What this session is about

1.  Goalkeeper coming to catch crosses.
2.  Decision making on whether to come and catch or to let the defenders clear the ball.
3.  Building a relationship and understanding between the defenders and the goalkeeper.

 

What to think about

• Giving the goal area zones and guidelines for the goalkeeper on where he should be coming to catch will improve decision making and game awareness.
• The goalkeeper needs to communicate loudly and quickly to defenders with calls such as: “keeper’s” or “away”. This will remove indecision in the defence.
• If the goalkeeper cannot catch the ball then he should punch it away.
• The goalkeeper must not be a super hero. He should only go to catch if he is certain of holding the ball. If not, he should stay on his line and let the defenders win the ball. Even if the defenders lose the header there is still the chance to save a shot or header.

 

Set-up

Use a 50 yards long by 40 yards wide area for all three practices.

Warm up	Session	Development	Game Situation	Warm Down
10 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes	5 minutes

 

What you get your players to do

The coach should mark out a second six-yard box outside the normal one. This will give the goalkeeper two zones. The normal six-yard box is zone 1 and the second box is zone 2. Anywhere outside these zones is zone 3.

Zone 1 = catching zone. Zone 2 = decision to be made. Zone 3 = stay on your line.

The outfield players place themselves randomly around the pitch with a ball each. On the coach’s call, a player crosses the ball into the box.

The players are allowed to use in-swinging, out-swinging, low or diagonal crosses to give the goalkeeper random balls to catch or leave depending on which zone the ball arrives.