect the middle third. Especially in youth soccer, I believe it is a terrible idea to guess and lose the opportunity to make the easy save. Instead of guessing, you can make some educated assumptions to help you move in one direction while still taking into consideration protecting your middle third.
We will start with the proper stance for a penalty kick. Assume the same position as is normal except with your hands out wider and also held up higher. The reason for this change in the positioning of the hands is simply to make you look bigger in the goal. This is done for reasons of intimidation but also will allow you to handle high balls easier.
The next thing to do is to choose the spot you want to start from. I recommend starting a foot or two off center. This allows you to still protect your middle third but now you are trying to take control of the situation by making the shooter think about which side to go. Normally, the shooter is in control but by being just SLIGHTLY off centered, it will make the shooter think and now you are winning this battle. You would want them to shoot to the side that they normally don't shoot. You can know this by having watched them in previous matches or by having scouting reports.
Other ways to know which direction the shooter might be going is by watching their approach. If they are shooting with their right foot and are coming at a large angle then they most likely will be shooting to the keepers left side. The reason you can make this conclusion is that for them to shoot to the keeper’s right side, they have to wrap their leg around the ball and they would have increased their chances of shanking the ball. If the shooter is coming at a smaller angle then you have to look for other cues. The next one is to try to figure out which part of the foot the shooter is going to use. If it's the inside of the foot (the most common for youth players) then you will want to watch the knee of the shooters kicking leg. If, as the shooter, approaches the ball, you see the inside of the knee, this means the shooter is going toward the keepers left side. If you don't see the inside of the knee, then the ball will most likely be going toward the keepers right side. This is a very reliable visual cue and even works if the shooter is using their instep although it's not quite as obvious.
Once you have an idea of which direction the shooter is going, take this into consideration, take advantage of your knowledge but still, control your middle third first.
The rest of my advice on penalty kicks is to be patient, be confident and to practice them as much as possible. Experience makes a huge difference in this situation. This is a prime example of where keepers must make quick decisions early and the successful keepers must be smart to be successful.
Penalty Kicks
There are a number of theories on how keepers should handle penalty kicks. Some people believe that the keeper should guess one way with the logic being that if they guess correctly it increases their chances of making the save. Others try to look for visual cues in order to give them an opportunity for a more educated “guestimate”. Still others believe they can intimidate the shooter into making a mistake by doing things like delaying a long time before being ready or doing some other unconventional things.
I believe the best thing to do is combine a couple of these theories and then hope for the best.
First let me say I do not believe in outright guessing. Not only does the keeper have to guess the correct direction but also the correct height and the correct timing. Even then the keeper still has to be somewhat lucky to make the save.
The intimidation factor also should be discounted in my opinion for the simple reason that it goes against the spirit of the game as well as the laws of the game.
There are a few visual cues that can give you a slight idea of where the ball will be going. If you know the shooter is going to shoot with the inside of the foot, when they plant their foot to shoot you see the inside of their knee on their kicking leg, it most likely means they are shooting to their strong side. To give an example of this, if it’s a right-footed shooter and they open up their knee they will most likely be shooting to their right side (the keepers left side). If they don’t open up their knee and they use the inside of the foot, they are most likely shooting to their weak side (a right footed player shooting to their left side)
Another visual cue would be the shooters approach to the ball. If they come straight onto the ball (or almost straight on) it doesn’t tell you anything but if they come from a severe angle (more than a 90 degree angle) they are more likely to shoot to their strong side. The reason for this is that if they come from a severe angle and shoot to their weak side, they are more likely to come around too far on the ball and shoot it wide.
To me, the most frustrating thing from a coaching standpoint on penalty kicks is to see a keeper guess one way and then have the ball miss-hit straight down the middle of the goal. Because of this, I prefer to see a keeper watch for some visual cues to give them an idea of where the ball MIGHT be going but to keep on their feet and react to the actual shot. Especially at the youth level, a surprisingly high percentage of PK’s are miss-hit so if a keeper stops the easy balls and forces the shooter to hit a good shot, they have a better chance of making the save than if they guess and go for the spectacular save.
As long as the keeper realizes that the real pressure in a penalty kick situation is on the shooter they can relax and let the shooter make the mistake. By making the easy saves, and letting the pressure make it hard on the shooter to hit the great shot, it puts the keeper at the advantage
GK Conditioning/
Footwork
Conditioning for GK’s
GK Conditioning
Increasing Explosiveness
Agility Drills
GK Ab Workout
Using Medicine Balls
Footwork/Conditioning Drill
Fitness & Footwork Drill
Footwork Drill
Footwork Drill
Shot Blocking & Footwork
Conditioning For Goalkeepers
While field players have to work on sprints ranging from 5-50 yards, keepers should be working on much shorter distances, (5-15 yards) as well as jumping for explosiveness.
The first thing I would recommend you do is continue a plyometrics program. Another thing to do would be to run "doggies" A doggie is where you put 6 cones down 5 yards apart and run from the first one to the second one and then back, then to the third one and back and on till you get to the last one and then return to the first one. If you are working in a group of three, you can have one person run a doggie while the other two rest and then the second person goes and then the third. A well conditioned older youth male should be under 31 seconds in completing one doggie. You must touch each line with your hand before turning. Doggies are excellent for working on quick changes of direction as well as acceleration.
The next progression is to have both players sit down besides each other. Upon hearing the clap, they must get up (without using any part of their arms or hands) and sprint past the server. This one should be made into a race. Next, have them stand side by side and upon hearing the clap, they must take a big step away from the server and then spring past the server. Again, do this three times with each foot. Next, have one ball for each runner and have them place the ball to the side of their feet. Upon hearing the clap they must jump over the ball 6 times and then sprint past the server. Each of these can be done as many times as you choose and there are many other variations that you can come up with. These can be done either indoors or outdoors and require very little space to do.
There are many types of conditioning programs that are quite scientific and quite effective but the one that I have a hard time finding anything as effective and easy to do is jumping rope. You can use a normal jump rope or a weighted one that will help your upper body as well (recommended) and simply jump 100 times on your right foot then 100 on your left foot and then 100 using both feet. Go as quickly as you can without losing control and try to keep this series up for 10 minutes (at a fast pace). Do this 3 times a week for a couple of weeks and you will see a noticeable difference in your conditioning.
GK Conditioning
Keepers and keeper coaches seem to have many different views on the importance of conditioning for goalkeepers. There still seems to be some who believe that keepers don't have to be in good shape because all they do is just stand there and for most of the game they do nothing. I'm not going to address this because hopefully most of you are smart enough to know that this belief is just ludicrous.
Others seem to believe that keepers need to be in excellent shape and to accomplish this they should do the same type of conditioning as the rest of the players. While much better than the belief that the keepers don't need to be in shape, it still doesn't acknowledge that keepers have different conditioning needs than do field players.
The best way to work on goalkeeping conditioning is to look at the type of movement that keepers go through over the course of a game. One thing that happens a lot during a game is side to side sliding to readjust positioning. A good way to work on this is to a 5-10-5 shuttle. The keeper starts in a ready position and then slides side to side to the right for 5 yards and then changes directions and slides 10 yards to the left and then changes directions and slides 5 yards back to the right. Do this 10 times and then rest. See the diagram below
[pic]
Another common sequence of movement is short sprints forward and backwards. To work on this, the keeper should start on a line, sprint 5 yards forwards and then with a drop step, work on the proper footwork for a backward dive. Then sprint 10 yards forward and back the same way. Do this series 5 times and then rest.
Next thing to work on is explosiveness. The best way I know to do this is with plyometrics but you can also work on this by taking a soccer ball and jumping up and slamming it into the cross bar 20 times in a row. To make this a bit harder, while jumping you can also bring your knees up to your chest. When you hit the ball into the cross bar, make sure your hands are in the proper catching position.
Increasing Explosiveness
Frequently, when working on fitness, or speed and agility coaches seem to do things that work on long distance conditioning but not on the explosiveness that is so important for keepers.
It’s the reason I believe so strongly in keepers doing a lot of plyometrics or speed ladder work.
Another way for keepers to work on their explosiveness and their ability to jump (and then jump again) would be by using a simple hurdle to jump over prior to making a save. For example, start with a small hurdle perpendicular to the goal line with the keeper standing to the right of the hurdle. The keeper starts to the right of the hurdle and jumps over the hurdle and then jumps right back to land in the same spot they started. As soon as the player lands a ball is struck and the keeper must catch the ball. The height of the hurdle will vary depending upon the age, size and ability of the keeper.
You can also set up the hurdle so the hurdle is parallel to the goal line. The keeper starts in front of the hurdle (so the hurdle is between the keeper and the goal line). The keeper jumps back over the hurdle and then forward over the hurdle again at which point the ball gets struck and the keeper makes the save.
By having the keeper make two quick jumps over the hurdle (or more if you would like to have the keeper jump over and back and then over and back again) it works on quick jumps, explosiveness, balance and agility.
There are numerous variations you can do to work on this explosiveness training and the only real limitation is the coaches imagination. Remember it’s more important for the keeper to go quickly then to jump over the highest hurdle possible. This is about explosiveness and not height.
Agility Drills
1.)The first drill is called triangle drills. This drill requires 4 people, which is best if it’s one coach or trainer and 3 keepers. Make an equilateral triangle with each side being 8 yards. This essentially makes 3 full sized goals. The first keeper starts in the middle of the triangle and the other three people are on the outside of the triangle lined up 10 yards from the middle of each goal. Each of these servers has a ball in her hands. The keeper will run to the outside of each goal and save a simple serve with a collapse dive. As soon as the save has been made, the keeper runs though the triangle to the next ball being served. Each save must be made outside the triangle. This will go on for a one-minute period. As soon as the minute is up, the next keeper will start. If the makeup of the group is 3 keepers and one trainer, each keeper will go hard for one minute and then rest for the next two minutes. After each keeper has gone through this process, the next step would be extended dives. It’s important for the servers to make sure that each one is not serving to the same side each time. Try to get the servers to alternate each serve. There are many options for sets to do in this series including running through balls, forward dives, high balls, backward tips, and parrying. Then you could build in forward rolls, knees to chest jumps or burpees between each save and this becomes a wonderful drill for conditioning, agility and technique. This is a high intensity drill that requires a lot of concentration. While the conditioning in this drill is incredible, the technique used in each set is what has to emphasize. One of the reasons for the rolls and jumps is to tire out the keepers to force them to really concentrate on the technique. This drill will show how fundamentally sound a keeper really is. The only negative of this drill is the need for 4 people.
2.)The next drill is also done with a triangle although this one is much smaller. This equilateral triangle should be between 3-4 yards. You also need at least 4 people although the more the better. Field players can be used, as there is a benefit to them as well. In this drill the working keeper must stay outside the triangle at each time. The players on the outside would stay around 10 yards back surrounding the triangle. They would pass the ball around the triangle trying to create an angle to pass the ball through the triangle. The working keeper must stay outside the triangle and use their footwork to navigate their way around the triangle trying to keep everything outside of the triangle. This can be turned into a competition between keepers to see who can be scored upon the least in a one-minute period. Each time the ball goes through the triangle it’s a point and each time the keeper runs through the goal it’s also a goal. The keeper who has let up the fewest number of points wins. This drill requires a lot of balls and the more field players the better since it requires some skill to pass the ball around and through triangle. This is very strenuous and again the only negative is the number of people required plus the number of balls.
3.)The third drill I want to discuss involves fewer people. It’s done in front of a goal with two servers and one keeper. The servers stand approximately 10 yards from the goal even with the posts. They will pass the ball back and forth either with one or two touches and the keeper must move with the ball in order to cut off the angle. Any time the servers feel the keeper has not gotten there quickly enough, the ball can be shot into the goal (either near post or far post). This requires a great deal of movement and conditioning. The keeper, while going back and forth between the posts does not really run in straight lines but rather almost makes a U in their movements going back to the line in the middle and then attacking the ball when its at the feet of the servers. The advantage of this drill is the servers can be keepers, coaches or just bystanders and it only requires one ball.
Each of these drills is high intensity and should last for one-minute periods. Emphasize the fundamentals and realize these are extremely simple but intense drills.
GK Ab Workout
Working on your abs (abdominals) is an extremely important thing to do in order to become a better goalkeeper. It will make it easier to hold onto hard shots since it will allow you to absorb more of the shot in your stomach. Also, it will make it easier to extend for dives since much of the power from a power dive will come from your abs as you come around hard with your top foot.
There are many, many ways to work on your abs ranging from crunches to sit ups but it's much more economical from a time perspective to build this into your catching drills. For example, you can have two keepers sitting facing each other and they can throw the ball back and forth concentrating on catching the ball properly while their feet and legs are off the ground (the only part of the body touching the ground is the butt). The keepers do this for a minute then rest for a minute. As an incentive for doing this successfully, every time the ball or any other part of the keeper touches the ground during this minute results in the keepers starting the minute over again. If there is only one person available for this exercise, it can be done while the keeper throws the ball against a wall. To make this a bit harder for the keepers, have them sit with their legs almost straight in front of them with their legs only 6 inches off the ground.
Another drill that can be done is to have one keeper sitting on the ground his legs almost straight in front of him. Have a server stand at his feet with a ball and drop the ball at his feet. The keeper must catch the ball before it hits the ground or his feet. He catches the ball and returns it to the server who then drops it behind the keepers head forcing the keeper to go back to catch the ball. The server should keep alternating between dropping the balls at the feet and then over the head. The more flexible the keeper, the further out in front of the keeper the ball can be dropped. Another option for this drill is to go front, back, side, side. This simply means the ball gets dropped at the feet, then over head, then to the side for a collapse dive from a sitting position and then a collapse dive to the other.
The next step is to combine the first two exercises by doing the front/back exercise with the feet in the air (it will be necessary to drop the ball a bit closer in then before). This drill requires strong abs, good hands, great balance and excellent concentration.
An interesting thing to do during the one minute breaks in these series is to have the two keepers stand one to two yards apart from each other with their hands above their heads and have a catch. For the entire one-minute period, both keepers must keep their hands above their heads (or else the minute period starts over). This is an excellent way to again work on the hands, concentration and also works on stretching the abs. However you decide to do it, developing stronger abs will make you a better goalkeeper in more ways then you can imagine.
Using Medicine Balls
The advantages of doing drills with medicine balls include the strengthening of the hands and arms as well as the added need for concentration. After using a medicine ball for a while, players find it so much easier to both throw and catch a regular ball and they inevitably develop better catching technique (it’s important for a keeper to catch a medicine ball with proper technique in order to hold onto the ball).
With my college keepers, we have provided each of them with a medicine ball and they are required to bring them to all training sessions. We don’t even bring out the regular balls for any of the warm up (this consists of the initial run, stretch, run stretch then simple catch and sitting, kneeling and catcher position). Then depending upon what the topic is for the training session, we will either continue with the medicine balls or switch over to the regular balls. It is not unusual for us to go 30 minutes or longer without touching a regular ball. Does this help? It certainly appears to be making a difference in their ability to hold onto hard shots when in a game situation. The keepers will agree that it gives them a nice workout of their arms and hands and without being able to quantify anything yet, I would say that this has been quite successful. Since I plan to keep this up over the course of the entire season, it should be quite apparent how effective it is in a couple of months. We will do every drill possible with the medicine balls and I am quite confident that it will pay off in the long run.
Footwork/Conditioning Drill
There is a simple exercise that can be done with a keeper to work on conditioning as well as proper footwork The first part can be done by a keeper by himself but as the progression builds up, it does require as many as 5 servers. This can be adapted to use as many or as few servers as are available
1.) The keeper starts in the middle of the goal and sprints to a cone at the corner of the end line and 6 yard box. As he gets to the cone, he takes a small step and a hop and ends up in a ready position with the cone between the feet. He then runs backwards to the middle of the goal and runs forward to the next cone, which is at the corner of the 6. Same thing with the step and a hop and then back to goal again. The third cone is at the 12-yard spot and the 4th and 5th cones are on the other side of the 6-yard box. The keeper goes hard to each of these cones twice and then takes a one-minute rest (if there are two keepers that would be ideal as one would work while the other rests).
2.) Next add servers 10 yards from each of the cones. As the keeper gets to each cone a ball gets served right at the keeper (could be a volleyed ball if that is easier to serve). This adds handwork to conditioning and footwork. Go through this series twice again.
3.) Next the servers shoot as soon as the keeper gets to the cone. Now we are adding shot blocking to hand work, conditioning and footwork.
There are many other options that are available to try. All it takes is a little imagination and thought.
Fitness and Footwork Drill
There are 8 cones set up around the 6. The first cone is at the center of the goal line. The second cone is set at the right post. The third cone is set at the left post. The fourth cone is set on the goal line at the corner of the 6-yard box on the right side. The fifth cone is set on the goal line at the corner of the 6-yard box on the left side. The sixth cone is at the corner of the 6-yard box on the right side. The seventh cone is on the corner of the 6-yard box on the left side and then eighth cone is on the middle of the 6-yard line.
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The keeper starts at 1, slides side-to-side to 2 and then side-to-side back to one and quickly resets. Then the keeper slides to 3 and then side-to-side back to 1 and quickly resets. Then the keeper slides side-to-side to 4 and then back to 1 and quickly resets. Then the keeper slides side to side to 5 and then back to and quickly resets. Next the keeper sprints to 6 and then drops steps and slides back to one and quickly resets. Next the keeper sprints to 7 and then drops steps and slides back to 1 and resets. Lastly the keeper sprints to 8 and drop steps and slides back to one.
This would be done 5 times with a one-minute break between turns.
This is much more effective then the types of long distance running that many keepers seem to be doing to stay fit as it’s much more position specific and geared toward the keepers needs.
Footwork Drill
Put two cones down yards apart parallel and this first step is to have the server throw the ball to the keeper as he gets to the outside of each cone. If he starts on the right cone, he will slide side to side doing a figure 8 around the cones. This should continue for a 1-minute interval. Rest for 30 seconds and then change the height of the serves (the first serves might be head height and the second could be waist high). Do this with 4 different levels and then the hard part begins.
For this next part, do the exact same thing with the only change being the keeper stays on his right foot the whole time. In order to move around on the figure 8, he must hop on the right foot. When the ball is served, he continues to stay on the right foot only.
After each level of serves, the keeper can get a 30 second break and then proceed with the left foot. This series works on strengthening a keepers legs as well as builds up stamina and forces them to really concentrate in order to catch the ball every time (as they continue in this series, their legs will start to burn some which will make them concentrate more or drop balls).
This is simply a way to combine footwork, catching and plyometrics into a simple series of drills. Try it.
The drill I want to introduce is a very simple yet very effective footwork drill. The one negative to it is that it is best if you have 6 servers for this drill (since it only takes a couple of minutes, you can do it before or after a team practice when there are a bunch of field players around).
Start with the keeper in goal, one server in each corner to take corners, two players at the corner of the 18's and two players on the top of the D. To get a better idea of what this looks like, check out the diagram below
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First the player in the right corner serves the ball into the box between the 6 and the 12. The keeper comes out and tries to catch it in the air. Then the player on the left corner of the 18 hits either a shot or a cross (depending upon the positioning of the keeper). Once this ball is smothered, the player in the left corner serves the ball and then the player in the right corner of the 18 serves the ball. This is followed up by a shot from the top of the D and then a breakaway by the last remaining server. Each keeper will go through this sequence two times and then rest.
The next step in this progression would be to have a coach alter the order of the serves. The coach could assign each server a number and when he calls out a number, that server plays the ball. This will force the keeper to not only work on receiving balls, and footwork and conditioning but also a little bit of thought as well since he will have to be able to process the information of what number was called and which server does that number represent.
The next progression would be to add an opponent who would try to win the serves and deflect the shots.
The last progression would be to add both an opponent as well as a defender. Now we have added a number of variables including communication and reading of the game.
Give this progression a try and let me know what you think. It can be done for all ages but is best for older, more advanced keepers.
Footwork Drill
Simply have a group of keepers line up and they have to mirror each of the leaders (a person who was facing the keepers) movements. For example, if the leader goes to his right, the keepers must go to their left. If the leader goes to his left, the keepers must go to their right. If the leader goes forward, the keepers go backwards and if the leader goes backwards, the keepers go forward.
He did this for around 5 minutes and then talked about how a keeper should be prepared to do this for an entire game (the term he used was keeping the motor running which was his way of saying keepers must keep their feet moving at all times). Try this for 10 minutes and you will get a good idea of how hard being a real keeper can be.
If you want to really complicate matters, you can have the leader go diagonally as well with the keepers matching them step for step.
This drill can be done with as many keepers as you have available or with just one keeper and one leader.
Keepers must have quick feet and good conditioning and focus in order to do this successfully.
Shot Blocking & Footwork
Start with a keeper at one post, a cone in the center of the goal (preferably a flat cone) and server with balls 12 yards out at the 6 extended
The keeper slides side to side to the center cone and then starts sliding back toward the near post. The server plays the ball to the near post and the keeper makes the save.
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The key is for the keeper to maintain proper stance and balance while moving. If the keeper is off balance, the server can play the ball early, late or toward the far post.
There are numerous activities similar to this one but the thing that makes this interesting is the sudden change of direction and the emphasis on proper stance and balance
Reaction Training
Reaction & Smothering
Deflection/Reaction Training
Angles, Shot Blocking, & Reaction Drill
Reaction & Smothering
This exercise requires one keeper (minimum), a server and four soccer balls. Line the four balls up two yards apart from each other parallel to the "goal line" the keeper is standing on. This line of balls is only 6 yards from the goal line. The server starts 6 yards back from the line of balls (12 yards from the goal line). See diagram below for the basic setup.
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The keeper starts in a ready position and as soon as the server starts going to a ball, the keeper will try to beat the server to the ball and smother it BEFORE the server can play the ball. In the beginning, the rules are that once the server starts toward one ball, he may NOT change directions to go to a different ball. If there are two keepers and one server, the keeper who is resting should reset the balls in the proper place because you would do this 10 times in a row and then switch roles.
Next, the server starts by moving side to side on a parallel line 6 yards back from the ball. The keeper may either shadow this movement or not, it's their choice. Whenever the server decides to go forward, he would go straight to a ball and the keeper tries to beat him to the ball and smother it first. If the server gets to the ball first, he tries to push the ball past the keeper (as would happen in a breakaway situation).
The next step in this activity is to allow the server to change directions after going forward and make the keeper react properly and still get to the ball first.
The last step in this progression is to have two servers (this could really be a server and a resting keeper). They start at different spots on this line 6 yards back from the ball and either of the two servers can start forward and go to a ball. The keeper must react accordingly. It's important that the two servers know which is going to go forward because it doesn't help anyone if they both go forward at the same time.
This exercise works on quick reactions, smothering the ball, conditioning, footwork and proper stance.
Deflection/Reaction Training
This activity requires a minimum of 2 keepers but can be done with as many as 4 keepers. If there are two keepers there is also a need for 2 servers but if there are 4 keepers the keepers can act as their own servers.
Start with one goal and 4 coaching sticks (if you don’t have coaching sticks then you can use cones). The goal is on the end line and with the coaching sticks creates two more goals on slight diagonals on the 6-yard box. See diagram for the basic set up
The server on the right side shoots and tries to beat the first keeper through the goal made up of the coaching sticks. The front keeper is trying to make the save and prevent the ball from going between the two coaching sticks, which represent the first goal. The back keeper is trying to keep the ball out of the main goal. The back keeper has to react to whether the first keeper gets beat and also whether there is a deflection as well. Once the save is made (by either of the keepers) they switch sides and the keeper who was in the back goal is now in the front goal on the left side and the keeper from the right side is now the back goal. See diagram below for the movement.
If there are four keepers involved with this training session they would do one set of 8 shots (four from each side) and then the servers and keepers would change roles. Next the first set of keepers goes back in and change sides (which means that if a player was the front keeper on the right side he would now be the front keeper on the left side).
This is a great activity to work on deflections, reactions, fitness, angle play, shot blocking and communication. This can be done for players of all ages and abilities.
Angles, Shot Blocking, and Reaction Drill
Start with a keeper in goal and two servers on the 18 even with the 6 extended. Also, there is another server on the 12-yard spot. Each server has a few soccer balls. See diagram below for set up.
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Either of the two servers on the 18 can shout “here” and the keeper must find which server called “here” and step out toward that keeper, cut off the angle and make the save. As soon as the save is made, the server on the 12-yard spot hits a second shot. If this second shot is saved but not held onto, any of the three servers can follow the shot. The servers then reset and the next shot gets hit. There is no order to the shots from the two servers on the 18. A total of 10 shots from the 18 are served. There is no urgency between the shots from the 18 (this means that while the shots between the server on the 18 and the server on the 12 are hit quickly, there is no hurry from the time the second or third is hit to the next shot from the 18). After 10 shots are hit, a new keeper goes in goal and they start up again.
This is a great way to work on angles, shot blocking and reaction saves.
Recovery & Close Range
Recovery Save Drill
Initial Save & Second Save Drill
Saving Close-Up Shots
Cleaning Up Rebounds
Recovery Save Drill
The exercise I am going to describe requires one keeper, and three servers (the servers could be a coach and two other keepers or field players or any combination of them). Also it requires anywhere from 6-12 soccer balls.
The keeper starts in goal and one server is approximately 40 yards out with a couple of balls. The other two servers are near the corners of the top of the 18. Each player has 3-4 balls. There should also be two targets set up approximately 35 yards out and near the sidelines. These targets could be two cones set up 4 yards apart
The keeper starts by sprinting from the goal line to the top of the 6 at which point the server who is 40 yards out will chip the ball toward the cross bar. The keeper then uses proper footwork to get back and make the save. As soon as he catches the ball, he should take a couple of quick steps and throw the ball out to one of the two wide targets. As soon as the throw is made, the server on the opposite side will drive a ball near post and the keeper will have to scramble to make the save. A keeper would do four sets of these (a set is comprised of this being done with a chip and then a shot from the right and then a chip and a shot from the left) and then rotate with another keeper. Done at full speed, this is a great way to work on footwork to get back for chips, distribution, shot blocking, positioning and conditioning.
Next, the server 40 yards out would chip the balls to the corners of the 6 which will make the keeper really scramble to get to the ball and then the server on the near side would hit a far post shot. Everything else stays the same.
If you have an extra person around, this person could fight with the keeper for the high balls and then be around the goal to finish any rebounds off of the shots. This adds a little bit more game realism to the activity and makes it even harder on the keeper.
By making any number of minor adjustments to this activity you could work on things like crosses, breakaways, punting and many more things. It just takes a little bit of creativity.
Initial Save and Second Save Drill
Start with a keeper in a full sized goal, two servers with balls (one on each corner of the D) and two extra players on the corners of the 6 (not on the end line).
The servers alternate with shots and the two players on the 6 are there for rebounds. The keeper has the option of catching the ball or parrying the ball away. If the keeper tries to catch the ball and can’t hold the ball, they will be giving up a rebound with two opponents there to finish the ball right away.
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If the keeper isn’t sure they can catch the ball, a safer choice in this situation would be to parry the ball wide, out of danger.
The servers would alternate shooting and they can either shoot near post or far post. If there is a rebound given, the players following the shot are restricted to one touch to finish.
The keeper takes 8 shots and then rotates for another keeper to take their turn.
Saving Close-Up Shots
The main place I realized I don't train from enough is inside 12 yds, and inside the 6. A very large percentage of goals are scored from 12 yds and closer. As a result I designed a pressure training exercise that I could do with only one keeper and myself.
This setup has the keeper on his line and 2 flags just behind the line, about 2 yards apart. I started by standing about 10 yards away from the keeper and having the keeper toss me a ball in the air. After the keeper tosses the ball, he must touch one of the flags and come back to center to prepare to make the save. I would strike the ball off the volley or half volley depending on the type of serve he gave me. I encouraged him to give me different types of service of varying height and pace.
I then would repeat this at about the same distance from goal, but from angles that were closer to the left and then the right post. When I did this, I only required him to touch a flag that I set up about 2 yards off the post at which we were working.
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Lastly, I moved into the 6-yard box and repeated the exercise as before from 3 different positions. While I had him repeat various services, I encouraged him to serve the ball a bit higher this time and I headed allot more balls than before. This allowed him to see simulations of what he might see on crosses and corners.
Cleaning Up Rebounds
An effective series of drills to work on rebounds requires a keeper and a server. The keeper should start on the ground at the corner of the 6-yard box and the end line on the right side of the field. He should be lying as if he just made a save. The server should have 10 balls on the top of the 18. When the server says go, the keeper kicks up to get to his feet and sprints toward the center of the goal as the server plays the ball. Most of the serves should be played toward the left post to really force the keeper to get all of the way across the goal to make the save. As soon as the save has been made, the keeper sprints back
toward where he started and as soon as he is on the ground, he must get back up for the next serve. Do 10 of these then switch sides (a break is necessary between each set). After doing this from each side, the next step is to have the keeper start on the ground right on the goal line. He gets up and this time has to do a forward dive. Once the save is made, he must get up, back to the line and do it again. The next step is to have the keeper start on the top of the 6 yard box, and have a ball lofted toward the cross bar. The keeper must get back and push the ball over the line and then follow this save up with a forward dive (the thought here is to prepare for when this first save is made but the ball doesn't clear the cross bar). As you can see, there are a lot of different options that can be done. These drills are very tiring and must be watched carefully to make sure the saves are made properly.
Miscellaneous Drills
Goalkeeping Drill
Down Time Keeper Drills
Inside GK Training
Stalking Drill
Easy Two-Person Drills
Keeper Wars
Focus Drill
Sample Session
Goalkeeper Drill
This drill requires a number of balls, a goal and a server.
Place two balls on the six-yard box even with the goal posts and two other balls even with the goal posts and the twelve-yard spot. The rest of the balls should be on the 18-yard line one yard apart with the server. Assign a number for each of the four balls placed inside of the 18.
The keeper starts on the goal line facing the inside of the goal and begins doing knees to chest jumps while jumping and touching the goalpost (younger keepers should try to jump and get as high as possible). The server will either yell "shot" or a number. If the call is "shot" the keeper must turn, quickly save the shot. If the call is a number then the keeper must turn and sprint out and dive at the ball associated with that number as if it's breakaway. The server should vary his calls so that the keeper must make a quick decision and reaction. As soon as the save is made, the keeper sprints back to the goal line and starts jumping again.
The keeper should do this for a one-minute period at full speed and then can rest for a two-minute period and then start again. If there are three keepers training together this works perfectly as one keeper works while the other two rest and retrieve the balls. In a 10-minute period, three keepers can get an intense workout working on many things. If it seems that three sets of a one-minute session isn't much, then just give it a try. This is an example of utilizing economical training to maximize your usage of time.
Down Time Keeper Drills
Drills to do on "down time" during a practice. This would be when the keepers are not involved in their team practice at a given time but also don't have enough time for a complete keeper training session. Possibly it would be when the rest of the team is on a break and the keepers feel the need to get some more work done.
This first "drill" can involve 2-5 keepers. I will explain it as if their are only 2 keepers but you will see how easy it would be to expand it to more. The keepers would sit facing each with their legs out in front of them, approximately 2 yards apart. They would begin by lifting their legs in the air 6 inches off the ground. As soon as both players legs are off the ground (each keeper balancing on their butts) they would begin to have a catch. They must have this catch for a minute while keeping their feet, hands and backs off the ground. At any time that either of them drop a ball or touch the ground with any part of their anatomy except for their butts, the minute starts over. This will work on their abs. as well as their hands and level of concentration. As soon as the minute is successfully completed they may lower their legs. Younger keepers might have to have a relatively larger bend of the knees while doing this but older, stronger keepers should be able to keep their legs almost completely straight for the entire minute.
As soon as the minute is up, they should stand up and then have a catch from 2 yards apart with their hands above their heads at all times. This should go on for one minute. Any time the ball or their hands drop below the head, the minute starts over. Again, this is working on their hands and concentration but now it's building up the arms as well.
When this minute is over, they should get right down and start the sitting with their legs in the air drill again. Each of these two drills should be done 3 times. This short series will give their arms, abs, hands and minds a nice little workout while only taking up 6 minutes total for two people. At this time, they should be ready to join their team for the next session.
Inside Goalkeeper Training
Now as far as indoor training is concerned, if you have access to an indoor facility then you shouldn't have much of a problem but this is for the people who can only get to a gymnasium. Having access to a wall actually provides a tremendous training opportunity since it allows you to work on footwork, reactions and hands. I am not a big proponent of diving on gym floors but I do believe a keeper can still go through their regular sitting, kneeling and catchers position progression and one of the advantages to a wall is that this can be done without the need for a second person. Just sit down facing the wall a couple of yards from the wall and throw the ball against the wall on a slight angle. The ball should come back in a way that will force you to do a collapse dive from a sitting position. Do this through all three progressions.
Next, to work on the hands and footwork, stand 5 yards from the wall and volley the ball into the wall. As soon as you strike the ball, be prepared to receive the ball right back at you. You must catch the ball properly with your body behind the ball at all times. If this is too easy, strike the ball harder or move a little bit closer to the wall
The next drill requires a server. Stand 5 yards from the wall with the server directly behind you. The server can either throw or volley the ball against the wall and you would have to catch the ball. The difference between this drill and the previous one is that it gives you even less time to prepare for the returned ball. The next level would require two servers and two balls. As soon as you would have caught the first ball, the second ball would be served. This should be done very quickly with a high degree of intensity.
Walls are great to work on punching as well. Just throw a high ball up to the wall and then go up and meet the ball with a two fisted punch to return the ball back into the wall. You could actually turn this into a contest between two keepers to see who can keep a ball up longer without making a mistake (and using proper techniques at all time) .If you have access to a racquetball court, you can also try this with two fisted punching as well. Throw the ball into the side wall and when it comes down, do a one fisted punch to play the ball into the other side wall. This is not an easy drill to do so challenge yourself to see how long you can keep the ball while executing proper punching techniques.
Stalking Drill
A minimum of 4 keepers is required for this drill but it works on so many different skills that it is worth it to get a small group of keepers together to do this.
If there are a total of 4 keepers and two full sized goals you would start with a keeper in each goal which are approximately 30 yards apart. The other two players are on the field playing against each other. Offensively, the players must abide by the regular restrictions of regular field players. However, defensively the player may use his hands. This will allow the defensive player to attack the ball at the attacking players feet as if in a breakaway situation. Once the defensive player wins the ball, he must put the ball down and the other player assumes the defensive role. While the two players on the field are doing this, the keepers in goal are playing like normal keepers. This will allow the players in goal to work on saving deflections as well as breakaways.
The emphasis for the defending player is to stalk the player with the ball and make the correct decision as to when and where to dive for the ball. If the defensive player doesn't maintain a nice low position, he will not be successful in stopping the attacking player.
When the keepers in goal get the ball, they must work on distributing the ball to the proper foot at the proper time. The players on the field are working on both stalking and breakaways as well as on their foot skills in receiving the ball, taking players on and shooting.
If you have 6 keepers available, you can play 2v2 plus keepers and now keepers have to work on positioning, communication, runs etc. This would probably be the ideal number to work with to optimize productivity for all keepers. Simply rotate the players in goal to give everyone the experience in the different positions.
Many variations of this drill can be added and not only will the players get a lot out of this drill but also the keepers will have fun playing it.
Easy Two-Person Drills
The key to these drills is that they must be done correctly. While this is true for all drills, the reason I emphasize them here is that they "appear" to be very easy to do and because of this, can result in poor execution.
The first has two keepers sitting down facing each other approximately 3 yards apart. Their legs, back and arms must be off the ground so that they only thing touching the ground is their butts. They sit in this position (with knees only slightly bent and 6 inches off the ground) for 1 minute while having a catch. If the ball or any part of the body, except the butt, touches the ground the minute starts over again. This works on the keepers hands as well as their abs.
Next, the two keepers can stand facing each other. they have a catch with their hands above their head at all times. They do this for a total of 1 minute but anytime their hands or the ball falls below the head, the minute starts over again. This works on both the hands as well as the arms and concentration.
Once this has been done, the two keepers should lie on their stomachs facing each other, approximately one yard apart. They start rocking on their stomach and when one players head is at the highest point, the ball should be thrown to him. He must catch the ball and throw it back before rolling back down. If they time this correctly, they can keep the ball in the air and moving for a one-minute period. This is a very difficult thing to do so it really requires a great deal of concentration (and lower back strength).
These three drills can be done in a three-minute period yet have accomplished a great deal. If you have a ten minute period, you can repeat all three drills three times and get some great work on your hands as well as a nice little workout (if these sound like easy things to do, take 10 minutes and give it a try.
Keeper Wars
Keeper Wars is a fun game that actually works on a lot of goalkeeping related skills. Set up two goals, approximately 20 yards apart (the distance will vary depending upon the age/size of the keepers). There is one keeper in each goal. They can either shoot the ball from the ground, drop kick the ball, or throw the ball into the opposing goal. The opposing keeper tries to make the save. If he makes the save, then he is shooting on the other goal. It’s a very simple concept but you can make the game harder by changing some rules. For instance, a save by pushing the ball over the goal or by parrying around the post that results in a corner kick goes back to the other keeper to shoot again. A shot that results in a rebound can be handled a couple of different ways. Some people play where if the rebound stays on the defensive half of the field, then the keeper who gave up the rebound gets the ball. An interesting variation is to say that if there is a rebound, then the first keeper to the ball gets it. This will force the keeper who made the save to bounce back up quickly or get scored upon. Also, it adds some decision making to the process.
If you have three keepers together, play keeper wars and make the rule if you get scored upon then you sit out. In other words, two keepers play and the loser is the one who gets scored upon. You lose and you rotate out until one of the other players loses and then you take his spot. By doing this, it encourages players to do their best since they will want to stay on as long as possible.
Focus Drill
Start with a keeper in goal and some balls lined up 12 yards from goal with a server
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The server starts by chipping balls right at the keeper who makes the save and then rolls the ball to the side. After the first 5 balls are served, they get reset and then it's done again but each time the balls are hit harder and on more severe angles. This is not a quick shooting activity and instead the keeper should be given just enough time to recover before the next shot is hit.
When a keeper is able to carry over their focus in short, quick activities throughout an entire game, it means they are finally ready to be a real keeper.
Many top keepers are exhausted after a full game. This exhaustion is a mental exhaustion and not a physical one. This is because these keepers are staying mentally involved in the game the whole time and not just when they think they have to be.
Sample Session
Warm Up/Stretch Phase
* Players jog 30 yards and then jog back
* Players jog 30 yards and then jog backwards back
* Players skip 30 yards and then skip back.
* Carioca 30 yards there and back
* Knees up 30 yards jog and then heals to butt
* Stretch for 3 minutes (on their own)
* Jog 5 yards, sprint 5 yards with a change of direction with every change of pace
* Stretch for 3 minutes
Warm Up/Ball Work
* Groups of twos with one Medicine Ball per group (2 pound Kwik Goal Medicine Ball). Players have a catch for 3 minutes with balls ranging from rolling to high balls. Players are 10 yards apart.
* Sitting Kneeling Catchers position progression. This will be done every day as a basic warm up (again with a medicine ball).
* Stretch
* 14 Cones set up in two lines one yard apart. See diagram below
[pic]
* The server plays the ball and the keeper comes forward to catch the ball in front of the front cones. See diagram below
[pic]
* The keeper then goes backwards and does the same thing down the next set of cones. This is done in groups of 2’s and each keeper goes twice for balls head height, knee height, rolling balls and high balls
* Next we go to working on crosses. The two points of emphasis are getting behind the ball on lofted balls to come forward to get to the ball at a high point and also seeing the field when the ball is out wide instead of fixating just on the ball.. Start with a goal and two coaching sticks 4 yards out and even with the goal posts. See diagram below
[pic]
* One server plays a ball far post and the keeper must get around the far pole to get behind the ball to catch it. Also, right before the ball gets served the opposite server holds up 1,2 or 3 fingers and the keeper must shout out which number. This forces the keeper to see the whole field. See diagram below
[pic]
* Each keeper gets served 6 balls from each side
* Next to make it more dynamic in terms of movement the server stands on the 6 and end line and the keeper must sprint to the ball, touch it with both hands and then do a drop step and get back behind the ball and make the catch. There is a “dummy” fighting the keeper for the ball. See diagram below
[pic]
* Next the there are two servers (one on each side) dribbling down the side line and crossing from each side with a “dummy” fighting for the ball with the keeper. See diagram below
[pic]
* Next the keepers take 10 goal kicks
* Next the keepers join their team and scrimmage on a 55 x 35 field. The rule was that a team had to play outside the sidelines to a wide player who has three touches to serve the ball into the box. This allowed the keepers to continue working on receiving crosses and proper footwork.
* After the scrimmage the keepers stretch and then leave
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