Soccer Goalie Training Exercises

Soccer goalie training exercises are a crucial element for any aspiring netminder. Goalie training should focus on shot-stopping, dealing with high, crossed balls, and distribution. Repetition is the mother of skill, and soccer goalkeepers should perform training drills that involve 20 to 30 repetitions at a time of the skill being worked on. Incorporating a high number of repetitions into your soccer goalie training exercises will allow you to work on fitness.

Shot-Stopping

Shot stopping should be practiced by a goalkeeper facing a high number of shots from a particular spot, before moving on to another spot. For example, a sample soccer goalie training exercise for shot-stopping would have a goalkeeper stand in the goal and face 20 shots from a location 10 to 15 yards out, a couple of yards outside the left goalpost. The shots should come from varying power, heights and angles. Keep score in the drill to increase motivation, award the goalkeeper three points for a save and hold, two points for a deflected save and one point if the shot misses. Repeat the same drill from the center of the goal, and from a couple of yards outside the right goalpost. Progressions should be added to shot stopping practice to make the drill more game-realistic. You could add a player to deflect shots as they travel towards the goal, or have a player stand between the shooter and the goalkeeper, screening the vision of the goalkeeper and forcing him to adjust. The attacker can also follow in any deflected saves and treat them as live rebounds for the goalkeeper to deal with.

Crossed Balls

Crossed balls should be caught at the highest possible point by a goalkeeper. A soccer goalie training exercise that works well for crossed balls is to have 20 to 30 balls crossed in high from outside from different spots. Spots that balls should be crossed from to simulate a soccer game are the goal line, 10 yards from the goal line and 20 yards out. The drill should be performed with balls coming in from both sides. To make this soccer goalie training exercise more game-realistic, an attacker can be added. The attacker should challenge for the balls or physically obstruct the goalkeeper to get him accustomed to physical contact, something that will occur during a game.

Distribution

A soccer goalkeeper should practice distribution, as the ability to use the ball positively is crucial to a soccer goalkeeper. A goalkeeper who gives the ball away will do so in the defensive half and put his team under pressure. Atletico Santa Rosa Soccer Club advise that new attacks often begin with the goalkeeper, and NSCAA staff coach Roy Morris suggests practicing counterattack drills where play begins with the goalkeeper. The faster a goalkeeper is able to initiate a counterattack, then the less time the opposition team has to recover defensively.