By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.
Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on a breakaway save and then getting back to save a chipped ball.
In a game, a keeper comes out and makes a breakaway save. Ideally, the keeper holds onto the ball and gets a moment to relax. The reality is, many saves in these situations result in a loose ball and a scramble. Keepers must be prepared for this situation.
In this activity we start with a keeper in goal and a server 30 yards out with a couple of balls.
The server starts by playing a ball into the 18. It can be a soft pass and is recreating a breakaway situation. The keeper comes out and dives for the ball.
The keeper has to get up and quickly get back as the server chips (or if he can’t chip well, tosses) a ball toward the cross bar.
The keeper can either get back quickly and catch it (which is difficult), get back quickly and lift the ball over the cross bar or get back quickly, dive and push the ball over the cross bar.
As soon as the keeper makes the second save, he gets up and comes out for the next “breakaway”.
Do this a total of 10 times from different angles. The keeper should be forced to slide out on different sides (so he doesn’t slide out for the ball 10 times on his right side) and use a drop step to each side as well.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
By Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.
