Here is a session of four exercises aimed at helping the goalkeeper to acquire the concept of not “magnetizing” with the ball and referencing on goal whenever there is no possibility of playing for a 1v1 situation. The exercises evolve from less to more complex but always ensure that the goalkeeper has the option to follow the ball, thus forcing him to avoid this behavior and think about positioning over the goal.
This type of behavior is seen every day in professionals as well as in children and adolescents. The situations of lateral crosses, through passes to lateral lane, dribblings… are all prone to displace the goalkeeper by the ball’s movement. In our case, we have opted to design a specific session to improve this concept in front of close-range diagonal shooting situations preceded by a drop-back. These are prevalent situations often prompted by a transition, a ball to the back, a through pass behind the defense, etc.
As you will see, not much material is needed to develop them. Still, the task is predominantly conditioned by the location of the rest of the elements of the task’s internal structure, and above all, our behavior as the goalkeeping coach. Our figure can increase or decrease the difficulty of the exercise through our own and the ball’s movement. We must understand how we can change the feeling of the goalkeeper to chase the ball in order to adapt to his level and needs. Evolving from static situations with slow dynamic conditions in which the goalkeeper drops back at the same time as the ball moves, is essential to develop his options towards the real situations that occur during the competition.
