Goalkeeping Tips, Tidbits and Random Thoughts

Training attitude

2009-06-25T18:51:00.004-06:00

Whew. Campers on their way home, tired and happy. And, I hope, with some improved skills. Overall it was a great group, solid skill-wise and willing to work hard. I hope the players enjoyed it as much as I did.

During the last morning session there was one tense moment where there was a collision on a breakaway. Nothing intentional, but with players as tired as they were tempers got short. We took a quick breath and moved on, but it raised the point that if you want to get better, you have to train at full intensity... and if you go all out, there is the possibility of injury.

It can be difficult to get players to put as much effort into practice as into the real game. But if you don't provide your teammates the best opposition possible, how will anyone get any better? I once heard that Arsenal in England trains so intensely that players feel the game on the weekend is easier than practice! You need to be careful, but to help your teammates get better, you need the same focus, intensity and aggression in training as you do in the match.

We always end camp with a Keeper Wars session. Here are a few variations we've used:

Vanilla Keeper Wars, 1v1 for one or two minute matches.
Doubles, with two keepers in each goal and alternating serves. Make sure keepers are staggered one in front and one in back to prevent collisions.
Mini Keeper Wars, using poles or corner flags to make goals about 10-12 yards apart and only allowing underhand thrown serves.
Team Keeper Wars, you stay in goal until you either get scored on or miss the frame; then you get out of goal and your next teammate steps in.
4-Way, with two pairs of goals forming a square. You only compete against the keeper in the goal opposite you, but any rebounds into the area can be finished by any keeper in any goal (first-time shot). It gets crazy with balls flying everywhere!
Use a few mini-balls mixed in as the "money ball" which scores two points.

Which keeper are you?

2009-06-24T21:22:00.003-06:00

This evening's camp topic was tipping over the bar. I love this session for several reasons: 1) it is technically demanding (footwork, hands, timing) and I enjoy helping kids get the precision needed to make the save, 2) the players really want to learn how to do it and work hard, and 3) I have fun chipping the ball over them and scoring�and get excited when they make a great save. Win-win.

Over the course of the week, you get to see individual personalities emerge. You two types of perfectionists, one type who just keeps going and going and going until they get it right, another type who gets down on themselves when it isn't perfect, even if it's very good. You have the diligent student who nods and says, "Yes coach" to everything. You have the goofy kid who may not be the best goalkeeper but enjoys being there and doing all the drills. Sometimes you get the stud who thinks they know it all already (and the coaches have to make sure to take down a peg or two), or a player who is there for the wrong reasons, to socialize rather than work hard. That may be okay at some camps, but not at Star Goalkeeper Academy or Net Results Soccer Training. If there is one attribute I want any camper to have (or for that matter, any player I train), it is a good work ethic.

Best keeper game ever

2009-06-23T21:57:00.003-06:00

One of the all-time favorite keeper camp games we call Shaggers. Our version for keepers is as follows:

Field: Full-size goal with lines marked 6 yards out and 16 yards out. Two marker cones 22 yards from goal, even with the goalposts. There is a server at one goalpost with lots of balls.
Teams: Two equal teams of at least 4 players.* Each team forms a line behind one of the marker cones. Team A puts one of their players in goal to start as keeper.
Play: The coach servers a ball to the first player in the team B line, who must shoot first time from behind the 16-yard line on the Team A keeper. If the B player misses or the shot is saved, the A keeper leaves the goal and goes to the back of the A line, and the B player is in goal. Coach then serves to the first person in the A team line to shoot on the B keeper.

If a player scores on the first shot, they get a second shot that must be a header or volley from outside the 6. If a player scores both goals, the goalkeeper who was scored upon is out. The shooter then takes their place in goal.

Continue until one team is eliminated. *If you have fewer than 8 players, you can play with a single line of shooters and make it keeper vs keeper.

It's called "Shaggers" because of all the missed shots that have to be rounded up. After all, it is keeper camp, not striker camp.

Today's sessions were foot skills and receiving backpasses (the early morning session), collapsed diving, crosses, and distribution games. With the exception of diving, these are all areas where many keepers tend to be weak. Foot skills and crosses especially are two areas that separate the top goalkeepers from the rest. And crosses even more specifically are something that most goalkeepers do not get enough training on.

Focus, focus, focus

2009-06-22T21:23:00.003-06:00

The campers came dragging out to the morning session today. The first day everyone was chipper, eager and working hard. Many of them had had a pre-breakfast session of footwork and plyometrics, and by the time they'd all digested breakfast and got back out onto the field the lethargy showed.

When you are tired, we all know the first thing to go is your brain. The coaches were disappointed with the effort and focus in the morning session on ball handling. Basic stuff�the meat and potatoes of the goalkeeper's job�but done far too sloppily. We rode them a bit, an it got better, but come on, it's only the second day!

You get out of training what you put into it. As Malcolm Gladwell puts it, "The people at the very top don't just work much harder than everyone else. They work much, much harder."

The afternoon session on positioning was much better and the keepers really improved as it went along. And then for the evening (before the thunderstorm and the dorm fire alarm went off!) we played Shaggers: The. Best. Keeper. Game. Ever. Got to see some absolutely ridiculous saves.

I'll describe the game in a forthcoming post. And for those of you across the pond, get your mind out of the gutter... over here, "to shag" means to round up stray balls. Ahem.

First impressions

2009-06-21T23:17:00.003-06:00

Our first two sessions today with a new group of goalkeepers. Lots of simple ball handling exercises: high balls, low balls, catching, serving. Who has the basics down, who needs work. Who is agressive, who is passive, who is a leader, who follows. It's a bit like a tryout, in that we are trying to sort the players somewhat so they will be training with players at a similar level for the rest of the week.

Why should you�or anyone�try to make a good first impression? Whether it's at a tryout, a camp, or an everyday team training session, shouldn't you always try to put your best foot forward? At the very least, show your strengths. Coaches will spot the weaknesses.. but of course, that's their job, right? To see the weaknesses and try to make you better.

But if you can show your strengths, the coaches can focus on the weaknesses, rather than having to take you through the basics that you thought you already had down.

That's why good habits are so important, in every training session. Because how you do things habitually, every time, without thinking, is how you are going to make the best first impression.

Camp notes

2009-06-20T19:55:00.002-06:00

I'm busy gearing up for the first big camp weekend of the summer, coaching for Star Goalkeeper Academy. This is probably one of the most intense camps out there; certainly one of the few residential camps that are strictly for goalkeepers. Train, eat, sleep, train, repeat. With three (or even four) training sessions daily, it is a grueling but incredibly rewarding experience.

I always look forward to the first evening, looking over a batch of young keepers, some new, some returning. It's interesting to see the mix of players�ages, ability levels�and wonder how far we can take them in a week.

I be making regular posts this week on our progress.

Recognition

2009-05-20T21:21:00.002-06:00

Ways to get recognized:

1. Do something extraordinary. Just once. Make the championship-winning save or score the game-winning goal. Bring in the big contract. Rescue someone from a burning building. Sometimes it is luck, but more often it is the result of preparation ("Luck is where preparation meets opportunity." �Seneca).

2. Do something for a very long time. Work for 35 years and get the gold watch. Toil as a starter�but not the star�for a 15-year career. You have to have the perseverance to stick it out for the long haul, be satisfied out of the limelight, and be a team player. You also have to be good enough they still want you around.

3. Do something extraordinarily well for a very long time. This, of course, is the most difficult of the three.

How will you earn your recognition?

Character

2009-04-13T22:03:00.002-06:00

Losing builds character. Ever heard that saying?

It's wrong.

Losing reveals character.

What do you do after a loss? Use your emotion as a springboard for improvement, not an excuse to sulk. "Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it." —Lou Holtz

Action bias among elite soccer goalkeepers

2009-03-28T21:33:00.002-06:00

Action bias among elite soccer goalkeepers: The case of penalty kicks. Huh? What in the world does that mean?

A forthcoming study shows that most goalkeepers will pick a side (based on reading the shooter, gut feel, or just plain guessing) and dive there, when in fact the optimal strategy is to stay in the middle and react—as I often advocate, especially for younger players.

So why then do goalkeepers pick a direction and dive? That's the title of the article. There is a bias towards "action": i.e., doing something. The thought is that if you're going to get scored on anyway, you might as well get scored on while trying hard than just standing there doing nothing. Certainly, a keeper who never moves while the ball goes into the corner of the net doesn't usually provoke a positive reaction from teammates or coach.

However, almost 30% of the 286 penalties included in the study were struck to the middle third of the net, and the goalkeeper's chance of saving such a shot is about 60%, versus about a 25-30% chance of saving a shot hit to one side even when the keeper dives the correct way. So why dive to the side at all? Because "an identical negative outcome (a goal being scored) is perceived to be worse when it follows inaction rather than action." In other words, keepers are biased towards action.

The upshot of all this? I think it supports my theory of stopping penalty kicks: don't guess and dive, read the shooter and get a feel for where you think the shot will go, get prepared to go that way, but don't go too soon and leave yourself some ability to react after the ball is struck. That strategy works quite successfully for me, and I've saved more than my fair share of penalties struck down the middle.

A simple training tool

2009-03-19T14:14:00.002-06:00

I find many more dropped balls are due to problems withe the eyes than with the hands. Often, keepers will take their eyes off the ball a split second before the ball is actually secured, leading to a bobble. Perhaps they are looking up to distribute quickly, or are worried about an onrushing opponent. But there is a simple practice trick to get keepers to focus their eyes.

Take a ball you will train with and get a permanent marker. On every panel, write a large capital letter. Most balls have 32 panels and there are only 26 letters, so to make up the difference also use the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 (make sure to make your "one" and "letter i" look different).

Now, every time the keeper catches the ball, they must say aloud the letter facing them. This keeps the eyes locked in on the ball until well after the catch is secure.

This patented "Alpha-Ball" (not really, but I expect credit—and a small royalty—if you make a lot of money off this idea!) is a simple training tool for encouraging proper focus on the catch. Get your keepers into a good habit using this and I can almost guarantee fewer dropped balls.

Pushing yourself

2009-02-19T19:42:00.005-07:00

Last week I got a chance to hear Christie Rampone, the captain for the USA women's national team, speak at a tournament. One question she was asked was how hard it was to make it to the highest level of the sport.

Part of her answer was unexpected, but perhaps not surprising. Rampone tore her ACL in 2001 playing in the WUSA. She said one thing that really made her realize how hard she could push herself was doing the rehabilitation to come back from the injury.

Unexpected, because you don't expect someone to say an injury made them better. But not surprising, because if you've ever had to do it, you know that rehabbing a bad injury is far harder than anything you've ever done on the field.

I think the reason rehab really makes you push yourself is because you know where you have to get back to. You know the standard, and don't—can't— stop until you get there. If you are just training, you don't always have a good idea of how high you can go. And many set that invisible bar too low. If you get hurt, the bar is all too visible.

Are you really pushing yourself to be as good as you can, as a coach or as a player?

Goalkeeping overlooked

2009-02-08T14:47:00.003-07:00

David James laments the lack of top-flight English goalkeepers plying their trade in England in his Guardian column. He points out a couple of reasons why, reasons that prompted me to create JB Goalkeeping in the first place:

For a start there has always been a tendency for goalkeeping to be overlooked. It is often the last thing on anyone's list. I started my coaching badges two weeks ago, and I have to say it was a fair flick through to the back of the manual before there was anything on goalkeeping. I know there is a separate qualification for goalkeeping coaches but it seems indicative, to me, of a prevailing attitude toward the role.

The frustrating paradox is that coaching goalkeeping actually requires more resources than outfield positions. Unlike David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, who can practise at targets for hours on their own, for a keeper to practise anything other than kicking or throwing he needs other players. And not just any old player, either. To practise saving free-kicks you want a great free-kick taker. It is no coincidence that my best practise session comes at the end of the week when the rest of the team have a shooting competition. That one session always gets me in tune for a match

Over the course of a season of weekly goalkeeper sessions—12 or 13 of them—I would just be able to get through all the topics I felt needed to be covered, without much repetition. James is right that the resources needed for effective keeper training and development are significant. So rather than find the time and effort to put into it, it often simply gets ignored. It's a shame.

Goalkeeper Fitness

2009-01-26T19:18:00.002-07:00

Goalkeepers need to be in shape, just like the rest of the team. It's just that they need to be in a different kind of shape than field players.

Think about the motions of a soccer game. While field players are constantly jogging, then cruising at moderate speed, then sprinting five to occasionally 60 or 70 yards. Goalkeepers, on the other hand, spend a lot of time standing or walking, but then have to make quick 5-10 yard bursts and explosively jump and dive. Studies have shown that in a 90-minute professional match, a goalkeeper can travel up to 2 miles (3.2km), and much of that is going sideways or backwards.

Goalkeeping demands some aerobic capacity, but more quickness, agility and explosiveness. To be a top goalkeeper, you need to train these attributes. Going on a five-mile jog isn't the most effective use of your time. After building a moderate aerobic base, plyometrics, sprint training and strength training are where it's at.

More soon, but to get your started, a few great sites for keeper fitness are Keeper Skool (and the book available there, The G Code) and articles at Keeperstop.com. Also read this article at the Star Goalkeeper Academy site—coach Ryan Carr wrote a fantastic goalkeeper strength and conditioning manual available at Keeperstop.com.

The Basics

2009-01-12T14:55:00.002-07:00

When starting training at a camp or clinic, or with a goalkeeper I haven't worked with in a while, we almost always start with basics: footwork, hand position, catching easy balls. This is the case even with advanced goalkeepers.

Why? Because all players need to have sound fundamentals, and the only way to make sure that they are sound and consistent is repetition. The 80/20 rule is in effect: 80% (probably more, really) of your saves are the simple ones, so that's where you should focus most of your effort. Of course, you need to learn how to make and train for the other 20%. But wouldn't you rather save eight out of 10 goals, instead of only two, no matter how spectacular those two are?

What's important in a glove?

2008-12-14T10:17:00.002-07:00

A post over on BigSoccer asks,

how important is grip in terms of goalie gloves? If grip is not important, what is? Finally, from your experience with various gloves used in the past, what is the one issue you most commonly are faced with?

My reply:

"As a keeper coach, in conversation with literally hundreds of keepers, I find the two most important things most want in goalkeeper gloves are: 1. Grip, 2. Comfort; not necessarily in that order. Many keepers prioritize grip over comfort, others will sacrifice a little grip for a more comfortable fit.

"The biggest issue most keepers have with their gloves? Durability. This can be either the palm wearing out or losing grip quickly, or other parts of the glove falling apart around a still-usable palm."

I made this point back in 2005, but it bears repeating: a goalkeeper's glove is a very personal choice, just like their boots. The "best" glove for one keeper may not be a good choice for another. Take the time to try different brands and models (yes, I know too many of us can be "glove whores") and find what works for you.

The best?

2008-10-05T11:42:00.002-06:00

There is a poll over at the BigSoccer forum asking "who is the best goalkeeper in the world today?"

It's interesting to note that after more than 1600 responses, "other" appears to be leading by a nose over Buffon. I guess he poll is perhaps a bit out of date as it was originally posted in 2005, and there are up-and-coming keepers who have become established since then, but there is still a good bit of current discussion going on.

"Best" is, unfortunately, a misleading term, as well. Best what? Best shot-stopper? Best at organizing a defense? Most wins or success (which is dependent on the team in front of them)? I don't think anyone can be "best" at everything. Focus on making your strong points stronger, and minimizing your weaknesses. Not everything can be a strength.

Howard for Prez! Well, MVP, anyway.

2008-10-04T09:35:00.001-06:00

Tim Howard should be the man, writes Ives Galarcep. I concur.

How to win a silver medal

2008-08-23T20:20:00.003-06:00

The gold medal match in Beijing between Argentina and Nigeria was well played, if a bit slow due to the 100F+ (38C+) heat at the Bird's Nest stadium. Both teams created chances, although Argentina was aguably the better team throughout. After 90 minutes just one goal separated Argentina's gold from Nigeria's silver. I was disappointed to see that one goal happen primarily due to poor goalkeeping.

We have to remember, though, that the Olympics are essentially a U23 tournament. Goalkeepers often reach their peak far later than field players, so you might expect more mistakes from keepers in their late teens/early twenties. That said, the Nigerian keeper Ambruse Vanzekin was completely at sea for Angel di Maria's game-winner.

Those in the USA can see highlights here at NBCOlympics.com, with the goal starting at about 2:35. Messi springs di Maria with a beautiful ball, putting him in alone on the Nigerian netminder.

We don't see where Vanzekin was, but when the camera finally picks him up, he is at about the penalty spot, moving laterally across the penalty area towards di Maria who is coming down the left of center. By Vanzekin's position and movement, we can tell he is already out of position. His starting position is way off and he's in trouble already.

At this moment, di Maria is also about 12 yards from the top of the penalty area. He is quickly reaching shooting distance, and Vanzekin is caught in no-man's land: too far out to stop a chip, yet not close enough to shut down di Maria. In fact, the edge of the penalty area had become the Nigerian's barrier—even if he tries to close di Maria, he can't do so effectively because di Maria is still outside the area.

Watching live, as the Argentine neared the goal it was obvious to me that he would lob the Nigerian keeper ("He's gonna get chipped!" is what popped into my head), and that is exactly what happened. Skillfully executed by the striker, for sure, but set up by poor positioning by the goalkeeper. Terrible starting position put Vanzekin at a disadvantage from the very start of the play.

If he were to get another chance, as di Maria approached Vanzekin should have been moving back to, say, the top of the goal area and properly centered as if ready for a shot. Then, as di Maria approached the penalty area, the goalkeeper would time his run to start cutting the angle and meet the striker about 13-15 yards from the goal line, guarding against a chip or shot from distance until he could advance and challenge the attacker with the use of his hands.

Still, an Olympic silver medal is nothing to be ashamed of.

Well, it's a soccer ball, anyway...

2008-08-13T13:51:00.002-06:00

Only slightly to do with soccer and hilariously dated, but there is some "goalkeeping": The Commodores. Spotter's badge to Chewie over at The Glove Bag.

More than football

2008-07-16T21:50:00.004-06:00

To paraphrase Phil Jackson: There's more to life than football. There's also more to football than football.

West Ham keeper Rob Green went to Africa this summer for a charity that uses football to get its message across.

The most common mistakes

2008-07-13T16:19:00.002-06:00

What are the technical breakdowns that lead to the most goals given up by goalkepeers? Most people would probably say that the problem is with the hands when the keeper lets and easy one get through, or perhaps with the diving or parrying technique. I don't think so... in fact, I'd put "hands" third on the list of mistake-prone areas after these two:

Footwork. Many goals are allowed before the ball ever reaches the goalkeeper. With only split seconds to react, a keeper must be in the ready position before the shot is struck, if possible. It's hard to react and make a save when you are still moving. Footwork is also at fault for many diving and parrying miscues and for mishandled crosses—if the proper footwork isn't executed from the start, the resulting save will be much, much more difficult.
Eyes. It's the simplest thing in the world: watch the ball all the way into your hands until it's secured. It's also the simplest thing to forget. Take your eye off the ball a second too soon to look upfield, or look at that charging forward instead of the soccer ball, and the ball could be in the net.

So, my saying for keepers is, "Feet, Eyes, Hands". Get the feet set, have good footwork; focus your attention completely on the ball; then attack the ball with your hands.

Forward in all directions!

2008-06-27T18:12:00.002-06:00

Myself and other goalkeeper coaches preach stepping forward at an angle to make a diving save. Sometimes, when a keeper I'm training makes a mistake directly attributed to diving backwards, I'll jokingly say: "That's reason number 17 to dive forward!" While there may not be 17 reasons, there are at least a half-dozen advantages of stepping forward into the dive:

More speed and extension. The human body is designed to go forward, not backwards. A forward step allows the stepping leg to generate more speed and power, and potentially get to a ball that might have gotten by if going backwards.
Better catching angle. The "perfect" dive, one that is perpendicular to the flight of the ball, gets the hands in the optimum angle to make the catch. Any other angle means the ball is not coming square onto the hands, making it more difficult to catch.
Better angle of deflection. If the ball isn't held, a forward angle has a much better chance of propelling the ball away from goal or around the post. A backward angle may mean just pushing the ball into the side netting.
Covering more of the goal. Diving forward takes the keeper away from the line, which has the result of covering more of the goal mouth.
Going away from the post. A backwards dive can put the keeper at risk of colliding with the goalpost. The post will usually win. A forward dive takes the keeper away from potential collisions.
Room for error. Just like any other catch, we want to get the hands forward so that if there is any error in judgment, we have some leeway to adjust. A forward dive allows for that.

The next level

2008-06-26T20:39:00.003-06:00

What are the things that separate the top goalkeepers from the rest of the pack? Here are a few:

Handling crosses. This is a key and not easily mastered technique. Timing and judgement are everything.
Ability to play with feet. When I see players in a game without keepers, I shouldn't be able to tell who the goalkeeper is.
Communication skill. Is the goalkeeper specific, commanding and organized?

And, most important of all:

Mental toughness and attitude.

It is mentality that separates the best from the rest. How hard you work, how you handle failure, and how determined you are.

Outstanding athletes? A dime a dozen. Good shot stoppers? Everywhere. There are incredibly talented players everywhere who never made it anywhere.

"How hard you work has a lot more to do with success than we ordinarily imagine. Ability cannot be separated from effort."
� Malcolm Gladwell

Orange highlighter

2008-05-23T16:15:00.003-06:00

In this week's Champion's League final between Manchester United and Chelsea, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech wore a flourescent orange uniform:

One poster over at The Glove Bag wrote: "My brother sent me a text during the game saying 'Cech looks like a highlighter pen'". That was after some discussion about whether bright goalkeeper kits would influence strikers to hit the ball right at the keeper.

I've heard that theory bandied about for many years, but I've never seen any scientific study on it. I'm not convinced it makes much of a difference.

In fact, when I am playing striker, I want to see the keeper. My target is a specific area of the goal, where the keeper isn't... and to know where the keeper isn't, it stands to reason that I also need to know where the keeper is. My visual target is a "frame" formed by the ground, the crossbar, a post, and the keeper. I almost never look at the keeper directly, but I do see the keeper's body as a part of the target frame. A brightly outfitted keeper just makes that frame easier to distinguish against a mottled background.

Other strikers may, literally, see things differently, but particularly at the higher levels I don't think a bright goalkeeper kit has any big advantage. The keeper should wear whatever they feel is most comfortable and makes them the most confident.

Show or substance?

2008-05-06T20:52:00.003-06:00

Over on SoccerNet, Steve Davis writes:

"I can't quite endorse Colorado goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul and his theatrics, his unconventional and yet strangely successful methods, the silliness of "Bouna Time" and the other comedy that unfolds around the goal at DSG Park. But I'll say this: His high jinks make MLS a more interesting place."

I'll agree that Condoul makes things interesting. I saw him debut last year as a starter for the Rapids. Here's some footage of him recently against Kansas City, and even this brief glimpse lets you see a few, um, interesting plays. I have to say that I preferred Joe Cannon in the Colorado net.

Both keepers are quality, but the way they approach the task is quite different. Condoul is more flash, more showy but can occasionally make a big bone-headed mistake. Cannon might not get that one "Save of the Year" candidate, but he exudes an aura that nothing short of a brilliant shot will get past him.

Which kind of keeper are you? If you're a coach, which kind of keeper do you prefer? In the end it's personal preference, but I go more with the Cannon type. I want a goalkeeper who almost never lets in the stupid, soft goal. I don't want my defense constantly having to think about what is going to happen behind them. A defense that is confident in its goalkeeper, I think, will play better. In particular, they will feel able to support the attack more since they are confident that things are secure behind them.

In my opinion, goalkeepers ought to make the simplest save possible. Save the showy stuff for when it's really needed.