Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on seeing the whole field.
Start with half a field with a line down the middle. A keeper starts in goal and there are two teams of 2 in each half. There is a coach for each half just beyond midfield.
The teams on the right side start by playing 2 v 2 to goal. The keeper has to focus on that game while the other group rests. While the game is played on the right side, the coach from the left side holds up some fingers. The keeper, while focusing on the game on one side, has to keep calling out the number of fingers from the other side.. The coach would change the number of 15-30 seconds so the keeper has to keep checking (in the same way that the keeper would have to keep seeing the far side of the field while the ball is on the near side).
After a minute or two, the game switches so the teams on the left side are playing and the coach on the right side is holding up his fingers.
As the keeper gets accustomed to keeping an eye on the whole field, have the coaches start moving along the midfield line as well as down the sidelines so the keeper has to find the coach and call the numbers.
While it would be great if a keeper can simply use peripheral vision to see the entire field, in reality, most keepers will have to keep their “head on a swivel” to keep an eye on the entire field. This exercise will help the keeper accomplish this
Have a great day!
Lawrence
