Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): 4 activities to help goalkeepers communicate with teams

Profile Summary

Name:	Gerry Montague
City:	New Jersey
Country:	United States of America
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Basic level game

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Basic level game

One goalkeeper stands behind several field players all facing same direction, there are no balls in play to start.

The goalkeeper tells the team what they need to do:

> Shift left or right

> Step up

> Drop back, etc.

The purpose behind the activity is helping the goalkeeper learn how to communicate loudly, clearly and effectively. They need to be able to be heard and understood by all their teammates and need to know how to get the actions needed. For example, volume denotes urgency, do players respond? When the GK yells "push up", do defenders jog forward or sprint to put pressure on the ball?

PROGRESSION:

Coach (C) passes ball to passive attackers in wide positions.

Goalkeeper directs team to slide left or slide right, pressure the ball

Players do not look to win ball from passive attackers - only adjust positions based on clear directions from the goalkeeper.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Intermediate level game

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Intermediate level game

Create 50x25 field, teams play 4v4 up to 7v7 with one goalkeeper in an 8x8 central grid.

Goal of the game is dribble ball over opposite end line to score but ball needs to go through the goalkeeper in order to advance. The goalkeeper cannot be a passive player, they need to demand the ball.

Limit all players to 2 or 3 touches, demand every ball is played on the floor. Goalkeeper is required to call for passes and should be actively moving around the area, not standing centrally waiting for the ball. Field players may not enter the central grid where the goalkeeper is playing.

Coaching Points:

1. Goalkeeper communication & organization

2. Developing goalkeeper's ability to play with their feet - simulates backpass situations

3. Goalkeeper constantly connected to the rest of the team

Variations:

1. Balls driven into goalkeeper's hands then goalkeeper distributes by bowling or throwing

2. Add full-sized goals to either end and train 3 goalkeepers simultaneously, rotate them during exercise.

3. Field players can enter central grid and pressure goalkeeper

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Advanced game

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Advanced game

Small field with 4 small goals, the goalkeeper can play in the area between the goals but cannot come onto the field or defend either goal.

Teams play 4v4 up through 8v8 based on number of players and size of the field. The goalkeeper cannot defend, they can only communicate and organize the defenders based on what they see on the field. They can receive back passes from teammates when in possession of the ball but the rest of their involvement is verbal only.

Do goalkeeper give specific, correct, timely info?

Do they ball watch or do they organize the ball and what is happening on the non-ball side?

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): Advanced game 2

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Advanced game 2

Organizing the Back Post Exercise

Can be played going to 1 or 2 goals but should replicate match conditions. The goal of the game is to ensure the goalkeeper is seeing and organizing everything in front of them, not just ball watching. There are 2 zones, the green zone which represents what is directly in front of the goalkeeper and is easy to see and a blue zone that represents the rest of the 180 degree field of view which isn't always seen.

The goal of the activity is to get goalkeepers to communicate and organize all players. A coach should stand in the back of goal with a couple of different colored cones or training bibs, as play is developing on one side of the field, the coach should hold up a cone or bib at the opposite post and ask the goalkeeper what color it is. This forces the goalkeeper to continually look across both sides of the field.

Progress by holding up cones / bibs but don't inform the goalkeeper, see if they notice. Once the goalkeeper begins to do that without being asked, have them begin to communicate with and organize the non ball side defenders, help them develop a 180 degree field of view.