Today's newsletter will show an exercise that works on strength, balance and coordination while also working on diving.

Start with three cones in a line, each one foot apart. A keeper starts on the outside of an end cone and a server is 10 yards away with a ball.



Using the diagram above as an example, the keeper would start by standing on his right foot and would hop over the cone to his right and then immediately hop over the next two cones, each time only using his right leg (his left leg stays off the ground the entire time). Upon landing on the outside of the left cone, the server plays a ball and makes the save

(I'm not able to show the keeper on one leg using these diagrams but even the save is made on one leg).

Next the keeper does the same thing in the other direction.

After a few times in each direction, you can add a dive into the saves so the server plays the ball to the side of the keeper upon the landing and the keeper must dive off of the one foot (the hope would be recreating the power step) and make the save.

This would be done 10 times in each direction (5 without a dive and 5 with a dive).

This might seem like a simple activity but if you give it a try, it's a nice little workout for the legs and works on power, balance, coordination, explosiveness and technique.

the feet.

When I ask keepers the most important part of the body for being a keeper, inevitably, the first answer is "the hands". I then explain to them that the eyes are even more important. After they come to understand the importance of the eyes, they conclude the order must be:

1. Eyes
2. Hands


I then have them stand in one place and tell them they can use their eyes and their hands to make the save but are not permitted to move their feet. I toss the ball 4 feet away from them, with a really soft toss and they quickly realize that if they can't get their body to the ball, their hands don't help at all.

Footwork might be the most under trained part of goalkeeping. Working on footwork isn't nearly as glamorous as working on extension dives but the reality is, without good footwork, an extension dive wont work. Without the power step (which is definitely part of footwork, there is very little between an extension dive and a simple collapse dive. Without footwork crosses are something you simply watch and hope don't get redirected on goal. Without footwork, getting your body behind the ball becomes more of a dream as opposed to a reality.

With proper footwork, keepers will get to more balls, make more catches, make more saves and put their bodies through less abuse than others who stand in goal and hope.

At the higher levels, keepers are spending a LOT more time on footwork than they are on diving.

Instead of the order shown below, I put it as follows

1. Eyes
2. Feet
3. Hands


There will be some who disagree with me and that is fine. However, those who put an emphasis on their training in this order will see good results quickly!

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today's topic deals with being able to kick with both feet.

Most keepers are aware they need to think of themselves as the 11th field player when their team has the ball. They need to make themselves available to back passes to help relieve pressure, switch the point of attack etc.

The thing that many keepers neglect is to prepare for the situation when the ball is passed back to them and there is pressure coming quickly. In the diagram below, the black player is under pressure and passes back to his keeper. For safety reasons, the ball is passed wide of the goal and if the defender pressures, the keeper will want to clear the ball first time. In this example, the clearance would be made with the right foot.



If this same play happens on the other side of the field, the keeper must be prepared to make this same clearance with his left foot.



If the keeper isn't comfortable playing balls with both feet, this one touch safe clear becomes a 2-3 touch potential debacle.

The way to prepare for this type of situation is to recreate it in training. Have a player pass balls back to the keeper and have the clearances be done one touch. Ideally, in a real game, the keeper will have time to take an extra touch and play a ball to a teammate but in reality, keepers do have to play balls first time under pressure on occasion. After the keeper is comfortable playing the ball one touch, add a defender pressuring the keeper. This makes it more game related and if the keeper can regularly handle this, when the occasion arises in a game, the keeper will be better prepared to handle the situation.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR DEFENSE TO HAVE A KEEPER THE BACKS BELIEVE THEY CAN PASS A BALL BACK TO IN A PINCH OR TO JUST KEEP POSSESSION.

Today's featured activity works on receiving crosses.

Start with two keepers in goal and a server on each sideline.



To start, server 1 is working with keeper 1 and server 2 is working with keeper 2.

Server one plays a ball toward the top of the 6 and keeper one gets behind the ball and then comes forward to attack the ball and catch it.



As soon as the ball is caught, the keeper throws the ball back to server 1 and then the same thing is done from the other side. Server 2 plays the ball into the keepers 2 who makes the save and tosses the ball back out to server 2



Next the keepers switch and server 1 plays the ball into keeper 2 and server 2 plays the ball int0 keeper 1

If the servers aren't able to play the ball into the area that is needed, they can either volley the ball from their hands or throw the ball to get the ball to it's intended target.

Once the order is understood, this activity allows the keepers to get a lot more work in then if it was just one keeper working with one server plus it gets both sides covered at the same time.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today's featured activity works on judging volleys, half volleys and driven balls.

A ball struck from the ground will take a completely different path than one struck from the air and it's important for a keeper to be able to read these various trajectories.

As an example, if a player is at the top of the 18 with the ball, the keeper might come out toward the top of the 6 to cut off the angle on a driven ball.



The reason the keeper would be out this far is because the shooter has a large area to shoot on and if the keeper stays back further, the keeper wont be able to make a save on a ball played toward either post.



However, if the shooter is hitting a bouncing ball, the keeper would be at great risk at the top of the 6 because of the ease of chipping the ball over the keeper or hitting a ball with a great deal of topspin and having the ball drop below the bar and in the goal.

Because of this, the keeper would need to stay back further (there is still a risk of the ball going to the corner but it is more difficult to strike the ball with that type of accuracy on a bouncing ball) to guard against the ball over the head.



The best way to work on this is for the keeper to see different variations so the keeper can learn to read the situation. Start with 4-5 shooters 30 yards out, each with a ball. A server starts on the top of the D and a keeper is in goal



The first person in line chips the ball to the server who catches the ball and then tosses the ball in the air. The player who chips the ball runs forward and gets to the ball as quickly as possible.



The player then shoots a first time shot either as a full volley, half volley or shot from the ground (depending upon where it is when he gets to the ball).



The keeper must read where the ball will be struck from and react accordingly by coming out further or staying further back.

Once the ball is struck (and saved or goes over or goes in) the keeper retreats back to the line and then repositions himself. This activity is designed for the keepers benefit and not for the shooters so it's better to have only a few shooters than too many.

Done enough, the keeper will be able to read the situation, know the liklyhood of the chip vs the driven ball vs the volley vs the half volley and will be able to react accordingly when the situation arises in a game.

The ready position
The 'ready position' is the stance that all young goalkeepers should adopt whenever they prepare to stop a shot, whether during practice or in a game.

The ready position involves being balanced on the balls (or front) of the feet, bending comfortably at the knees while keeping as tall as possible and having the hands relaxed through the fingertips.

Hand positioning
It is important to teach correct hand positioning for both low and high balls. In both cases, the hands should form a supple web that surrounds the back of the ball (the side closest to the goal).

Remember to use an appropriate sized ball for the age group that you are coaching.

Players up to the age of about twelve often have difficulty judging the height and speed of a moving ball.
For low balls (under waist height) the hand position resembles an 'M', with fingers pointed down and palms facing forward. The little fingers of both hands are almost touching.

For high balls the hand position resembles a 'W', with fingertips pointed up and palms facing forward. The thumbs of both hands are almost touching.

It's also important to emphasise that goalkeepers need to catch the ball with 'soft hands' - if they don't they are liable to drop the ball at the feet of an attacker, which is what happened in my game last week!

Warm-up
In a circle, throw the ball from one player to another. The only rule is that you can't throw it to the person next to you or throw it too high. Talk about correct hand positioning while you do this. Get the players to throw the ball quickly and decisively.

Then introduce a second ball.

Make it fun! If a player drops the ball make them do a simple forfeit such as running once round the circle or sitting down until they can make a clean catch.

Drill 1: Soft hands
In pairs (standing about five yards apart) simply throw and catch a football. Check each players hand position as they catch the ball - are the thumbs close together and the fingers spread?

Check for soft hands by listening - does the ball make virtually no sound as it hits their hands?

Now let's talk about movement - we don't want our goalkeepers to be statues!

Even if the ball is at the other end of the pitch for long periods, your goalkeepers should not be standing on the goal line as though they are rooted to the spot.

They need to stay alert, keep moving round their playing area (the penalty box) and stay warm by bouncing on their toes and 'windmilling' their arms.

Frozen goalkeepers don't make many saves!

Young goalkeepers also need to be encouraged to move off their line to intercept a pass across the box or close down an approaching attacker.

Most 'trainee' goalkeepers are very reluctant to do this but it is the most effective tactic you can teach. Even if they don't manage to get their hands on the ball they will often force an approaching attacker to get their shot off too early or make them shoot wide.

Moving off the line also makes the goal appear smaller to approaching attackers and you can demonstrate this very easily.

Stand on the goal line with your goalkeeper in front of you, about 5 yards away. Ask her 'how big does the goal look?' Answer: 'big!'

Then you move off the line by ten yards or so and place your goalkeeper right in front of you. Ask: 'how big does the goal look now?' Answer: 'very small!'

Drill 2: The triangle
Set up: set up a circle 20 yards across. In the middle of the circle place three cones, (or corner flags or poles), to make a triangle. Each side of the triangle should be a full goal width so you have three 'goals'.

Place one goalkeeper between two of the cones. The rest of your players are spread around the edge of the circle with a ball each, facing the goalkeeper.

How to play: your players take it in turns to shoot at the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper moves quickly from goal to goal to reposition herself for each shot.

You should tell your players who to shoot next and when to shoot, allowing time for the goalkeeper to reposition herself correctly.

Allow a reasonable time period between shots - this drill is hard work for the goalkeeper!

Rotate the players so that all of them take a turn in goal. Remember you are coaching ALL your players to be effective goalkeepers, not just one or two of them.

Progression

Create a competition among the goalkeepers to see who can let in the least number of goals in a given time period.

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. For example, a player may attempt to chip the ball over the goalkeeper's head.
The coach can increase the tempo of the practice whereby each player shoots just as the goalkeeper recovers from the last shot, thus putting her under greater pressure.
Never begrudge spending a whole practice session on goalkeeper skills.

Focusing on your team's most important playing position is a good investment!