DEVELOPING A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR COACHING GOALKEEPING By Rob Walker US National Goalkeeping Staff Coach The relationship between a goalkeeper and goalkeeping training is recognized as one of the important necessities of developing youth players in the position. This relationship can be developed in individual and group settings. Over time, goalkeeping training that takes place on a regular (weekly) basis pays dividends. The goalkeeper is more capable of dealing with demands of the game and the team (including the coach) are more confident in the goalkeeper to do "the job" in goal. What follows is the beginning of some curricular suggestions on "how" to train the goalkeeper in the game. For the most part, it is understood that this training will take place on an individual (1 trainer and one, two or maybe three goalkeepers) basis. The information below hopes to identify some of the key elements in developing a youth goalkeeper over time. THE NATURE OF GOALKEEPING In shaping curricula for the goalkeeping trainer, the beginning of such a document should revolve around goalkeeping essentials: catching, footwork and positioning. From this foundation, competent goalkeeping can be attained in the short term; high level (world-class) goalkeeping can be achieved over a longer period. The Qualities listed below serve as the "first line in training the developing goalkeeper or the goalkeeper in need of development. Qualities of Catching 1. The hands are the first part of the goalkeeper's body to touch the ball. 2. The ball ends up curled or tucked into the chest. 3. Good catching does not allow for second finishing opportunities. 4. The hallmark of good catching comes from good lateral footwork. 5. Catching with two hands in preferable to parrying or punching with one. 6. Good catchers of the ball get as much body behind each catch as possible. Qualities of Footwork 1. The first step should be taken by the foot that is "closest to the ball." 2. The first step should be a long as possible and should adjust to the serve.
3. The foot farthest from the serve should smoothly follow the lead foot. 4. Footwork after catching keeps the body "in line" with the field of play. 5. Good footwork should keep the body square to the "line of flight." Qualities of Technique The GK Trainer Page 2 1. Catching a ball played at the body 2. Catching a ball played away from the body 3. Diving for a ball played near the body 4. Diving for a ball played well away from the body: to catch or parry. 5. Catching a ball that is served from a distance with height. 6. Catching / punching / parrying a ball that is served from a flank position. 7. Diving at opponent's feet. 8. Kicking a ball out of the hand. 9. Kicking a moving ball off the ground. 10. Throwing a ball for distance and accuracy. 1. Catching a ball played at the body TECHNICAL DETAIL The shape of the hands could be the biggest concern in dealing with this specific technique. Low balls are difficult because the goalkeeper must get his / her hands near the ground. Unfortunately, the length of a player's legs can sometimes make it difficult to get the handling "right" when the goalkeeper can't get a bent posture behind the ball. Another concern is that the hands need to be pointed downward on low balls and upwards, with the fingers and thumb of each hand in a "concave" position behind the ball. Upon contact, the ball should be curled into the chest. Young goalkeepers often have difficulty with driven balls (either on the ground or in the air) because his / her hands are on the side of the ball and not behind it. After bringing the ball into the body, the goalkeeper should move forward with the ball. This footwork is absolutely critical in "killing" the momentum of the shot. A Ball that is played into the chest can be absorbed by taking a little jump forward as the ball is pulled into the chest.
Page 3 2. Catching a ball played away from the body The first step to the ball is the most critical factor in this technique. A simple solution to this situation is to push off with the foot that is closest to the ball. If the ball is shot to the goalkeeper's right, the goalkeeper should "lead away" with the right foot. If more than one step is needed to get to the ball, additional steps should be taken to get the body behind the ball. Finishing this catch with several steps following the moment when the ball comes into the body helps "lock" the ball into the chest. 3. Diving for a ball played near the body There are two types of techniques that a goalkeeper can use to deal with service in this area. First, if a ball is served stiffly, just to the side of the goalkeeper, the goalkeeper can collapse his / her dive to get the hands and body behind the ball. This technique works best when the foot that is closest to the ball slides away from the serve, away from the ball. At the same time the foot collapses, the goalkeeper simply pushes his / her hands to the ball. The timing of both these movements is what gets the goalkeeper down to the ground quickly. The second type of diving technique a goalkeeper can use to get to a ball near the body is to take one good step and dive (again, off the foot that is closest to the ball) and push to the ball. In both cases, the dive ends when the ball is pulled into the chest and the top leg is pulled into the body. A good technical cue in dealing with balls on the ground is to bend or flex the knee closest to the ball when pushing off. A bent knee helps get the body "down" to the ball. In order to deal with a ball that is rising up, the goalkeeper should push off the inside foot that is closest to the ball and push the hands across the body to a good handling position behind the ball. The end result of good diving is the same as when keeping the feet: the goalkeeper dives on his / her side and the ball ends up tucked into the chest. The goalkeeper must decide: has the ball been served in such a way that staying upright would result in the ball not being absorbed. Diving enables the goalkeeper to extend the hands and the body behind the ball. 4. Diving for a ball played well away from the body To dive for a ball that is hit away from the goalkeeper's body, the goalkeeper needs to use an extended diving or "power" technique. This technique is The GK
Page 4 accomplished by taking a long step with the foot that is closest to the ball and follow it with a quick, short step with the same foot. When this second, short step, is taken the goalkeeper should take off to dive. As the goalkeeper pushes off, the top leg should also come across the body (this is the "power step.") The final key in this technique is the position of the hands at the end of the dive. Generally, because the goalkeeper has had to go to 'full stretch," the ball may need to be pinned into the ground upon landing (top hand on the top of the ball, bottom hand behind the ball). When the body has completely finished landing, the ball should be pulled into the body. 5. Catching a ball that is served from a distance with height High balls that are served into the goal area and onto the crossbar can cause great technical difficulty for developing goalkeepers. Add pressure from opposition and this ball can cause problems for even the most seasoned goalkeeper. Before coming off the line, the goalkeeper should hold his / her position so that they can assess the speed, spin and trajectory of the serve. The path to the ball should put the goalkeeper in line with the ball. Upon arriving at the point where the ball can be caught, the goalkeeper should take off of one foot and catch the at a high point, out in front of his / her body. Upon absorbing the ball into the body, the goalkeeper should bend at the waist and move forward to help "lock" the ball into the body. Many times, the goalkeeper will hold on his / her line to protect the crossbar, even to the point of being back to the end line. When the ball is caught on the end line, the goalkeeper should hold the ball out in front of his / her body and move off the end line and "into" the ball. There are times when the ball must be parried over the crossbar. This technique is best accomplished when the goalkeeper opens the palm and pushes his / her underneath and through the back of the ball. Often times, the safest play on the ball is to parry the ball with the hand that is on the opposite side of the body (i.e. a ball that is on the left hand side of the body is parried with the right hand.)
Page 5 6. Catching / punching / parrying a ball that is served from a flank position. Dealing with a crossed ball puts goalkeepers at all levels to the test. The same assessment strategy that is used with dealing with the high ball is also a factor in the crossed ball. The first key is to adjust the starting position as the ball moves out along the flank. The goalkeeper's positioning is critical here, because of the necessity of covering the ball at the near post, but also having to cover a lot of ground towards that far post side of goal. A ball that is served straight at and in front of the goalkeeper is the easiest to get to. The path to the ball should be fairly straight and the take off should again be off of one foot (usually the foot that is to the inside of the goal). The opposite foot should rise in the air, helping the goalkeeper to add height to the jump and offer some protection in the event of a collision. The footwork to track a ball at the back post is even more critical. When a ball is served past the goalkeeper, the goalkeeper should track in a parallel line with it. If the ball can be caught, then the goalkeeper comes off his / her line, plants on the inside foot, raises the outside knee and twists slightly to put the palms in line with the ball. As the ball makes contact with the hands, the ball should be pulled into the chest and the goalkeeper should continue moving forward, lowering the shoulders. This final part of the technique can be useful; especially in the event when there may be contact with a teammate or an opponent. In the event when the keeper must come for the ball, but it is going to be challenged, there are two punching choices that can be made. The ball can be punched with two hands, to direct the ball back in the direction from where it has come, or with one hand, to continue the ball on. The two fisted punch is generally the more reliable punch, because their is more surface area behind the ball. 7. Diving at opponent's feet. This technique is most often associated when a goalkeeper comes out off their line to deal with a through ball. This technique is similar to a simple dive for a low ball. The goalkeeper pushes off the foot nearest the ball. The decision to dive should be made when the ball is played away from the oncoming opponent. It is
Page 6 advised that the goalkeeper keep the top elbow up, to offer greater protection of the head. It is critical that the hands press the ball into the ground to help hold the ball if challenged. After the opposition goes by the goalkeeper, the ball should then be pulled into the chest. The top leg should not be pulled across the body too early, as this technique tends to push the shoulders backward. 8. Kicking a ball out of the hand. Punting and dropkicking are two key distribution techniques that take several years and many matches to get a good feel for. In punting, the goalkeeper should build momentum for contact by starting out with a long step and then taking several shorter steps through to the contact point. Young goalkeepers may find that holding the ball with both hands is easier than moving forward with one hand. When the goalkeeper plants the non-kicking foot, the non-kicking leg should be slightly bent. The ball should be moved forward, on a plane away from the body at about the height of the hip or just under that line. The ball should be held steady and then dropped in front of the body. The goalkeeper should look at the ball and make contact behind and underneath the ball. The kicking foot should be pointed and the goalkeeper should come forward onto the kicking foot. The end result of a good punt is a high, arching ball that "turns over" in mid-flight and extends its distance. Dropkicking follows the same initial technique. When the goalkeeper plants his / her non-kicking foot, the shoulder should come forward and the hand holding the ball should get close to the ground. The ball should be dropped, the shoulders should lean backwards and the kicking foot should immediately come through the back of the ball. The toes of the kicking foot should be locked down and the ball should be driven in a low trajectory. 9. Kicking a moving ball off the ground. The backpass has placed the goalkeeper's kicking skill to a previously unchallenged demand. The technical cues for teaching this technique is probably the most familiar to the team coach of any of the techniques detailed in
Page 7 this document. One major reason for the goalkeeper to hold their position as the ball is played back is that the amount of pressure the backpass is under and the quality of the pass needs to be assessed. The goalkeeper will need to meet the ball early if the back pass is being contested by an opponent. Holding has its benefits in that minor adjustments can be made as the ball comes toward the goalkeeper. Smooth backpasses can be played with the instep and driven away. Balls that come in on the ground and bounce might best with the side of the foot. The old adage, "when in doubt, kick it out," should be a guiding rule of thumb for developing goalkeepers. As the goalkeeper matures, he / she will definitely have to develop sound passing techniques from deep positions on the field. 10. Throwing a ball for distance and accuracy Throwing is a skill that may need work, but comes quickly with practice. Just as with punting, steps toward the target need to be taken. When the goalkeeper plants to throw, the knee of the planting foot shoot bend, the ball should be prepared behind the body with the palm up. As the shoulders come forward in the throw, the throwing arm should come forward. As the ball leaves the goalkeeper's hand, the palm should "open" up, with the palm and fingers facing down. The lower the delivery, the more the non-kicking leg should be flexed and the lower the shoulders should be to the ground. The ball should leave the hand directly, with the ball not having a lot of "side-ways" spin. Goalkeepers should practice throwing the ball onto the foot of a moving teammate. Throws that have a slight loft to their flight and bounce in front or to the side of a teammate are very difficult to control. QUALITIES OF POSITIONAL PLAY 1. When the ball is in the final third, the starting position is 1-2 yards off the end line. 2. As the ball moves, the goalkeeper must move to protect the near / far post. 3. The goalkeeper needs to stand up, without anticipating, when the ball is hit on goal.
Page 8 4. When coming off the line, the goalkeeper must think, "can I win the ball?" 5. Should the ball be caught, parried or punched? 1. When the ball is in the final third, the starting position is 1-2 yards off the end line. The goalkeeper's starting position is just that, a place to begin. As the opposition plays the ball within the final third of the field, the goalkeeper must recognize two distinct situations. The first situation asks the question, can he / she move forward, off the starting position to narrow the angle (getting set for a shot at 4, 5, or 6 yards away from goal)? The second scenario considers a drive, volleyed or chipped serve to the cross bar. Good goalkeepers always have to consider how far away they are from the crossbar and how long it will take them to recover to a position where they can defend this position. 2. As the ball moves, the goalkeeper must move to protect the near / far post. Coverage of the near post is the first priority of the goalkeeper. The second priority (which should always be balanced with the first) is to create the right kind of angle to get across the goal to the far post. For a shot that is hit in the central area of the field, the goalkeeper's position should be central. For a ball that is hit from the right, the goalkeeper's position should be tempered to the right. The "ending" angle of the goalkeeper is best achieve by this process: when the ball is played straight towards the goal, the goalkeeper should come straight off the line; when the ball moves "square," across the field, the goalkeeper should move across the goal in a similar manner. When the ball is played toward the goal, but at angle away from the goal, the goalkeeper should move over to the new angle by going across and up at an angle to narrow the angle. The goalkeeper needs to develop strong footwork technique to deal with near post / far post situations. Shuffling and sprinting across the goal become two valuable "tools of the trade" in getting the goalkeeper to establish good angles. Shuffling involves moving across the goal while facing the field of play. Sprinting across the goal can be achieved by sprinting and keeping the shoulders turned so the goalkeeper is always facing the field of play. The key to finishing a sprint across the field is to take a step sideways to come out of the sprint. This
Page 9 technique allows the goalkeeper to slow their momentum and get "set" for the shot that is coming onto goal. 3. The goalkeeper needs to stand up, without anticipating, when the ball is hit on goal. The goalkeeper must read the play and respond to it. However, just prior to a shooting situation, there is a moment when the only response is to stand up, hold a position and then react quickly when the ball is played. Anticipating what might happen, before it happens usually leads to failure. Holding a position and then reacting usually gives the goalkeeper a good opportunity to react positively towards a situation. When the ball is away from the goal, 16-24 yards, the goalkeeper should be upright, with the shoulders rolled forward. The goalkeeper's hands should hang downward and be slightly tense, but not stiff. The feet should be spread at about shoulder width, the weight should be balanced on the "ball" of each foot. For situations where the ball and attacker are close to goal, 3, 4 or 5 yards away, or when the goalkeeper has come off the line (as in a through ball) the goalkeeper needs to hold with the knees slightly bent and the hands need to come down low, to protect a shot from going under the body. Developing the ability to hold and then react take years of practice. Goalkeepers that mature with this ability appear calm just as the ball is hit on goal. If you ask a goalkeeper who is developed in this area, "what are you thinking about when you are set and holding," they answer, "absolutely nothing." 4. When coming off the line, the goalkeeper must think, "can I win the ball?" This is a question that should go through the mind of the goalkeeper as the ball is being delivered on a through ball or crossing situations. It is not a commandment, but a consideration. It is part of the thought process. The goalkeeper thinks to him / herself: do I hold, do I come part way and take up a new angle and hold or, can I come all the way and win the ball outright?
Page 10 There may be several factors that might be considered in finding an answer to "can I win the ball?" First, what is the total distance that has to be traveled in winning the ball? Second, can the ball be won by a teammate or is closer to the situation? Third, are there obstacles (opponents and teammates alike) that would impede the path to the ball? As the goalkeeper decides to come for a ball to win it, the verbal response should be : "KEEPER!" This verbal command let's everyone know what the decision is. Teammates can take up positions of cover behind the advancing goalkeeper and opponents now know there will be a physical challenge made on the ball. Hence, the command is one of courtesy and tactics. 5. Should the ball be caught, parried or punched? This question is mainly a technical (can the ball be caught? ) consideration but it does have positional ramifications. A ball that is held is the safest choice a goalkeeper can make. A ball that is punched or parried can keep a team under continuous pressure that may or may not result in a goal being scored. Goalkeepers should be trained to catch first and then parry or punch out of danger as a second and last resort.
GOALKEEPING TRAINING METHODOLOGY & ORGANIZATION METHODS The saying, "there is a method to our madness," is probably the perfect statement to begin an overview of coaching methods. The old adage about goalkeepers being crazy notwithstanding, there are essentially, two main ways of training goalkeepers in an individual or small group setting: 1. Simple-to-Complex * The coach / goalkeeper decide what goalkeeping skill / decision needs to be worked on. * The goalkeeper then performs a series of parts that comprise whatever is identified as a "whole" skill / decision. * Repetitions are repeated to "groove" a goalkeepers ability to perform to the objective. * The coach must provide the opportunity for the goalkeeper to adapt Kinestetically to the required movement of the objective and also challenge the goalkeeper mentally and physically as well. * This method concludes when the goalkeeper has completed a logical progression of activities that should end in the most realistic replication of the skill / decision being performed by the goalkeeper under match conditions. 2. Whole-Part-Whole * The coach / goalkeeper define what skill / decision needs to be made. * The goalkeeper performs that skill in its most "whole" form (using live service, possible introduction of teammates and opponents) * Once the skill / decision has been thoroughly performed by the goalkeeper and observed and analyzed by the coach, the whole performance is broken down into little parts. * Each part is sequenced so that the performance of the "whole" can be improved upon. * The final stage to this method is to return to the "whole" performance and observe the skill or decision being performed back under the conditions of the first "whole" performance.
ORGANIZATION Organizing training for the goalkeeper(s) in the team can be organized in the following manner: * Design a weekly training schedule. U-12 through U-14's should train once or twice a week for about 45 minutes to an hour; U-15's through U-16's should train twice a week for a little over 60 minutes; U-17-U-19;s should train 2-3 times per week for about 75-80 minutes. * Goalkeeping training should always augment what is being done in the team; pairing goalkeeping objectives with team training objectives is always a good idea. * The goalkeeping trainer should survey the working areas before beginning training. ground that is bumping, hard or uneven may not be safe or productive for good goalkeeping training. * The trainer should have an ample supply of cones, markers, flags and a goal implement into the daily training of the goalkeeper. *Cones markers and flags generally work best if used at the beginning of a session or for "pull-out" purposes during a session. For the 'meat" of a session a full sized goal is generally preferable to any other sort of equipment. Training sessions should include: warm-up (use the technique basics as a staple item), a technique session and end with a little decision-making or fitness. Younger goalkeepers would be best served with an emphasis on technique while older goalkeepers really need to focus on technique, positioning and fitness. *The goalkeeping trainer probably needs to balance their emphasis between giving feedback and keeping the goalkeeper (s) active. *Charting a goalkeeper's progress over time is a good idea. The use of a written journal that records the training completed, the coaching points stressed and the performance of the goalkeeper should all be documented after each session. * Use of a video recorder can help the goalkeeper understand what their strengths and weaknesses are in a particular area. Videotape can also help encourage the "non-motivated" goalkeeper to train more regularly.