Dealing With the Diagonal Ball

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on defending a diagonal ball and staying on balance.

Start with a player with a ball just outside the 18 on a slight angle (even with a goal post) and a second player a little further back but more toward the middle of the field. A keeper is in goal.

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The keeper has to cut off the angle, in case there is a shot. The player with the ball has two options. He can shoot directly goal.

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Or he can make a diagonal pass to the runner who would hit a first time shot.

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The difficulty, for the keeper, in this diagonal pass and then shot is the keeper has to readjust his positioning and as he moves to his side it’s difficult if the shooter hits the shot to the other corner.

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It’s very easy for the keeper to get ‘wrong footed” which is when he is leaning one direction and has to quickly change direction and go in the other direction.

The best way to prevent getting wrong footed is to work on this change of direction by training for the diagonal ball to the diagonal runner.

You will want to do this from various angles so the keeper can be prepared for this situation in a real game.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.

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