BEGINNING GOALKEEPING January 2010 Page 1
Page 2 January 2010
INTRODUCTION When many young players see the equipment a goalkeeper has to wear and they say to themselves Wow I want to be a goalkeeper. But after they have tried to play, some soon find the glamour of being a goalkeeper has disappeared. The Goalkeeper is a very specific position, an individual player in a team sport, and there are many special elements and skills that pertain only to the goalkeeper. Goalkeeping has gone through enormous change over the past couple of decades. These changes have been made possible by dramatic improvements in equipment and the player s athleticism. Gone are the days when the child who could not skate was put in net. A goalkeeper must have proper instruction and coaching right from the moment they start playing. We would recommend giving each player a chance to play goal. You will find quickly who really would like to play this position. Remember that the players are young and we should not lock them into one position, but rather give them a chance to experiment and find their favourite. In the Equipment section of the Introduction to Coaching Manual the proper selection and fit of a Goalkeepers Equipment is shown and explained. THE BEGINNER At a young age the goalkeeper should learn the basics and training should consist of the following areas: 85% Movement and Positional Skills 15% Save Movement Beginner goalkeeper development should be built on practicing individual technical skills 85% of total practice time. ELEMENTS There are four key elements for beginner goalkeepers: A. Body Control and Coordination B. Basic stance and The Stick C. Movement - T - Push and Telescoping D. Saves Along the Ice and In the Air January 2010 Page 1
Part A - BODY CONTROL AND COORDINATION First of the three key elements is, coordination and body control; we tend to want our players to specialize in one sport today, but the simple fact is that a goalkeeper must be an athlete. We must encourage our young goalkeepers to try other sports. These methods would include all kinds of jumping exercises (i.e., jumping over the goalkeeper stick and landing on one foot) using balls on the ice, and even using tennis rackets or badminton rackets. At this age, body coordination is more important than any of the more advanced moves a goalkeeper will make. If a goalkeeper is a good athlete at ten years old, they will have a chance to become a good goalkeeper as time goes by. Part B - BASIC STANCE Without a correct basic stance many of the moves required of the goalkeeper become difficult, delayed, or impossible to execute. The stance is easy to teach yet many young players are missing many of its key elements and, therefore, are handicapped in their ability to move. The basic stance of a goalkeeper must allow for optimal balance, mobility, comfort, and speed of movement. Due to the importance of the basic stance to goalkeeping, emphasis should be placed on each of the elements of this skill. There are a number of styles of goalkeeping, but all must have these common characteristics of the basic stance. Figure 1: Basic Stance (Front View) Page 4 January 2010
Figure 2: Basic Stance (Glove Side) Side) Figure 3: Basic Stance (Stick 1. Feet are spaced approximately shoulder width apart. 2. Knees and trunk are flexed slightly forward with the weight of the body on the balls of the feet. Power required for lateral movement is readily available in this position. A vertical line (Figure 2) can join the shoulders, knees and front part of the feet. 3. Head is up and watching the puck and/or play. 4. Catching glove is held open at the side and slightly in front of the knee. The blocker and catching glove should both be held slightly in front of the body allowing the goalkeeper to see both by means of peripheral vision (Figure 2 and 3) January 2010 Page 1
The Stick Selection Ensuring that your goalkeeper has the proper equipment is an important responsibility. The selection of a proper stick is no exception. As with all hockey sticks, those for goalkeepers are available in different lies. Perhaps the best method of selection is to observe your goalkeeper using a 14 lie. If the toe of the stick is up, try a lower lie; if the heel is up, try a higher lie (Figure 4). The height of the paddle is also important. If the paddle is too high, the goalkeeper will stand upright and if it is too low, the goalkeeper will bend too far forward. Remember, select a stick that corresponds with the size and strength of your player. It is better to select a stick that is too small than too big since the smaller stick is much easier for the goalkeeper to control. Never saw off the shaft, it destroys stick balance. Buy the proper size. Paddle Figure 4: The Stick Lie The right handed goalkeeper holds his stick with the right hand and wears the catching glove on the left hand. The left handed goalkeeper holds his stick with the left hand and wears the catching glove on the right hand. Page 6 January 2010
Holding the Stick The stick should be held firmly, just above the wide portion of the shaft (the paddle) and under control. The grip will tighten as your goalkeepers make their plays. Figure 5 illustrates the positioning of the hand on the stick. The stick is used for stopping the puck (particularly low shots), clearing, poke checking, intercepting passes and passing. Figure 5: Positioning of the hand on the stick. 1. The goalkeeper s stick should be held firmly with one hand at the top of the paddle. (Thumb behind the stick to prevent it from turning in your hand when blade is hit.) 2. The blade of the stick is flat on the ice, approximately 25 to 30 cm in front of the skates in order to diminish rebounds created by the stick hitting the toes of the skates at the moment of impact. January 2010 Page 1
Part C - MOVEMENT Skating It has been said many times that the goalkeeper should be the best skater on a team. It could be argued that the inside edges of the skates are the goalkeeper s most valuable tools. These edges fuel virtually all goaltender movement. The edges also anchor the goalkeeper s save movements, assist in recovery and are a major ingredient in the goalkeeper s basic stance position. A young goalkeeper should be taught to make two types of movements: 1. Sideward s - T-glide 2. Out and Back - Telescoping T Push Side to Side Movement The T-push is a long and fast lateral movement. It is generally used when moving from one post across the crease to the other post when speed of movement is the main priority. A left to right example of a T-push is illustrated in the Figure below. Figure 6: The T-Push 1. The right leg is rotated outwards and parallel to the goal line. 2. The left leg extends and pushes (inside edge) off the ball of the foot. 3. The right leg (initially the gliding leg) rotates inward to initiate the stopping action. 4. Repeat in the other direction. Page 8 January 2010
Shuffle Side to Side Movement This technique is used when following the play as it moves laterally across the ice surface. It is important to that the basic stance should be maintained and the goalk eeper is square to the puck at all times The goalkeeper moving from left to right using the shuffle is illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 7: The Shuffle 1. The right skate points forward and is slightly un-weighted. 2. The left leg (inside edge) pushes to start the left to right movement. 3. In close to the net situations, goalkeepers should use short lateral shuffles of approximately 25 to 30 cm in length 4. In some situations, further away from the net, the goalkeeper may be required to shuffle from post to post in one long move January 2010 Page 1
Telescoping - Forward and Backward Movement The telescoping technique is effective in moving under control both out of and back into the net while maintaining the basic stance. The skates do not leave the ice during such short thrusts, thus providing a quick technique with which to challenge the shooter or assume proper positioning. Forward 1. Both knees are markedly bent. 2. Toe is rotated slightly outward. 3. A quick, forceful heel push is performed with the inside edge of the rotated skate (skate stays in contact with ice). 4. The gliding leg is pointed in the desired direction. 5. The basic stance is maintained throughout the push. Backward 1. Toe of one skate is rotated inward. 2. The weight of the body is placed on the toe of the rotated foot and a forward thrust (e.g., toe push) occurs forcing a backward motion. 3. The weight is then transferred to the gliding leg and the basic stance is reassumed Page 10 January 2010
Part D - SAVES Along the Ice Basic stance is modified very little during the save and movement of the stick is initiated by the shoulder. Remember that the stick should be 25 to 30 cm in front of the toes of the skates to absorb the impact of the puck and reducing rebounds. The stick is turned at a slight angle so that the puck is directed into the corner and away from the front of the net. Figure 11: Stick Side Figure 12: Glove Side 1. The right leg is rotated outwards and parallel Eyes on the puck 2. Stick must be kept flat on the ice during the entire movement, 3. Leg in a position behind the stick as security, 4. Body weight needs to be changed to the save side leg and the puck should be directed smoothly to the corner 5. Puck must be followed throughout the save with head and eyes January 2010 Page 1
Shots in the air It is important for goalkeepers to be able to stop shots aimed for the top corners and this means standing up and using their gloves. The Blocker The blocker is used to stop high shots. This glove is a valuable tool to the goalkeeper, it is important that this piece of equipment is not ignored. Figure 11: Blocker Save 1. Put the blocker in the path of the oncoming puck 2. Turn the wrist slightly 3. Angle of the glove so the puck is deflected into the corner 4. Do not punch out at the puck. Page 12 January 2010
The Catching Glove Catching shots with the catching glove is easier and safer than blocking with the blocker as the glove closes on the puck at the point of impact, thus stopping rebounds. Figure 11: Glove Save 1. As with the blocker, let the puck come to the glove. Do not grab at the puck. 2. Keep the catching glove open at the side, slightly in front of and above the knee. 3. Use the catching glove when the puck is on the body midline or catching glove side to avoid rebounds 4. Avoid bringing the catching glove across the body to catch on the blocker side January 2010 Page 1
Covering the Puck Many times after the goalkeeper has made the stop they can not clear the puck away from the net and they must cover-up or smother the puck to get a stoppage in play. This is also a dangerous situation as the goalkeeper must leave the basic stance thus exposing new areas of the net. 1. First locate the puck 2. Go down to the ice, usually on the knees, behind the puck 3. Make sure legs are closed so puck can not be pushed into the net 4. Put catcher over the puck 5. Position the stick in front of the puck to guard against attackers poking at the puck Page 14 January 2010