Goalkeeping Hand Positioning

Writing by Forbze on Thursday, 1 of May , 2008 at 1:18 pm

A basic step often neglected, catching the ball and positioning of your hands is one of the most basic and fundamental techniques that a goalkeeper should learn. Good hands can make a difference between a average goalkeeper, who drops the ball every now and then and concedes an easy goal, and a excellent keeper who holds on to all the shots that he needs to.

Later, I’ll post about catching vs. parrying / punching, but for now, we’ll look at the following techniques used to handle varying types of shot.

  • Catching High shots / crosses above the head
  • Catching Mid-range shots
  • Stopping Low shots
  • Diving and stopping the ball

Catching high shots and crosses

Catching high shots and crosses that make you stretch is an area that I troubled with as a youngster. Taking my eyes off the ball too early, not being aware how far off my line I was, and various other things were all contributing to me being able to hold on to crosses, and dropping high shots.

There are a couple of points that keepers should remember when catching high balls.

Keep your eyes on the ball – When catching the ball, keep your eyes on the ball. Be aware of the players around you, but don’t be distracted from the flight of the ball. Often on windy days, or in different types of weather, the ball will take a different flight to other days. Ensure that you watch the ball straight from the kickers foot, untill it’s safe in your chest with your arms around it.

Aim for the top of the ball – If you try to catch the upper two thirds of the ball, and you do drop the ball, it’s going to fall infront of you, and not behind you in to the goal / strikers feet.

Give a big yell – to let your defenders around you know that you are claiming the ball (and also scare off any forwards/strikers going up for a header)

Allow for impact - When catching the high ball, your arms should be slightly bent so that you can take the impact of the ball softly, rather than having stiff arms which will increase the chance of dropping the ball.

The “W” – Lastly and most importantly, you should have your hands facing the ball, and slightly turned in. Making a “W” shape with the two hands side by side, and your thumbs coming together, is the best way to ensure that you don’t let the ball slip through.

Note: It’s often taught to youngsters that they should make sure their thumbs are close to touching when they catch the ball, however, youngsters small hands sometimes aren’t big enough to catch the ball when their thumbs are together. Try to remember that the majority of your hands are in the palm and fingers, and these are the most important part in catching the ball and the thumbs are there to be used to add control.

Wrap it up – Once you’ve caught the ball, pull it into your chest to stop any further bobbles, or attack by strikers.

In summary:

Catching Chest High Shots

Catching chest-high shots can be done many ways, but the way I like to teach people basics of goalkeeping is to attack with the hands, and let the body follow.

Catching chest high shots can often be confusing, as you don’t know whether to try and catch as you would a mid-range height shot, or use your hands as described above in the high shots.

Living in Australia, you see a lot of AFL on TV, and the way they “mark” the ball is to lead with their hands and catch at around shoulder height. I believe that goalkeepers should also lead with their hands when catching chest high shots.

Eyes on the ball - As with any shots, keep your eyes on the ball until you have the ball safe in your chest.

Get Set – Your foot position is as important as your hands when catching chest height shots, have your feet shoulder width apart, and be on the balls of your feet ready to spring in case of deflection. Being on the tips of your toes, will also give you a natural lean towards the ball.

Hands out in front – Have your arms outstretched in front of you, again bowing them slightly to allow for give when catching the ball.

The “W” – As described above, keep your palms facing the ball, and make the shape of a W with your thumbs.

Wrap it up – Once you’ve caught the ball, pull it into your chest to stop any further bobbles, or attack by strikers.

When warming up, you should try to allow for catching balls at all heights, but making sure someone has long range hits forcing you to stop at shoulder height.

In Summary:

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Category: Basic,Technique

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