Soccer Coach Formula

In soccer, a goalkeeper’s footwork defines how skillful he is in a good number of aspects. The importance of footwork is seen when a goalkeeper needs to change his stance and position to ready him to dive for a ball out of his normal reach. Footwork is a major factor in determining how a goalkeeper would be able change directions and to accelerate towards a given target. Footwork keeps a goalkeeper’s stance controlled and not easily compromised as it assists in distribution of his weight evenly.

Many coaches agree that the goalkeeper’s weight should be distributed in the sense that three-quarters goes to the forefoot, and a quarter goes to the rear foot. This would ensure optimum mobility for the goalkeeper. Keep this in mind when you think about developing your goalkeepers’ footwork. Let them know this as you have them perform the footwork drills mentioned below.

It is important that you attempt to integrate some footwork training even if you plan on accomplishing other tasks in a session. Your players and your goalkeeper should always recognize the importance of footwork, as it assures their mobility and safety from sprains and the like.

After having the goalkeeper stretch and jog, do an introduction or recapitulation of the basic steps, such as the shuffle, or the crossover. If you need to have the goalkeeper repeat after you, do so (refer to footwork techniques articles).

Play ‘Follow the Leader’, where you, as the coach, would lead the rest while you move back and forth across the field, performing footwork steps. Sprinkle in some sudden movements to practice their reflexes and how they link them with their footwork.

Always make sure that your goalkeeper is on his toes, with his knees bent. If he is just beginning to train, he might not understand the reason behind the need to stay light on their toes. You can have them see the importance of it by having them stand on their toes, and making them jump as high as they can. After having them do that, let them stand on their heels and attempt to jump. You can bet that nobody leaves the ground!

Next, pair the goalkeepers and give them two cones each. Have them create an imaginary ‘goal’ with the cones, around 6 paces apart from each other. The goalkeepers should face each other. One goalkeeper becomes the leader, and the other goalkeeper becomes the follower. The leader would move quick, using footwork to touch the outside of either cone in his or her ‘goal’. In order for the follower to keep the leader from gaining a point, he should attempt to use footwork, reacting to the movement of the leader, to touch the area just inside either goal. Goalkeepers would switch roles after a period of time.

Aside from knowing the techniques on how to defend the goal and help the defense by directing them, the reaction time of executing this technique should be instinctive. Here are some drills that could help increase the reaction time of the goalkeeper using the techniques that the goalkeeper has learned.

1. Fake Shots –

Two balls will be placed along the penalty line and each of them will have a kicker. When the coach says go, two players will run to kick the ball towards the goal but actually only one will kick the ball, the other player will have to fake the shot. Two balls is ideal for amateur goalkeepers but if they are already experienced, three to four balls will still be tolerable.

2. Auditory Reaction –

The goalkeeper will stand back to back with the coach. Both will walk away from each other by taking at least three steps. Then the coach will turn around and throw the ball while shouting the direction. The goalkeeper will then turn and jump in the direction the coach instructed.

3. Cross Fire –

The goalkeeper will stand between markers as if it’s the goal line. Two players will be positioned at least 10-15 yards from the line on both sides: the front and the back. Each player will kick the ball just enough for the goalkeeper to dive for the ball. Once the goalkeeper gets the ball, he or she gets up, give the ball back and turn around for another dive. The trick in developing this technique is to do it really fast. This will be really exhausting for the goalkeeper since as he or she turns as another ball is coming towards the goal.

These drills will foster proper positioning, diving, stamina and most important of all, lessen the reaction time of the goalkeeper to go for the ball.

When a penalty kick is about to be taken, the goalkeeper is the only person who can stop the ball from going into the goal, if it’s on target. It’s probably the worst situation a goalkeeper could be in since there will be no one to help in blocking the ball.

In a penalty kick situation, there will only be one kick and one kicker, the goal keeper has to read where the kicker would send the ball and make the necessary adjustments to stop the ball from going into the goal.

For some goalkeepers, it’s always a guessing game where the ball would go. This is especially true for amateur goalkeepers. But that shouldn’t be the situation since there are ways of reading the kicker. The goalkeeper has to remember that the pressure of scoring is more on the kicker. The goalkeeper has to be calm and concentrate on both the kicker and the ball. The goalkeeper has to be reactive to the ball instead of diving in one direction and hoping the ball goes the same side too.

There are three points of the kicker’s body the goalkeeper has to watch: the foot, hips and head. The ball will usually go where the planted foot points. The hip will also point to where the ball will go while the head position will tell you the power of the ball. If the head is low, it usually means a powerful cross kick. If the head stays level, it will usually be a simple kick with the direction of the hip and the foot.

One drill that will help the goalkeeper in penalty kicks is to increase the diving speed and the shorten reaction time of the goalkeeper. Aside from practicing the actual penalty kick situation, the goal keeper could increase his diving speed with this simple drill:

Three players with ball will form a triangle and the goal keeper will stand in front of one of the players. There will also be three markers that will serve as three goal lines connected together. Each player will roll the ball by hand in a random direction and the keeper will dive for the ball. The keeper will return the ball and transfer to another player. If the drill is one direction, it should reverse the direction after 90 seconds of constant diving.

Goalkeepers are the last line of defense but it doesn’t mean the keeper has to wait for the ball to come to him to be effective in defense. Most of the time, the goalkeeper will be directing defense instead of taking an active role in defending the game. That is why communication with fellow defenders is important.

Defenders and goalkeepers will need to have a clear understanding in communication. Teammates should have a word or two that will indicate a play or a move. For example, the goal keeper could shout “keeper” if he intends to get the incoming ball. He could also shout “away” if he wants the players to get the ball. Another efficient keyword players could shout is “mine”. This will prevent players from colliding with each other and be confused with the play. It’s also important to use the words again and again until they are understood by their teammates.

The goalkeeper should be familiar with the defensive plays of the team. The keeper is in the best position to see if there are any holes in the defensive formation of the team. For amateur goalkeepers, coaches should push their goalkeepers to do this since there’s always a tendency to keep quiet or just wait for the ball to come to them.

The only way the goalkeeper could have clear communication with defenders is through practice games, or running through the defensive plays. In those practice games or set plays for defense, the goal keeper usually acts as a coach, directing the defenders where to go and if there’s any open man that needs to be shadowed.

Aside from keeping the ball away from the goal, it’s also the goalkeeper’s role to direct defense. The goalkeeper acts as a leader for the defenders as they work together to keep the ball out of the goal.

The ideal position of the goalkeeper should be at least one or two feet from the goal line. However, the goalkeeper doesn’t have to stay in that position for the rest of the game, especially when the team is on the offensive mode. If the ball is in the penalty area of the opponent’s team, the goalkeeper should be at least at the end of the penalty box. When the ball is in the midfield, the goalkeeper should be at least halfway through the goal line and the front penalty box mark.

But there are occasions when the player has to aggressively come off the line. This happens when the team is facing a breakaway and the opposing team is coming on fast and the last line of defenders has been clearly beaten. The goal keeper is in a dilemma of going towards the ball or just waiting for the shot. If he or she goes towards the player, the ball could be lobbed into goal but if the goalkeeper waits for the attack, there is a wider angle for a chance to score.

It’s up to the goalkeeper whether or not to attack the breakaway opponent. But if the goalkeeper comes off the line, the keeper has to stick to that plan and never hesitate. When the goalkeeper thinks there’s space for him or her to dive for the ball, the keeper should never hesitate. Thinking twice will only give more opportunity for the opponent.

There two great drills for this:

First is replicating the actual breakaway situation. In the middle of the field, the offensive player will have the ball while the defender is behind him or her. The opponent will launch a breakaway attack and the defender will run after him or her as if to defend. That way, the goalkeeper will have an actual practice and know when to come off the line and dive for the ball.

Another drill is called sprint and dive. The coach will hold the ball just outside the penalty box. When the coach says “go” the goalkeeper runs to touch the ball. After the keeper touches the ball, he or she runs back since the ball will be lobbed towards the goal line.

A goalkeeper’s footwork and catching skills are not really worth anything if he is not at the right place at the right time. A goalkeeper with good positioning skills can almost always make it seem as if every shot at the goal just goes right to them, simply because the forward or any other shooter would literally have nowhere else to get the ball through. If a goalkeeper has poor positioning skills, on the other hand, he leaves many windows open for the shooter to score.

Many starting goalkeepers may not realize this, but the first thing that they should be very sure is the goal that he is guarding. To them, this sound pretty simple and obvious, but goalkeepers can easily lose track when the real game commences! A goalkeeper can get confused in the heat of the game. That small period of time that he takes to glance at the goal to know his precise location may be all it needs for a shooter to take that deadly shot.

Therefore, it is ideal for goalkeepers to keep track as to where the goal posts are. In other words, the goalkeeper should verify the locations of where these goal posts are to tell where he is at BEFORE he is placed in a precarious position. The best time to glance is while there is little danger, it should not take the goalkeeper a few seconds to check and make sure where he is in relation to the goal posts.

It is also best for the goalkeeper to be between the ball and the center of the goal as much as possible. Thus, the goalkeeper should constantly be moving, more while the ball is away and less while the ball is close. This ensures that he knows where the ball is at all times, and is ready to make a block or a catch at that defining moment.

If the above tip is taken literally, then the goalkeeper can just stay at the center of the goal all the time, right?

Wrong.

Take note that the shooter and the two posts of the goal form an angle, and it is necessary for the goalkeeper to move in towards the direction of the shooter to efficiently cover this angle. Younger and inexperienced goalkeepers would have to learn how to move away from the goal line; it may seem like they are compromising the goal, but in fact they are really ensuring it is more protected, by giving the shooter lesser chances of scoring

To a goalkeeper, positioning is very important. However, a goalkeeper simply cannot get into a certain position to block a ball if he does not possess skill in footwork. Footwork skill is placed next to fitness up on top of the list of attributes that a goalkeeper should prioritize. It has been said by many coaches that footwork defines skill in saving shots even in the worst conditions for the goalkeeper. Good footwork makes a good goalkeeper, while bad footwork guarantees points for the opponent.

Here are some techniques that a goalkeeper can use and practice so he can cover the most ground in the smallest amount of time and effort.

Happy feet –

This principle simply states that a good goalkeeper’s feet should always be moving, ready to catch, block, and save. The goalkeeper should take care to bounce off his toes instead of the ball of the foot. This is for him to save energy and to be ready for a dive when it is necessary.

Shuffle Stepping –

Sometimes the goalkeeper needs to stay closer to the goal to protect more space in less movement. If the goalkeeper is on happy feet, he would do best to shuffle step from one end of a projected arc to the other. The goalkeeper’s body would face the shooter (and consequently, the ball). The goalkeeper’s feet would shuffle quickly to move towards one end without crossing over each other. This means that the goalkeeper’s right foot should always stay on the right, and his left foot should always stay on the left.

Crossover Stepping –

While the ball is further away from the goal, the goalkeeper can move farther from the goal to anticipate it if it suddenly comes near. For this matter, the goalkeeper would have to cover more ground. The only difference that crossover stepping has is that the goalkeeper would literally turn his hips to run into the appropriate location to cover a ball. The goalkeeper’s upper body would still have to be facing the shooter and the ball. This would ensure that the goalkeeper moves faster. Take note that the right foot must still stay on the right, and the left foot stays on the left.

Take note that the goalkeeper’s stance should always remain the same or close to what is prescribed – He should be on his toes. Additionally, the goalkeeper should have his knees slightly bent, with his hands at the sides. The goalkeeper’s weight should always be forward, ready to jump or dive for a ball. He should keep his eyes and body facing the ball as it moves.

Goalkeepers need to develop skills in positioning for them to be in the right place at the right time, all the time. This is critical for them as they always want to keep the ball from adding another point for the opposite team. If you dedicate a session for positioning drills for your goalkeepers, then this is one article to read.

For starters, if you have the resources, prepare a simple grid on the field with 3 ropes. Tie one rope to a stake placed in the middle of the goal line. Tie both ropes to each post on the opposite sides of the goal. You’ll see why this needs to be done in one of the drills.

Start off with having your goalkeepers warm up. Have them jog for a good amount of time, and follow it up with some stretching. You can integrate some minor footwork training. Have the goalkeepers toss and catch balls so they can warm their hands up too.

Proceed to the goal with the ropes tied to them. You are now ready to show or remind them of the technique known as the Goalkeeper’s Arc. This drill would demonstrate how a goalkeeper can tell where he should be, to cover the most ground based on where a ball is located. The ropes assist in showing where the goalkeeper should be at the exact time.

Show your goalkeepers how the ropes work, and how they can determine it. Give examples by placing the ball somewhere around the penalty area, and, by using the ropes, have them determine where they should be. When you are confident with their skills in this, take out the ropes and have them move to where they should take position, depending on where the ball is. One other way to test them is to try moving the ball around the penalty area real time, for them to adjust and change their position to be ready when you decide to kick to score.

You can also have around 4 players positioned around a goal, each with a ball and a cone of a unique color. Have the goalkeeper stay in his usual position. You as the coach can now call out one of the four colors of the cones, and it is the goalkeeper’s responsibility to get into position to block the shot as the player assigned kicks the ball. This would test the goalkeeper’s skill in associating his reflexes with his positioning

The average human is around 5 to 6 feet in height. An adult soccer goal structure is 24 feet wide and 8 feet tall. A goalkeeper can only do so much to protect the goal if he stands on his two feet.

What does a goalkeeper do if he anticipates that the ball is out of his reach? It’s simple. The goalkeeper dives.

Diving is one skill that goaltenders would need to develop. There are many drills that target the goalkeeper’s senses and physique to make the perfect ball saving dive.

Between the Legs –

This drill involves two goalkeepers:

1) One acts as a server, and;

2) The other one is the actual goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper stands in front of the server, facing him, with legs apart. The server would kick the ball through the space formed between the legs of the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is now supposed to turn around and dive to keep the ball from getting away.

Take note that the server should not kick the ball too strong that the ball would be too far away when the goalkeeper turns around. The server should not kick the ball too weak, either. The two people may switch roles after ten repetitions.

Repetitive Diving –

This drill also involves two goalkeepers, the server and the actual goalkeeper. The goalkeeper would stand in the middle of a goal structure like he would in an actual game. The server would stay anywhere in the penalty area (preferably around 36 feet away), with several balls lined up. The server would go ahead and point into the direction that the ball will be kicked before actually kicking it. The direction should of course be towards the goal, and more importantly, it would require the goalkeeper to dive to save it. This is repeated until no balls are left.

To practice the reflexes of the goalkeeper a little bit more, the server can choose not to point where the ball will go. He or she can also choose to kick the balls in a faster rate than usual, to practice the goalkeeper’s recovery after catching a ball.

Diving Game –

Make two ‘goals’ by placing cones around 18 feet apart. Place these two ‘goals’ roughly 36 feet apart from each other. Assign two goalkeepers, a kicker and a defender. Toss a coin to determine who goes first as a kicker. The kicker would attempt to make a goal by kicking the ball at a height below the knees of the defender. The defender should dive to save the ball. If the kicker is successful in making a goal, he gains a point. Regardless of the outcome, the two goalkeepers would switch places afterwards. The first goalkeeper to score 5 points wins.

You can make this drill more challenging for both players by placing the goals closer to each other, or giving the point to the defender automatically if the kicker takes too long to serve.

Diving is one of the fundamental skills in goalkeeping. A goalkeeper who can’t or doesn’t want to dive is like a driver who doesn’t want to press on a gas pedal or touch the steering wheel. It’s an important technique that should be slowly developed in each goalkeeper.

The main reason why amateur goalkeepers hesitate to dive is because of pain. Fear of being hurt could also compromise the diving technique of the goalkeeper. Coaches have to explain to the goalkeepers that diving should be catching the ball with hand first and cushioning the fall by falling sideways.

Cushioning the fall with the side will not hurt as much as cushioning it with the hand, which will increase the chances of breaking the bones or dislocating the joints.

Footwork is also an important aspect in diving. The feet will serve as a spring to where the goalkeeper should go. Shuffle steps and crossover of legs should be practiced by a goalkeeper before he or she could spring forward for a catch. Always emphasize to the goalkeeper the benefits of springing forward.

Forward dives will give the keeper a better chance to stop the ball. Diving backwards uses the power of the hand more. Goalkeepers should dive forward to have the support of their whole body to stop the ball.

There are two drills that could be practice to improve the diving skills of the goalkeeper:

The first drill is called the “Inchworm”. The goalkeeper will take on a position of sitting on his or her heels. The coach or a fellow keeper will throw the ball just enough to be reached by diving. This could also be done by sitting with legs spreading forward.

The next drill focuses on the agility and quickness to dive. There will be four regular soccer balls lined up in the penalty box. The goal keeper will stand on the goal line and stop one of the balls – if he could guess who will kick the ball. Four players will attempt to kick but only one will actually hit the ball. The rest will fake the kick.