Goalkeeping drill: Stop and Distribute

-October 1, 2024

Enhance your goalkeeper’s shot-stopping and distribution skills with this dynamic goalkeeping drill. The goalkeeper will face rapid shots and focus on distributing the ball accurately to targets, simulating real-game scenarios to boost reflexes, positioning, and quick decision-making.

Setup

You will need to use one of the goals of an 11-aside field or a portable full-size goal and enough space. In addition, you need at least 12 balls, small goals, and cones to mark shooting stations. Set the small goals just outside each corner of the penalty box, in the position where a fullback would start running. Mark the shooting stations using the cones by setting them inside the penalty box about half a meter inside the box, as shown in the picture.

This drill is inspired by the English team training session in the video at the bottom of the post. It is designed for 3 players and a goalkeeper.

Instructions

This goalkeeping drill focuses on goalkeeping techniques related to shot-stopping, positioning, and distribution. We like to gamify drills to keep the intensity high and make them fun, so this drill is a competition among all participants. Here’s a breakdown of the key elements:

There are three players: two shooters and the goalkeeper.
There are two phases of the game:
- The goalkeeper stops and controls the shot.
- The goalkeeper distributes the ball (throwing the ball with their hand and scoring the small goals).
Players can kick at the goal from the ground or use a drop-kick for more power.
Players must wait for the goalkeeper to have their hands empty to shoot.
Before shooting, players must shout out their names to take a turn.
A shooting player can kick at goal if the goalkeeper doesn’t hold the ball and the rebound gets close to their shooting station.
The player with more points at the end of a set time (e.g., 10 minutes) wins:
- A goalkeeper stop is 1 point for the goalie
- If the goalkeeper retains the ball and gets it inside one of the small goals, they receive another point.
- Each goal scored is 1 point for the shooting player.
- If two players kick at the goal simultaneously, both players are penalized 1 point for lack of communication.
- If players shoot without shouting their name, they are penalized 1 point.
- If players shoot while the goalkeeper still holds a ball, they are penalized 1 point.

If you gamify this drill as we describe, have a practice round the first time you run it. The rules may be a bit tricky to follow the first time. You may also want to change the rules or how you penalize or reward each action.

Takeaways

This drill will improve your goalkeeper distribution technique. However, this routine also covers other goalkeeping and field skills. For example, your field players will practice scoring from crossings. In summary, this exercise will improve:

Shot-Stopping and Reflexes: The goalkeeper must react quickly to shots from different angles and distances.
Goalkeeper Positioning: The goalkeeper constantly adjusts their stance based on where the shot is coming from.
Recovery and Distribution: After making a save, the goalkeeper practices rapid recovery and distributes the ball accurately to a target, simulating in-game situations where goalkeepers must restart play after making saves.
Improved Decision-Making Under Pressure: This drill helps goalkeepers make fast, accurate decisions under pressure. By practising shot-stopping and distribution in rapid succession, goalkeepers develop the ability to assess game situations quickly and respond with precision, a crucial skill during competitive matches.
Team Communication: Players must communicate to have a chance at scoring, which will help with communication during games. It will also help the goalkeeper to pay attention to instructions from defenders or opposition players during a real game.
Increased Fitness and Conditioning: This game’s fast-paced, high-intensity nature ensures that the goalkeeper is constantly moving, which enhances their stamina and speed, critical attributes for match fitness.

We’d love to hear how this drill benefits your team. Please share your experiences and modifications on our Facebook page or tag us in your training videos.

Pablo Matamoros

I am a software engineer with 25+ years of experience across diverse industries. I've climbed the corporate leader over the years, which has some benefits but means I moved away from my love for tinkering with technology. So, I build the odd website or application to keep learning and stay in touch with technology. FootballTechniques allows me to combine my programming knowledge with my passion for football.

To find out more about my professional experience, visit PabloMatamoros.com