Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on communication, organizing, breakaways and shot blocking.
This activity involves 7 field players and is a regular 5 v 2 game working on possession and defending from their perspective.
The keeper starts on the sideline and is working on organizing the two defenders and telling them what to do.
The keeper would use the same type of communication they would use in the game telling the defenders who should go to the player with the ball, where the play should be forced and also communicating with the supporting player. This type of communication is so important for successful goalkeeping but is something that is not worked on enough with most keepers.
As the keeper gets more comfortable with the communicating they become more involved with the play. Now the keeper is on the field of play and becomes the 3rd defender.
The keeper looks to intercept through balls (or chips) and also to attack bad touches and treat them as breakaways and win the ball. The emphasis should still be on communicating and organizing and diving would be considered a last resort (similar to the way it should be viewed for games).
The game can be organized a few different ways. Every loss of possession the player who lost the ball would become a defender and the defender who won it becomes an attacking player. Another option is the defender who has been on defense the longest becomes the attacker. A third way is for the two defenders to stay on defense for a set period of time (1-2 minutes) and then change based on time. The keeper always stays on defense.
This activity is a great way for the keeper to work on reading the game, organizing the defense, communicating and breakaways.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
