Topic - Footwork, Agility and Diving
Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today's featured activity works on footwork, agility and diving.

This activity requires a speed ladder (if none is available, cones can be used as a substitute) one keeper, one server a couple of balls and two small goals. The ladder is on the ground horizontally from the server and the two small goals are 5 yards to the side and 2 yards forward. To start, the keeper stands on one end of the ladder and the server is 15 yards away.



The keeper goes sideways through the ladder (right foot in the first hole, then left left, then right foot in the second hole then left foot etc) and when he gets to the end of the ladder, the keeper must sprint toward the near goal. The server plays the ball and the keeper makes the save.



After making the save, the ball gets returned to the server, the keeper then does the exact same thing in the other direction.



After this is done 5 times in each direction, the keeper takes a short break.

There are a large number of options you can do with the ladder. Instead of side to side, the keeper can go front to back. The keeper can do scissors, one legged hopping, high knees etc.

Another option you can add is after the keeper makes the save in one goal, he must sprint across to the other goal and make the save there as well



This is a great activity to work on footwork, agility and diving.

Topic - "Palming"
Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today's topic deals with "palming"

In watching recent World Cup matches, I have seen a lot of keepers "palming" or parrying balls when they are able to get both hands on the ball. Sometimes this has been done when the keeper has had to dive for the ball and other times the keeper has been able to keep his feet, get two hands on the ball and still has chosen to push the ball away.

Frequently, the announcers have made comments about the keepers trying to look good by "making a meal of it". In other words, these announcers feel the keeper could have done something less spectacular but instead were more interested in looking good than in doing the right thing.

Admittedly, it's extremely easy to make a save from the announcers booth but when actually on the field with a hard hit shot and a ball swerving in the air, it's much more difficult.

There is no doubt this has been more prevalent in this World Cup than previously but the thing to remember is the first rule of catching vs parrying (palming). If you are sure you can catch the ball, catch it, otherwise you need to push it away.

If you aren't sure you can hold onto the ball or not, you must push it away because if you try to catch the ball and can't hold onto it you will be giving up an easy rebound which might result in a goal for the opponent.

Are today's keepers more imagine conscious than previous ones? I don't think so. Rather, due to the new balls being used, they are having much more difficulty judging the ball (the new ball has made it easier to make the ball move erratically in the air). Rather than trying to be more spectacular, these keepers are more worried about misjudging (and thus mishandling) the shots coming in so instead, they are applying the basic rule of safety first.

If you slightly misjudge the ball, one hand will most likely make contact with the ball before the other hand and this makes it extremely difficult to hold onto the ball.

While safety first might not satisfy the announcers, my guess is it's what their coaches are wanting

If you are playing with a ball and are having a hard time judging it, work on getting your body behind the ball as much as possible and apply the safety first rule whenever possible.

The other option, if you want to always make the right decision, is become an announcer and make the decision AFTER THE FACT!

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on angles and footwork.

This activity requires one keeper, four servers and eight balls.

The four servers start spread out along the 18 and each has two soccer balls. The keeper starts in goal against one of the posts.

The server furthest from the keeper is the first shooter. The keeper sprints out to cut off the angle. As soon as the keeper sets, the shot gets hit. The shooter is not trying to score, just to challenge the keeper.

The keeper makes the save, returns the ball and then sprints back to the far post and then does the same to the second server.


Next the keeper sprints back to the other post and does the same thing for the next two servers.

Once all four servers have shot, the keeper starts again but this time, the servers are trying to score.

By changing the angles and the approach it forces the keeper to really think about the angle and the footwork.

Ideally, you would do this activity with someone videotaping the keeper and immediately after the activity is over, they would break to watch the video, analyze/evaluate the footwork and then do it again. In this particular instance, being able to see the things done right and the things done wrong will make it much easier for the keeper to make corrections. However, if you don’t have access to video this, it’s still an extremely effective way to work on footwork and angles.

How to adapt coaching activities to suit the ability of your players

If your children are having difficulty with a game or drill, you need to reduce the pressure on them by:

Making the playing area bigger.
Reducing the number of players involved.
This should allow them to experience success. If it doesn't, the game or drill is probably pitched at the wrong level, so stop doing it and try something a bit easier.

If your players are finding a game too easy you can:

Make the playing area smaller.
Introduce conditions such as limiting the number of touches on the ball.
Swedish Handball (warm up, 10 minutes)

Split your players into two teams. In a rectangular grid with a goal at each end, the players work the ball up the pitch by throwing it to each other. Don't allow any physical contact - the ball can only be intercepted when it is being passed. Players can carry the ball for two steps and score by throwing the ball into the goal.

If you find the goals being blocked by a line of defenders, mark out a 'no go' area with flat cones five yards out from the goal. No one is allowed to step over this line.

Play the first to five goals wins.

Triangle goal game (15 minutes)

Place three poles in the centre of a large square playing area to make a triangular goal. Place a goalkeeper in the goal. The same two teams try to score in any of the three sides of the goal (the player who gets the last touch scores). Again, it's first to five goals. This game is great for improving goalkeeper reaction times and encouraging quick repositioning.

Color shooting (10 minutes)

With thanks to jbgoalkeeping.com.

Use a small-sided penalty area for this game or mark out a similar-sized playing area. Put four different-colored cones (or other objects) on the edge of the penalty area. At least one should be at an acute angle close to the goal line.

Place at least one player and a few balls at each cone. You call out a color and the player at that cone shoots. The goalkeeper must quickly respond to the color called and find a good position. Keep calling colors until the goalkeeper has faced four shots. Then rotate goalkeepers.

Tip: Make sure the goalkeepers check their posts as they move around to be sure of their positioning. For best results, goalkeepers need to stand off the goal line.
1v1 to goal (15 minutes)

This game should produce plenty of shots for your goalkeeper to save. Remember, refer to newsletter 66 for coaching tips.

This is a game for teams of three or four players at most, so set up two games if you have eight players. Use the same playing area as in the last game but place a small goal on each of the short ends. The teams line up at each end with a goalkeeper in each goal. Give each outfield player a number.

Serve a ball into the centre of the playing area and call out a number. The players with that number challenge for the ball and try to score. The player who scores stays on. The player who doesn't score goes in goal. If the ball goes out of bounds, both players take the place of their goalkeepers and the game starts again.

Tip: If one player keeps scoring, play 2v1.
Finally, let your players play a small-sided game (SSG) with one condition. Rotate the goalkeepers every time the ball goes out.