Goalkeeper Training Techniques

Goalkeepers are often the unsung heroes of a soccer team, but their performances can be every bit as important as those given by an outfield player. If a goalkeeper plays consistently, he can often be worth an additional 10 to 15 points every season, and this can be vital if a team is hoping to win a championship. Goalkeepers undergo different training regimes than outfield players, and this helps them to establish key skills such as footwork, ball handling and shot stopping.

  1. Footwork, Catching and Distribution

    • Improve footwork by positioning the goalkeeper between two cones, which are set 6 feet apart. The coach holds a ball in his hands and stands 10 feet away from the goalkeeper. Encourage the goalkeeper to move between the cones while staying on the balls of his feet. Just before the goalkeeper reaches each cone, the coach tosses the ball at varying heights so the goalkeeper can practice catching as well. Make sure the goalkeeper throws the ball back to the coach as quickly as possible before moving across to the other cone to promote faster distribution in a match situation.

    Dealing With High Balls and Low Crosses

    • Position the goalkeeper on the center of his goal line while a coach stands on the junction of the goal line and the 18-yard box. Using underarm throws, the coach tosses balls into the 18-yard box at an assortment of heights and distances from the goal line. This will encourage the goalkeeper to leave his line and claim the ball while it is still in the air. Develop the exercise by adding two attacking outfield players to the drill who have to score past the goalkeeper. Ensure some of the balls come in at chest or waist height so the keeper has to smother the ball instead of catching it while under pressure.

    Uncatchable Balls

    • Position the goalkeeper anywhere inside the 6-yard box and two coaches, each with a ball, on both outside edges of the 18-yard box. Ask the goalkeeper to stay on the balls of his feet and launch high balls, delivered at pace, directly toward the crossbar of the goal. Instead of catching, the goalkeeper has to tip the ball over the crossbar with his fingertips. Make sure there is a good supply of balls to keep the exercise moving. Add attacking players to the drill so the goalkeeper has to perform under pressure.

    Shot Stopping

    • Set up two cones on the edge of the 18-yard box and have six outfield players, each with a ball, queuing behind each one. Ask the outfield players to dribble the ball into the box and shoot, one at a time, so the goalkeeper has to come off his line to narrow the angle of the shot. The object of the exercise is for the goalkeeper to show as little of the goal as possible to the outfield players and to pull off shot-stopping saves from close range.