Goalkeeper: set position and W catch
Transcript
Keepers, a clean catch starts before the ball is thrown. Here's how. Warm up first. You need a goal, gloves if you have them, and a friend with a ball, six metres out. Watch. Your friend throws at chest or face height, you catch it and roll it back. Now from the side. First, get set before the throw, feet apart, knees soft, hands ready. Then, hands up together, make a W behind the ball and pull it into your chest. Not this, stiff straight arms. Our target is three sets of ten catches, on soft grass. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
The goalkeeper's basic catch: be set before the ball is thrown, then catch it out in front of your face with your hands in a W and bring it into your chest. The set position and the W follow The FA's youth goalkeeping guide.
Set up
- A goal, or 2 cones
- Gloves (optional)
- A friend with a ball
- 6 m apart
How it works
- Warm up first. Stand a step or two in front of a goal (or two cones about 4 m apart) on soft, flat grass. Wear gloves if you have them.
- Your friend stands 6 m away (5-8 m works) and throws at a steady pace, straight at you, between chest and face height.
- Get set before every throw. Catch it in a W out in front of your face and pull it into your chest.
- Roll it back along the ground. Do 3 sets of 10 catches (our target), with a short rest between sets.
Coaching points
- Get set before the throw. Be set before every throw: feet just wider than your shoulders, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of your feet, hands out in front with fingers open, eyes on the ball.
- Make a W behind it. Raise both hands together and meet the ball out in front of your face. Spread your fingers in a W behind it, thumbs close but not overlapping, elbows soft, then pull it into your chest.
Not this
Reaching with stiff, straight arms: the ball bounces off your hands. Keep your elbows slightly bent so they cushion the ball, then bring it in.
Dose
- 3 sets of 10 catches
- Soft grass, no diving
Our target: 3 sets of 10 catches. From 9: 2 sets of 5 kneeling collapse saves each side. Both are our targets, not FA rules.
Harder / Easier
Harder
Your friend mixes chest and face height, or throws a little to one side so you move your feet first. From 9, on soft grass only, add the kneeling collapse save: kneel up, your friend rolls the ball a metre to one side, and you fall onto your side, hands on the ball first.
Easier
Kneel on soft grass and catch gentle throws (FIFA's kneeling catch), or stand 4 m apart with softer throws. Younger players can use a smaller size 3 ball.
Safety
- Warm up first. Soft, flat grass, never a road or hard ground.
- No diving in this drill: stay on your feet. The collapse save starts from kneeling, on soft grass only.
- The thrower keeps a steady pace and never throws hard at the face. Gloves help if you have them. If your fingers or wrists hurt, stop and tell an adult.
- Any goal must be pegged or weighted down. Never climb, swing or hang on it.
- If the ball hits your head or face, stop. If in doubt, sit them out: a suspected concussion means stop straight away, no training for at least 24 hours and no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
Sources
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
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