All kinds of balls come flying at the goalkeeper during a game: gentle rollers, firm back passes, screamers to the upper corner, cannons right at the gut and bend-it-like-Beckham swerving free kicks. Training aims to instill in your keeper a repertoire of skills to handle balls simply where possible and acrobatically when necessary. Conduct the training on soft ground because the goalie may have to fall or land to execute certain drills.
Function
Training exercises aim to create not only sound ball handling but superb footwork. Have the keeper warm up by shuffling side to side in the goal along the goal line, recommends SoccerXpert. Ask the keeper to drop to the ground in the push-up position and jump back to a set position, on his toes leaning forward, prepared to shuffle again to catch a tossed ball. After a minute, take a rest and then serve the ball to the goalkeeper.
Time Frame
Advance the footwork training by placing a cone beside the keeper's feet, forcing her to take a power step over the obstacle and then launch into the air to make a save of a ball high and to the keeper's side, recommends Joe Luxbacher in "The Soccer Goalkeeper." For older keepers, at the college level or pro, set up a row of four small hurdles in front of the goal. Have the keeper weave through or jump over each hurdle, stop a hard-driven ball and then race again through the hurdles to stop a second ball from a second server.
Features
Mix handwork, footwork and conditioning by setting up two servers at an angle to the goal, recommends Michigan goalkeeper Steve Clark, who plays professionally in Norway. Have them alternate low driving shots to your keeper so that he must make a diving save to the ground at one corner of the goal, immediately jump to his feet and side shuffle to the other end of the goal to make another diving or leaping save. While arduous, this drill hones reactions, reflexes and conditioning to replicate real-game, split-second decision making, particularly on rebounds and blocked penalty kicks.
Considerations
Teach the arc drill to stress cutting down the shooter's angle and correct positioning. Have two or three servers set up on one corner of the penalty area, recommends SoccerXpert. Instruct the servers to dribble across the top of the penalty area and shoot at their own discretion. The keeper must move along an imaginary arc running from each goalpost 2 to 6 yards from the goal line to the center of the penalty box. After each stop, have the keeper leap to his feet and keep moving by shuffle-stepping along the arc to prepare to block the next shot.
Expert Insight
Now that your goalkeeper has the basics of positioning and footwork, set up drills to work on catching, diving, punching and parrying the ball; stuffing breakaways; and stopping penalty kicks, recommends Colorado-based goalie coach Jeff Benjamin of the online site Goalkeeping Coaching. If you weren't a keeper yourself, look into sending several players to a goalie camp run by a professional goalkeeper, which typically offer a day, weekend or five evenings of drills in these advanced tactics.
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