Goal Keeping

Goal Keeping Drills

Shuttle goalkeeping drill
Purpose: To practice various handling techniques.

Procedure: Players line up in files facing each other approximately 20 yards apart, with a goalkeeper in each file. Cones are placed on the end lines to act as goals. While the rest of the players pass and follow the ball to the back of the line, the goalkeepers field the ball with their hands before rolling it to the feet of the next player from the opposite side and then following across. In this way the goalkeeper can join in a normal drill activity and practice his own specific techniques, while the other players practice their own particular skills.

Development: (a) The coach can ask players to try to push the ball past the goalkeeper to score in the goals. The goalkeeper attempts to dive and save the ball each time. (b) The coach can direct players to give specific practice to the goalkeepers, e.g. play the ball high in the air for the goalkeeper to catch, drive the ball hard at his chest, or attempt to dribble the ball around the goalkeeper.

Cross ball
Purpose: To give the goalkeepers practice in dealing with crosses from the flanks.

Procedure: A makeshift goal is set up directly opposite the permanent field goal about 20 yards away. The two goalkeepers defend the goals, two wingers cover the flanks and one or two retrievers stand behind the goals. The wingers, who have a supply of balls, cross balls into the six-yard box in turn for the goalkeeprs to catch or punch to safety. If a goalkeeper catches the ball he immediately throws it to the winger on the opposite side, who then crosses it to his goalkeeper, thus maintaining continuity. After a time the same or other wingers should cross the ball from different flanks to give the goalkeepers practice in taking crosses from both flanks.

Development: (a) The coach can direct the servers to play specific types of crosses to give the goalkeepers more difficult shots to deal with, e.g. leg inswinging crosses, near or far post balls or occasional driven shots. (b) The coach can add a defender and one attacker to give extra problems before adding more to the practice.

Triangle drill
Purpose: To develop agility, positional sense and shot stopping.

Procedure: A three-goal triangle of normal full-size goal dimensions is set up on a good diving area. Three cones are positioned about 15-20 yards away facing the centre of the goals. One player stands at each cone, with at least two balls, while three retrievers stand around the area to get the balls back quickly to those at the cones. The drill starts with each player firing a shot at goal in strict rotation; the goalkeeper moves quickly from goal to goal to reposition himself for each shot. The coach should signal to players when they should shoot so that the goalkeeper is kept working hard to save shots. A reasonable time period for the goalkeeper is about 30-60 seconds, which the coach should monitor since the work is very strenuous.

Development: (a) Create a competition among the goalkeepers to see who can lose the least number of goals in given time periods. (b) Some of the players shooting the ball can be asked to play a certain type of shot, to give the goalkeeper practice in that situation, e.g. a player may attempt to chip the ball over the goalkeeper's head. (c) The coach can increase the tempo of the practice whereby each player shoots just as the goalkeeper recovers from the last shot, thus putting him under greater pressure.

Pressure drill

Purpose: To develop quick reaction, positional sense and to practice handling and agility.

Procedure: A goalkeeper stands in a goal, made up with posts, and faces varied serves from A,B,C and D in quick succession, for a set time period, as follows: A: who stands approximately 10 yards away, kicks a hard ball directly to the goalkeeper at chest level; B: stands approximately 15 yards away at an angle and drives a hard low shot for the near or far post region; C: stands about 40 yards away in a flank position and crosses a high ball in front of the goal; D: who is positioned near the goal line and approximately 15 yards away from the goal, hits the ball across the face of the goal. The goalkeeper defends each service: if he saves the ball by catching it he returns it to the server, if not, the three retrievers get the ball and keep the practice continuous.

Development: (a) Count the number of successful saves made by each goalkeeper during a given time period. (b) The coach can direct the servers to quicken up the service, thus creating more pressure for the goalkeeper. (c) Add an attacker who 'listens' near goal, generally challenges the goalkeeper and tries to score from anything that the goalkeeper fails to save.

Turnabout

Purpose: To develop positional sense and to practice shot stopping.

Procedure: In an area approximately 30X20 yards, two portable goals, defended by goalkeepers, are placed on the end lines. Each goalkeeper has two attackers and on e defender stationed near his goal. The game starts with a goalkeeper rolling the ball quickly to one of the unmarked players, who is allowed two touches to either shoot at goal or pass for his colleague to shoot. As soon as the shot is hit the advance player nearer goal looks for a 'knock-down' from the goalkeeper and tries to score. As soon as the shot is dealt with, the goalkeeper then quickly rolls this ball out to set play going in the other direction, thereby maintaining the game continuity. Use a few retrievers.

Development: (a) Which goalkeeper loses the least goals in a given time period? (b) Add more players, thus creating more congestion for the goalkeepers.

Wall rebound

Purpose:To develop agility, handling and quick reaction.
Procedure: The goalkeepers face a wall; lines are marked on the ground at various distances agreed by them. Generally, the nearer the wall the goallkeepers are, the more quick reflexes will be needed and shot stopping practiced; if they use the lines which are further from goal, then they are more likely to work on distribution. The goalkeepers throw or kick the ball at the various targets marked on the wall, scoring points if they hit them. Later, one of the goalkeepers stands a few yards away from, and facing the wall while the other goalkeeper, who is positioned behind him, throws or kicks the ball so that it rebounds from the wall. The goalkeeper nearest the wall is not allowed to watch the service, but dives to save the ball as it rebounds.

Development: (a) Quicken the speed of the service. (b) Add another server so that the ball is served alternately from both sides. (c) Determine which goalkeeper makes the most saves in a set time period.