Soccer Goalie Training Exercises

In a soccer match, long periods of play can go by during which a goalkeeper will have nothing to do. However, keepers must remain vigilant and be ready to spring into action at any second. Being a good goalkeeper demands agility, speed, focus and the reflexes of a cat. Keepers can sharpen their skills and reaction time by practicing drills. Goalkeeping drills are also good practice for forwards as they gain more experience shooting on goal.

  1. Arc Drill 1

    • This is an excellent drill for sharpening a goalkeeper's ability to stop multiple shots from an all-out attacking team. Position the keeper on his line and scatter 10 to 12 soccer balls throughout the penalty area. Send a shooter into the area and have him rapidly move from ball to ball, shooting each in on target. The keeper should track the shooter along the imaginary goalkeeper's arc, some two to six yards from the goal line, stopping each shot and quickly making ready to stop the next.

    Arc Drill 2

    • Position the keeper on his line and have two or three shooters line up at the far corner of the penalty box. As the first server begins dribbling across the top of the penalty area, the keeper must track him across the imaginary goalkeeper's arc, two to six yards from the goal line, keeping his body between the ball and the goal. The dribbler may shoot at any time at his own discretion. The keeper must make the save and then quickly be at the ready to take on the next shooter. This is a very good drill for enhancing the keeper's ability to deal with danger from the far edge of the penalty area.

    Shooting Angle Drill

    • With the keeper in goal, position six to 10 shooters around the outside edge of the penalty area. The shooters should roll the ball to the left, right or straight at goal and then shoot on target. The keeper should track the movement of the ball and reposition himself accordingly. When the shooter shoots, the keeper must stop the shot and then quickly prepare to face the next shooter. This drill will sharpen the keeper's ability to reposition himself and react quickly to sudden strikes.

    Side-to-Side Drill

    • Position the keeper in goal and have him shuffle from post to post along his line. On the coach's command the keeper should drop to a push-up position and then quickly jump back up to a set position. The coach will then toss a ball at the keeper, who must be up and ready in time to catch it. Repeat exercise for one minute or so and then rest. This drill sharpens the keeper's ability to recover his position after making a difficult save.