Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): FAW Goalkeepers Award - Diving

Starting Activity (5 mins)

Equipment: Goal, balls, cones.
1 coach to 2/3 goalkeepers, or goalkeepers working in pairs.

OBJECTIVE
Prepare the goalkeeper for diving sessions, encompassing low medium and hard dives, while emphasising technique and responsiveness

LOCATION
Conduct the warm-up inside the penalty area, positioning the goalkeeper near the penalty spot.

TIMING
Ensure the goalkeeper is reactive after the initial dive to replicate in-game scenarios.

EXECUTION
Begin on the knees to learn and refine proper diving technique.
Perform 3 repetitions of low dives, 3 repetitions of medium dives, and 3 repetitions of high dives.

METHOD
• Coach the goalkeeper to initiate the warmup by creating a figurative 8 pattern in their movement.
• Jump from one end of the figurative 8 to the opposite end for agility and balance.
• For low, medium or high dives, tailor the dive types based on coaching requests.
• Execute 3 sets of 2 dives for each category (low, medium, high).

ADAPTATIONS
Optionally, use handles or introduced 2 balls to enhance difficulty and coordination.

COACHING POINTS
• Instruct the goalkeeper to establish a barrier by position in the body behind the ball.
• Technique for low saves: create space for the hands to scoop the ball during low saves by bending the knee and not scooping over it.
• Angle coverage: Emphasise the importance of footwork in covering angles effectively.
• Forward momentum: Encourage the goalkeeper to lean forward, away from the goal to prepare for dives.

By structuring your goalkeeper warm-up session in this professional manner, you will effectively prepare your goalkeeper for different diving scenarios, focusing on both technique and responsiveness

Technical Activity - Low/Mid Dives (5 mins)

Equipment: Goal, balls.
1 coach to 2/3 goalkeepers, or goalkeepers working in pairs.

LOW/MID DIVE SAVES

Goalkeeper lies on his left side for 10 balls, and then swaps to lie on his right side for 10 balls.

Pass balls from 8 yards Into the keeper. Some towards the stomach/chest area, some to the where the face is, some to extend the arms as a catch, and some as a parry. Put a goal or other keepers behind the keeper side working to see his hands and collect missed/parried balls. Ensure basic handling technique into body, face, extended reach, catch and parry (saves with one hand).

COACHING POINTS:

• Make sure body shape is finishing forward of square position.
• Every catch other than a parry is a 2 hands on the ball catch.
• No top hand catches with lead hand off the ball.

PROGRESSION 1 (Low Saves)
Then from stood position look at the stance. Stand up not hunched low, relaxed, hand position in stance, as the ball is kicked the head and hands start to lead towards the ball and is the step to the ball correct (slightly forward and across, and the correct length step for where the ball is in relation to the keepers starting point). Serves should continue to be along the ground.

COACHING POINTS:
• Catch/hold the ball with 2 hands on the ball.
• Keep it in that place and let the body and legs come around the ball do not bring the ball to the body.

Make sure the goalkeeper doesn’t cheat, as they know where the ball is going so it’s a quick goalkeeper movement not an early anticipation and a flop slow dive.

Control the pace of service so the technique and the movement of the goalkeeper is correct. Pace of service and distance to the goalkeeper can be adjusted to increase or decrease difficulty. We are looking for the balance of good speed of service where the keeper doesn’t feel that they need to anticipate/gamble.

PROGRESSION 2 (Low Saves)
Finish by going to 18 yards (or edge of the penalty area depending on the size of pitch) and striking low balls at the keeper to simulate practicing live. Low delivery with a still ball to begin with on one side to begin with, then moving to any ball any side. Ensure quality of the serve you are serve and that the goalkeeper stays focused.

PROGRESSION 3 (Mid Saves)
The same drills as Progressions 1 and 2, but serves are delivered at mid height (between goalkeepers knee and chest) to each side.