By Anthony Hazelwood The following activity triggers players to attack or defend their opponent while going to goal. This activity is a line type of exercise with the soccer specific fitness target being player athletic development with the metabolic training adaptation being speed production. The time of action should be around 4 to 8 seconds’
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By Wayne Henderson - Goalkeepers need to be on their toes, alert and have a high level of focus at all times. This session involves quick movement, decision making and reaction speed. I frequently use this or a variation of this session with our 1st team Goalkeepers, because I think it replicates situations that occur
Continue readingBy Josh Jones-Keen - Reactions need to be one of a Goal Keepers top attributes. Sometimes proper technique goes out of the window and a save needs to be made, these drills can be used and adapted to push a Keeper to their limits and can be called upon in a match. Warm Up’s Head/Catch This
Continue readingBy Patrick Kasperitis -
Whenever a goalkeeper is making a save there are equal parts anticipation as reaction. Sometimes though the reaction side becomes the most pivotal of these two. Reaction saves are about concentration, body quickness, and at times creativity. Here we have two exercises. One that is a warm-up involving shuffling/jumping and working to improve the quickness of the hand movements. The second exercise deals with the possibility of deflections.
The Warm-up is set up as illustrated below.
- Server 5 meters away
- one hurdle in front of goalkeeper
Goalkeeper will perform footwork and then will receive ball. Goalkeeper does not know when the ball will be served. The Server has complete control over when the ball is played. They can do it after on repetition of the footwork or after 10! (Should probably vary it up but go no more than 3-5 repetitions without
Continue readingBy Lawrence Fine, Author of the FineSoccer Coaching Bible.
Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on reaction saves on close shots.
When we think about goalkeeping, and more specifically shot blocking, we think big goals and shots to the upper corners.
In this activity it’s close in shots with a keeper protecting a small goal.
Start with a goal that is
Continue readingBy Alex Trukan
This exercise involving finishing in the penalty box focuses on developing reaction and starting speed. Therefore, players improve physical component in the engaging and fun practice what stimulates their interest and motivation. The content of this practice is especially relevant for strikers, however it will benefit any player in the penalty area who needs to react quickly in order to score a goal.
Set up and directions
Organise 5 players (the numbers are flexible) around the penalty box with two balls each, two players in the penalty box without the ball and a goalkeeper in the goal. Each outside player should be given a number. Also smaller area marked out by cones can be used. Recommended minimal amount of outside players is three.
As the coach shouts a number, relevant outside player plays the ball into the penalty box. The pass can be
Continue readingBy Ioakim Ioakim
This is an amazing exercise to improve the players speed in all of its forms (reaction speed, maximum speed, speed endurance, fast decision making and finishing. It is fun and they will love it.
Set up and instructions
Create a 20x10 meters area and place 8 colourful cones on the side lines every 5 meters (use max 4 colours) next to each cone place a ball. Place two goal posts and the players standing on the side of them, you, as a coach pick a spot that you can monitor the exercise best (Figure 1).
The exercise starts when the coach shouts a colour, then the attacking player runs for the ball that is placed next to that cone. At the same moment the defender
Continue readingBy Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach
Individual and Small Group Defending; Dribbling to Beat and Opponent; Speed of Reaction and Developing Anaerobic Capacity
Today’s activity focuses on a number parameters, including individual and small group defending; 1 v 1 attacking; speed of reaction; and anaerobic endurance. It is an exercise I like to use during the competitive or in-season as it allows me to ‘kill many birds with one stone’.
Set-Up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of 4 (or 8) and set up the following station for each group: Create a grid 20 yards wide and 20 yards long. Place a small goal (1.5 yards wide) on each side of the grid so that the goals are in line with the centre of the area. Have one player stand beside each goal with a ball at their feet. Give each player a different number between 1 and 4 (Figure 1).
When ready, the coach will call two numbers. The first number called will be the attacker and the second number called will
Continue readingWelcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on reading the game and anticipating shots.
When training keepers we frequently put them in a situation where they know a shot is coming. In many cases, not only do they know when the shot is coming but also from where. To allow the keeper to work on this we can play a 4 v 4 (any numbers really would work) possession game using the width of the 6 as one set of boundaries and the penalty spot to the top of the D as the other set of boundaries. A keeper is in goal.
Whichever team has the ball must make 3 consecutive passes and at that
How quick a player recognizes a situation and reacts accordingly is frequently the difference between the good player and the great player. One way to work on a players vision, decision making and reactions is a simple dribbling exercise. If you have 14 players in your training session have them start around a 30 yard
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