How to - Soccer Goalkeeping

I recently read an old Indian saying regarding soccer goalkeeping that goes like this: "all goalkeepers have an extra crazy gene". Well, ok, it's not Indian and it's not

Call it bravery or nuttiness, the soccer goalkeeper exposes himself to some of the biggest risks, both physically and mentally during a match. But we're not here to discuss whether each soccer goalkeeper needs therapy or not, so let’s get to the point.

The soccer goalkeeper is the only truly "specialized" player on the field. A defender can act as a striker and vice versa and although their trained skills probably won't fit best for these new roles, they would still be able to hold themselves up. However, put the same striker or defender in the goalkeeper's place and you get one goofy goal guardian.

This specialization comes with some great advantages but also some great responsibilities. Being the only player in the squad who can touch the ball with his hands, in the penalty box and not get charged with handball is pretty much a great advantage. However, being almost entirely responsible for defending the entire goal, a soccer keeper is often under a ton of pressure. One simple mistake from him could mean an entirely new direction of the match result. So now that we agreed that a soccer goalkeeper's life is miserable and tough, let's take a look at what their main three roles are:

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Defending the Goal - Obviously, this is the goalkeeper's main role. Deflecting shots, saving loose balls, gathering crosses will be all handled by the goalkeeper, but they'll also need to defend the goal in set pieces. Goalkeepers coordinate the position of the wall at a free kick and sometimes they position defenders at corners.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Initiating Offensive Plays - Once a goalkeeper saves a ball, he should immediately look for a counter-attack opportunity. If you look closely at a soccer match, you'll see a goalkeeper that has just made a save quickly stand up and rush out at the edge of the penalty box, looking for a striker to play as fast as possible. If there's no striker available, a soccer goalkeeper will usually make sure his defensive line reached its position (usually somewhere around 30 yards from their own goal) then he will initiate the positional attack, by passing the ball to a free defender (usually sideways).

In very rare situations, the goalkeeper has an additional offensive job...creating offensive superiority in last minute set pieces. Just like in hockey, where the goalkeeper is replaced with a field player in the last few seconds to create superiority, a goalkeeper might sometimes run up to the enemy penalty box in a late match set piece. Creating numeric superiority might be an advantage in itself, even if the goalkeeper himself doesn't score. Obviously, this is a great risk since the opposing team might get the ball and immediately initiate a counter attack and score in an empty goal.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Coordinating the Defense - Since a goalkeeper has his back at the goal and has the widest view of all players on the pitch, he is usually responsible with coordinating the entire defensive line (at least that's what a good goalkeeper does). For example, he can spot gaps in the defense that other players cannot or he could assign man marking if the opposing players change areas a lot.

He might also be in charge of coordinating the defense's offside trap, by lining up players in front of him or telling them to push forward so the opposing strikers are left offside (however, staying in a straight line is the defender's job since the goalkeeper can't see whether or not the players in front of him are aligned correctly).

That's pretty much all a goalkeeper has to do in a match. Sounds hard? Well it is. Of course, a one-sided match where your team will be constantly in the offensive third trying to score might not put too much pressure on the goalkeeper, but in an even-sided match he may very well decide the end result (either way). So in order to handle all these factors, he will have to train the following important soccer goalkeeping skills:

Soccer Goalkeeping Skills

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Agility – A slow goalkeeper is nothing more than a third post and you can't make much of a use of that. Instead, a goalkeeper will want to be as agile as possible, in order to be able to move quickly from one end of the goal to the other, to deflect a shot or save a loose ball.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Jumping – Good jumping is a must for any soccer goalkeeper. Not only will a good jumping skill help you out with saving high shots, but it's also important when saving or boxing out crosses.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Balance – Since goalmouth situations chance with lightning fast speeds, a goalkeeper must have good balance and positioning in order to be able to perform last second saves. Shots that get deflections half way will also require good balance to be saved.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Strength – Unlike field players, who usually focus their gym training on their lower body, a goalkeeper must get a complete workout. You'll need leg strength to help you jump higher, arm strength to help you stop shots and throw the ball further and upper body strength to allow you to take fall damage without getting hurt. Good overall strength is also important in direct duels, especially in the 6-yard box where you're basically allowed to run or through anyone without getting whistled.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Positioning – A goalkeeper's position in the goal is more important than you might think. Since 7 yards is a wide area to cover, positioning right can make defending the goal easier. A good soccer goalkeeper will protect the low post if the opponent has the ball in an angle and he will always be ready for a dive or a cross.

Usually, the textbook positioning is slightly forward of the goal line, with the knees bent for maximum balance. This way, you're ready to go either way after the ball, since your legs are already half-way through "charging up" the jump.

I've seen a lot of websites focusing on saying that a goalkeeper's reflexes can be trained. While that is true to some extent, a reflex is by definition an instinctual movement so you can only work so much to improve it.

Reflexes for goalkeepers are pretty much the same way speed relates to field players: you either have speed or you don't – you can work on improving your speed by perfecting your body mechanics, increasing the strength in specific muscles and so forth, but ultimately, if you're born slow, there's little you can do to improve yourself and you'll never become a speeding bullet.

But getting back to goalkeepers and reflexes: there are a lot of great goalkeepers out there that are not "reflex keepers". One example that comes to mind would be Dutch keeper Van der Saar. He doesn't necessarily have extraordinary reflexes like other keepers do, but his jumping, strength, constitution and consistency all make him a great player.

There are several types of saves a goalkeeper can perform, but knowing when to use which is entirely situational. You have your basic standing saves, kneeling saves, medium and high saves, forward vaults, tweener saves and diving saves. Let's see when and how you should use each:

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Standing Saves – This is not a recommended save when the ball comes rolling at a high speed, especially if you're playing on a wet pitch. Basically, what you'll be doing will be bending down forward from the waist, collecting the rolling ball and bringing it up to your chest. Simply allow the ball to roll up on your wrists, with your legs straight and back arched and your feet close together (so that if the ball accidentally rolls past your hands, it doesn't go through your legs). Then clutch the ball against your chest, protecting it and straighten up your back.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Kneeling Saves – The kneeling save is slightly similar to the standing save in what regards a goalkeeper's arm work, however besides bending forward from your waist, you will have to take a knee and keep the other one almost perpendicular to the one on the ground. This position of the legs reduces all chances that the ball might slip between your legs and into the goal. The kneeling save can be performed against balls that come at you at higher speeds in comparison to the standing save.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Medium and High Saves – If the ball is coming towards your chest or head area, keep your shoulders square on the oncoming ball and bend your arms forward, keeping them slightly tensed. Use the elbow flexion to dampen the ball's incoming force rather than your shoulders. Your shoulders will be used as a last resort if the ball is too powerful to handle. The reason you shouldn't take your shoulders back and dampen the ball's force using them is that you might not be able to fully stop the ball and it might hit your chest, bouncing off.

Now, unlike other types of saves, medium and high saves will require a bit more practice in the mechanics and less on positioning. When you get to a point where you can catch the ball and safely bring it to your chest in a full stop, you've mastered this type of save. One last thing, on powerful shots from close range, it will be extremely difficult to secure the ball, even if you use your fingers, elbows and shoulders as a force dampener. It might be better to punch the ball upwards or sideways in this case, or you might risk giving the other team a rebound opportunity.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Forward Vaults – The forward vault is an extension of the kneeling save. Use the same mechanics as in the kneeling save, but instead of standing up directly with the ball secured to your chest, vault forward to the ground and extend your arms beneath yourself with the palms upwards, trapping the ball between your fingers, wrists and forearms. Then, after the ball's force is dampened, pull your arms back and trap the ball between your arms and chest. Best used on slippery pitches, where stopping the ball is trickier and securing it tightly becomes even more important.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Tweener Saves – A ball that comes rolling to a goalkeeper's side is usually referred to as a tweener, hence the name of this type of save. Basically, the mechanics for this save are very close to the forward vault's ones, but since the ball is coming at your side, you have to vault sideways. The only difference between the two is the leg work. With the tweener save, you will have to extend your lead foot in the direction of the save, kneeling on the trailing leg. Just make sure you don't allow any space for the ball to squeeze through the space opening up between your legs.

Soccer Goalkeeping >> Diving Saves – The diving save is probably the most spectacular a goalkeeper can perform. When a ball is far enough from your current position that a tweener save isn't enough, you will have to perform a diving save.

This involves pushing yourself hard into the ground with both legs, fully extending yourself sideways in the direction the ball is aimed at and releasing the jump. Luckily, you'll be able to deflect the ball off its course towards the goal. Remember that a ball can rarely be "saved" and secured from a dive and even if you do grab hold of it, the fall has a chance of shattering the ball away from your hands. So, depending on the situation, it might be best to deflect it rather than try to save it.

Well that's about all you need to know about soccer goalkeeping skills and saves. If you're a goalkeeper and want to better yourself in extra hours, outside your team's practice, you can either choose to work on your strength, or grab a friend and ask him to help you out in improving your saving grip. Learn the body mechanics and positioning involved with each save perfectly and practice each of them until they become natural. Hopefully, on matchday, you'll be able to put that practice to good use and save your team a couple of goals.