Les Sparks Goalkeeping Drill Page - Catching Drills for Keepers

      The goal keeper is the only player on the field allowed to catch the ball. The ability to catch the ball is the key to making the easy save. A key part of catching technique is absorbing the shock of the shot.

Step 1. Catching with one hand

      Open practice by catching with one hand. Throw to the keeper's right then to the left. The keeper should concentrate on making contact with the ball early and then absorbing the shock The keeper should really exaggerate the movement of absorbing the shoot. The coach should make sure that the keeper's feet and body remain square to the field.

     The drill will help the keeper develop soft hands and the habit of keeping her body square to the field.

Step 2. Catching with two hands

      After warming up with one hand catching, the keeper moves to two hand catching. Coach the keeper to catch the ball in front of her body and absorb the shock. Exaggerate the movement of absorbing the shock.

      EVERY TIME the keeper catches the ball have her stop and check her hands. They should be in a W shape with her index fingers moved slightly in so that a lot of her hand is behind the ball. If the hand position is not correct, she should make the correction before she returns the ball to the coach.

      In all these drills the coach should start with easy passes. Then add pace to the tosses to the keeper.

Hope you find these useful.

Another Catching Drill
for Goalkeepers

This is another one handed drill for improving keeper catching skills.

This is a good drill for two keepers. The two keepers face each other. One keeper has a ball in her right hand and the other has a ball in her left hand. The keepers then simultaneously toss the ball to their partner's opposite hand so that the ball thrown with on keeper's right hand is caught with the partner's left hand. The keepers should concentrate on absorbing the shock.

At first the two keepers run the drill at a slow pace and concentrate on technique. Later they pick up the pace to make the play instinctive.

A variation is to make a game of one handed catching where the two keepers throw the ball hard to try and make each other bobble the ball. The winner is the one with the fewest bobbles. Make sure that they use both hand.

If there is only one keeper, she can toss the ball against a wall.

More Catching Drills

This drills is provided by George Lasher.

This is a variation of a drill that I learned in a Long Island Junior Soccer league "B" level coaches course.

The object of the drill is to catch the ball while maintain concentration. The drill progresses from simple to difficult as the keeper increases her skill.

1. Toss the ball into the air and catch with a W over the head. Simple right.

2. Throw the ball overhead, touch the ground and then catch the ball. The trick is to keep your eye on the ball at all times.

3. Once 2 is mastered. Throw the ball, spin around, touch the ground and catch the ball. Not so simple.

4. Sit on the ground, toss the ball, get up and catch over head.

5. Lie on the ground, toss the ball, get up, catch overhead.

You can add almost infinite variations.

Thanks George.