101 Goalkeeper Training Practices

By Andy Elleray

In 101 Goalkeeper Training Practices, goalkeeping coach Andy Elleray follows up his previous trilogy of goalkeeping books to provide fellow football coaches and goalkeepers with a wide variety of new practices that cover many aspects of goalkeeping. Practices are broken down into three areas: working with an individual goalkeeper, small groups of goalkeepers training together, and fuller team-based exercises. The overall intention is to provide realistic, varied, relevant, and innovative practices that stimulate the goalkeeper in every element of their game and performance.

The goalkeeper training exercises in the book – illustrated with colour diagrams – focus on five main viewpoints – technical, tactical, psychological, physical, and social/environmental. Each practice is weighted to develop these elements to greater and lesser degrees, and exercises include 1v1 techniques, decision making, shot stopping from different angles/distances, travelling around the goalmouth, re-positioning, cutback scenarios, and more. There are also sections on key coaching observations and how to progress/regress the practices.

All the listed practices are real-world and have been used at a variety of levels within football to enhance goalkeeper development of all ages. They can all be adapted based on the numbers of players and resources available to the coach, while fundamental factors such as time and space allow the coach to be creative with how the exercises are implemented. The variety of practices and exercises will provide goalkeepers at all levels with the opportunity to hone their skills and not just become a brilliant protector of the goal, but also the 11th player on the ball – a prominent member of their team’s strategy and dynamic.

About The Author: Andy Elleray is a goalkeeping coach who also specializes in performance analysis and sports science. His former clubs include Cheltenham Town, Liverpool and Chelsea, working at different levels, and in a variety of roles. He is currently responsible for the goalkeeping development at Birmingham City Women Football Club where he works at all levels of the club with youth international goalkeepers in the female game. Andy also coaches in the boy's academy at Birmingham City where he works with young goalkeepers in the club's pre-academy and full academy programmes. He is also involved in different regional and youth international coaching environments. Holding UEFA qualifications, Youth Awards, and a Master’s degree, Andy blends different approaches into his current coaching projects.

Andy is the author of the previously published titles: Scientific Approaches to Goalkeeping in Football, 65 Goalkeeper Training Exercises, and 50 More Goalkeeper Training Exercises.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bennion Kearny
• Release date: Apr 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781910773703

Book preview

101 Goalkeeper Training Practices

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Andy Elleray

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[Smashwords Edition]

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An imprint of Bennion Kearny

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Published in 2018 by Oakamoor Publishing, an imprint of Bennion Kearny Limited.

ISBN: 978-1-910773-70-3

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Oakamoor Publishing has endeavoured to provide trademark information about all the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Oakamoor Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Published by Oakamoor Publishing, an imprint of Bennion Kearny Limited, 6 Woodside, Churnet View Road, Oakamoor, Staffordshire, ST10 3AE

www.BennionKearny.com

Cover images: 103tnn/stock.adobe.com; kurkalukas/stock.adobe.com

Table of Contents

Title Page

About the Author

Introduction

Diving Mechanics

Hand shapes and when to use the different types

Body position (head and hips/footwork)

How GKs should communicate with defenders

Warm-ups

Individual Goalkeeper Practices

1 | Warm-up – general mobility and basic handling.

2 | Warm-up – handling and distribution actions.

3 | Defending the goal on the angle.

4 | Defending the goal on the angle – with central option.

5 | Travelling across the goal – coverage of different distances.

6 | Distribution with angled shot stopping/recovery saves.

7 | Distribution with central shot stopping.

8 | General handling techniques incorporating 1v1 situations.

9 | Cut backs, reflexes/reactions, and counter attacks.

10 | Warm-up – focusing on dive techniques.

11 | Warm-up – focusing on handling, general activation, and footwork.

12 | Reflex work with a focus on saving on the move/reacting to different ball flights and trajectories.

13 | Long range shot stopping – variations of start positions and ball movement.

14 | First touch and passing variations.

15 | 1v1 and close-range save techniques – focus on blocking and leg saves.

16 | Saves from 4-8 yards – focussing on reaction and agility.

17 | Saves from 4-8 yards – focussing on reaction and agility.

18 | Shot stopping work where the GK is out of position.

19 | General handling techniques with a big emphasis on efficiency of footwork and movement patterns.

20 | Close-range shot stopping with a focus on agility, and the ability to generate force from a standing stance.

Group Goalkeeper Practices

21 | One touch passing incorporating handling techniques.

22 | Handling and footwork.

23 | Handling techniques and travelling over short distances.

24 | Footwork and co-ordination warm-up incorporating saving techniques.

25 | Technical diving repetitions, and general handling.

26 | Footwork patterns and varied handling opportunities.

27 | Moving into line with balls and varying heights, and a focus on movement adaptability/athleticism.

28 | Speed and reaction warm-up – cognitive and physical.

29 | Handling warm-up and short-range footwork patterns.

30 | General physical warm-up incorporating hand and leg saves.

31 | Basic technical repetition including short footwork patterns.

32 | Judging the trajectory and flight of balls from different angles.

33 | Technical repetition of different techniques from varying distances and angles.

34 | Handling techniques and short/medium-range passing.

35 | Receiving and passing over short distances and short-range shot stopping.

36 | Receiving, passing, and general handling.

37 | Lateral footwork and handling techniques.

38 | Handling techniques with general movement patterns.

39 | Diving actions and defending the goal.

40 | Footwork activation and handling warm-up.

41 | Saving techniques within a 4-yard goal.

42 | Defending the goal – reaction saves and physical adaptation.

43 | Physical and technical adaptability around the goalmouth.

44 | Receiving and passing – incorporating general handling techniques.

45 | Technical responses to different types of attempt on goal.

46 | Bouncing ball judgement and jump mechanics – incorporating angled shot stopping.

47 | Dynamic warm-up featuring footwork patterns and handling.

48 | Receiving and passing with basic crossing situations.

49 | Warm-up and activation grid – relevant GK actions and movement patterns.

50 | Technical repetitions warm-up.

51 | Handling and diving repetitions.

52 | Medium-range passing – incorporating handling techniques.

53 | Medium-range passing – incorporating defending the goal.

54 | Handling techniques with a focus on fast decision making.

55 | Travelling/covering the goal mouth while responding to different shot positions.

56 | Jump mechanics and high ball assessment – incorporating shot stopping.

57 | Passing and ball control – incorporating shot stopping.

58 | General handling techniques.

59 | Distribution methods – incorporating defending the goal.

60 | Defending the area or the goal from central positions.

61 | Speed and mobility warm-up focusing on diving actions.

62 | Handling opportunities with a ‘set position’ focus.

63 | Footwork activation and general handling.

64 | Footwork activation and general handling.

65 | General handling – incorporating speed and agility.

66 | General handling – incorporating speed and agility.

67 | Short footwork patterns with general handling.

68 | Handling and diving warm-up.

69 | Handling and diving warm-up.

70 | Passing and receiving warm-up – with a focus on different passing ranges.

71 | Striker and ball assessment visual warm-up

Team-Based Goalkeeper Practices

72 | Finishing with attackers – from wide angles.

73 | Combination plays from around the penalty box – different types of entries and approaches.

74 | Short and long-range saving techniques.

75 | Defending the area, or the goal, during combination play.

76 | Defending the goal – quick changes of ball movement and attempts on goal through bodies.

77 | General shot stopping from different distances.

78 | General shot stopping from different distances and angles.

79 | Reaction saves and protecting the goal from first time finishes – 1-6 yards.

80 | Defending the goal against quick combination play and cutbacks.

81 | Central shot stopping and defending the goal from volleys.

82 | Cut back situations – incorporating potential 1v1s.

83 | Small-sided Game – GK initiating the attack.

84 | Small-sided game – GK initiating the attack with a focus on wide areas.

85 | Shot stopping scenarios within the penalty area.

86 | General handling and movement patterns.

87 | Reaction saves and loose ball assessment.

88 | Cut back situations and lateral movement across the goal area.

89 | Quick fire shooting and reaction save situations.

90 | Distribution methods incorporating shot stopping from 14+ yards.

91 | Distribution methods and defending the area/defending the goal.

92 | Starting attacks in a small-sided possession practice.

93 | Shot stopping scenarios with a focus on communication/information.

94 | Defending the goal against volleys and half volleys.

95 | Crossing scenarios with medium to long-range passing built in.

96 | Defending the area and the goal in 1v1 scenarios.

97 | Crossing and reaction saves – defending the goal to make big saves.

98 | Maintaining possession under pressure and in tight areas.

99 | Maintaining possession and building attacks – using the whole width of the playing area to bring in different support positions.

100 | General shot stopping and the prevention of goal scoring opportunities.

101 | Balls played across the box – when to engage/when to defend the goal.

Other Coaching Books from Bennion Kearny

About the Author

Andy Elleray has been working in the goalkeeping world since the age of 14 and playing in goal since the age of seven. Over the years, his goalkeeping passion has seen him represent England’s Blind Football team playing as the sighted goalkeeper as well as working at such clubs as Liverpool and Chelsea in a goalkeeping capacity. He has studied coaching and performance analysis for many years and has a Master’s degree in Sports Coaching along with high level FA and UEFA qualifications.

Andy released his first book – Scientific Approaches to Goalkeeping in Football – in March 2013 and it aimed to invoke innovative thinking behind the position and investigate areas such as psychology, biomechanics, performance analysis and practice strictures amongst others. With selected exercises taken from his first book, 65 Goalkeeper Training Exercises was published in 2017 and promotes different games within a goalkeeping environment in a quick and easy format. In 2018, Andy releases his follow-up: 50 More Goalkeeper Training Exercises.

   Goalkeeper Training Exercises for Soccer    50 More Goalkeeping Exercises

Over the past five years, Andy has been working in Women’s football as Head of Goalkeeping Development at Birmingham City Ladies alongside the women’s international age group teams and the regional excellence pathway – while also holding a position as academy goalkeeping coach at the boy’s side of the club.

Introduction

This third volume of goalkeeping training exercises focuses on two extremes on the goalkeeper-coaching spectrum: working with one goalkeeper, and then the goalkeepers working with the team (where the main emphasis is on outcomes). Although at times, the goalkeeper in the team environment isn’t thought about enough (or planned for) by coaches, the suggestions here will directly translate into team-based objectives as well.

The first section of the book will showcase training exercises designed for just one goalkeeper working with one coach. Like previous books, the exercises will look to develop different skills and attributes that the goalkeeper needs to be proficient in, during a match. For clubs or environments without a dedicated goalkeeping coach, these practices will be valuable to give your goalkeeper the extra bit of training they require to enhance their performance. Also, for parents who have a child that plays (or is aspiring to play) in goal, these exercises can help set the scene and provide skills work that will allow them to improve in a variety of different areas.

The idea is to look to recreate and replicate game situations – this might include movements around the goalmouth, recovery saves, and less prescribed handling practices involving high amounts of decision making. Of course, with one goalkeeper, the amount of repetitive practice will be high which will give the goalkeeper plenty of opportunities to work on certain areas of their performance. In the diagrams, equipment such as mannequins can be replaced with poles or cones if not available – mannequins are used to act as bodies, vision blockers, and for deflections.

In the learning detail section, the tactical and social/environmental elements will be taken out for most of the practices. Not because they’re not important but because most of the messages are the same. These would include building in distribution after handling elements where appropriate, being in realistic match positions, for the goalkeeper’s work to operate at the appropriate intensity (novice vs. elite), and for the coaching environment to be pitched at where the goalkeeper needs it to be, based upon their stage of development.

The second section will go through a series of practices designed for a group of goalkeepers to work on a variety of different attributes – some of these range from basic warm-ups to more