An agility or speed ladder looks a bit like a window blind with extra long fabric tapes between the slats. Dragged out on the ground, the slats and the tapes holding them create squares about 18 inches on a side that a soccer goalkeeper -- as well as field players -- can use for speed and agility work. Keepers especially benefit from speed ladder drills to increase reaction time, concentration, balance and coordination, writes German soccer trainer Peter Schreiner in "Effective Use of the Agility Ladder for Soccer."
Icky Shuffle Ladder Drill
Tim Mulqueen coaches the U.S. men's national team goalkeepers, including Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. He recommends the Icky Shuffle ladder drill, named after a former NFL player, in his book "The Complete Soccer Goalkeeper." This ladder drill develops speed, coordination and foot skills. Stepping on one foot at a time, travel down the ladder and back as fast as possible until the coach calls time. Place your right foot outside the first square on the right, your left foot and then your right inside the square, followed by your left foot between the first and second square on the outside. Place your right then left foot inside the second square and your right foot between the third and fourth squares on the outside. Repeat this sequence in the third and fourth squares and subsequent squares until the end of the speed ladder.
Variations
Coach Mike Matkovich recommends variations on the Icky Shuffle ladder drill in his book "Elite Soccer Drills." You can jump with one or both feet over each rung of the ladder. To work on speed, run through the ladder, lifting your knees high, allowing both feet to touch the ground between each run as you go through.
Stepping Patterns
Matkovich also recommends that you try hopping over the ladder rungs on two feet, and then the right or left foot only. You can also move through in a pattern of right foot in a rung, left foot in, right foot out, left foot out, and then advance a square. Return to the starting point going backward.
Goalkeeper Conditioning
This drill, recommended by Schreiner, works on timing and speed. Set a speed ladder at 90 degrees to the goal. Set two or three balls on either side of the ladder a body length away. Stand outside the first rung. Shuffle with small fast sidesteps through the first rung and then sidestep in the reverse direction in the second. Wherever a ball lies outside the rung, dive sideways to capture it. Set the ladder at 45 or 180 degrees to the goal for a variation. Or combine a shuffle ladder drill or its variations with catching a high ball or diving to stop a shot kicked by your coach at the end of each run down the speed ladder.
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