A clean sheet in soccer is the equivalent of what many other sports term a “shutout.” The term indicates that a team has not conceded any goals during a game. Soccer fans and commentators usually use the term as part of a longer phrase, for example: “Arsenal kept a clean sheet in the game against AC Milan.” The term is often used with specific reference to the team’s goalkeeper.
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Shot stopping and catching hard shots are two essential skills for goalkeeping. According to the Jeff Benjamin Goalkeeping website, footwork, stance and weight distribution are key to the mechanics of catching hard shots. As go...
At the amateur level in soccer, goalkeepers typically face the opposite of a tryout -- decent goalkeepers are in high demand and often are asked to play for multiple teams, sometimes even in the same league. The stakes get high...
Outstanding balance is your ace in the hole for situations central to soccer, including battling for a 50-50 ball, shooting, passing, faking out your opponent and blocking balls in goal. Good balance is especially important giv...
Goalkeeper gloves before the mid-1990s had a textured palm and simple designs that did the job without much fanfare. By 2011, latex-foam materials and designs had bought high technology to the soccer goalkeeper's wardrobe. Puff...
The rules of soccer are established by the International Federation of Association Football. Although the rule governing interference seems relatively clear-cut, in practice it has proven to be hard for referees to interpret. T...
In soccer, the goalkeeper inbounds the ball if a member of the other team was the last person to touch the ball before it went over the goal line and out of bounds. For example, if a member of the other team kicked the ball ove...
The ability to objectively compare the relative difficulty of different sports positions is hindered by personal preferences and individual differences. Those familiar with a variety of sports, however, typically agree that spo...
A soccer goalie occupies arguably the most difficult of team positions, writes Joe Luxbacher in "The Soccer Goalkeeper." Mistakes by the goalie are punished more immediately and severely than those by field players, as the erro...
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 fro...
The fitness demands of a goalkeeper compared to those of a field player are like "comparing a sprinter to a distance runner in track and field," writes coach Debra LaPrath in "Coaching Girls Soccer Successfully." The goalie nee...
Football, or soccer as it's known in the United States, demands exceptional endurance and skill. Players must stay in constant motion on the pitch and still execute intricate plays at full speed. When players make a prominent m...
Soccer can be great for your cardiovascular fitness, agility, stamina and endurance, but it can also be horrific on your knees. Knee pads are particularly imperative for soccer goalies who are constantly sliding, blocking shots...
While you have to stay constantly prepared in goal for rolling balls, the fewer you see of them the better, because the danger of an goal being scored is always present. "The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown, and getting at...
Soccer goalkeepers spend most of the game far from the action, yet they often stand out from other players due to their bright, distinctive uniforms. Some goalkeepers wear different uniforms for practical reasons, while others ...
If you can play goal in soccer, you'll always be demand. With what seems like a perpetual shortage of goalies, especially in recreational play, you may be able to play in multiple games in your indoor or outdoor league, both fo...
If you've ever been on the receiving end of a hard-struck soccer ball as you spend time in goal, you need no convincing of the importance of goalkeeper gloves. Professionals such as top American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who plays...
First-time soccer goalkeepers might not be familiar with how the position is played. The rules regarding what a goalkeeper, or goalie, is allowed to do are quite different from those for the other field position players. Unders...
Soccer goalkeepers play an integral role on a soccer team. They are responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring and getting the ball back on offense. Goalkeeper is an intense position that requires both mental and...
A section in Law 12 of soccer's Laws of the Game on fouls and misconduct notes, "it is an offense to restrict the movement of the goalkeeper by unfairly impeding him, e.g., at the taking of a corner kick." If you've ever been i...
Playing goalkeeper in soccer usually alternates between moments of intense action and concentration when the ball is at your end of the field, and lonelier stretches when the ball is near the other goal. If you know nothing abo...
The goalkeeper is the only player out of the 11 who make up a soccer team who can, according to the Laws of the Game, legally use his hands. A successful goalkeeper needs to master several techniques and skills.
Soccer is played using your feet to kick, control and pass the ball to your teammates. You can use much of the rest of their body to control the ball, but only if you're a goalkeeper can you use your hands and arms to stop, cat...
To the casual observer, wearing gloves would seem like the logical thing to do. Surprisingly, however, the wearing of goalkeeping gloves is a relatively recent phenomenon.
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...
Camps that specialize in soccer goalkeeping for children to high school players can be found throughout New Jersey. Many of the programs have former or current professional players to guide the instruction. All aspects of goalk...
Soccer goalkeeper is a position that requires agility, ball handling ability and focus. A goalkeeper is the last line of defense in a soccer game and the only player on the field who is allowed to use his hands to touch the bal...
Goalie gloves are an essential piece of equipment for every soccer goalkeeper. Goalie gloves are important not only for safety but to help your performance when catching and saving a soccer ball. The decision of which goalkee...
A goalkeeper should never be flatfooted when trying to defend a shot on the goal. Stay alert on the balls of your feet whenever the ball is near. This not only keeps you active but also enables the keeper to dive properly and ...
