"Youth Soccer Goalkeepers - 'Handling Crosses'(Part 1)"
By Don Williams, USSF A license
Former "A" League GK coach with Bay Area Seals
One of the problems I see most often with goalkeeper is how they handle crosses. goalkeepers either chase them down like a drunk chasing a balloon or stay on their line and let everyone else deal with them. Which brings up a question.
Why is a goal goalkeeper like Dracula? Because their both afraid of crosses.
Teaching goalkeepers to deal with crosses is a multi step process. The warm-up. Always use the 6 yard box for training crosses. The goalkeepers need this for a reference point. Lay out 5 cones around the 6. (see diagram)
The goalkeeper begins by standing just in front of the goal line, runs and jumps for an imaginary ball that is being crossed into each of the 5 cones. First the goalkeeper practices dealing with crosses from the right and then with crosses from the left. Have the goalkeeper practice from each side 3 times and have them stretch in between turns.
Coaching points:
- Stance. The goalkeeper should always have an "open stance" in other words an "open" body position so that they can easily see the whole field. Never should the goalkeeper be only facing the ball. An "open stance will allow the goalkeeper to more easily run in any direction to hunt down a cross anywhere in the 6 yard box.
- Calling "goalkeeper". It's crucial that the call "goalkeeper" be loud and early. Calling "goalkeeper" early allows the defenders time to react. Also most attackers will back off if they hear the goalkeeper call for the ball.
- Long last step. Upon takeoff the goalkeeper will need to use their last step as leverage by making it a very long last step. Much as an Olympic pole vaulter reaches way out to plant the pole for leverage. For goalkeepers the leg reaching out allows them to fly up high instead of a long way forward.
- Protection knee. The knee that is closest to the field will need to come up for protection from on rushing attackers. It also helps the goalkeeper to jump higher. Using an imaginary ball may make the goalkeeper feel silly at first but it's important that the goalkeeper just focus on the jumping technique. As you can see by my coaching points there is allot for the goalkeeper to think about until the technique becomes natural. The ball only makes things more complicated.
In my up coming articles we'll introduce the ball and move through
a 1 + 1, 1 v 1, small sided games and a scrimmage. All dealing with crosses.
Good Luck in training,
Your FUNdamental GK Coach
Don Williams
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