Goalkeeping

How to handle the ball

The goalkeeper's main objective is to prevent goals. He does that by either clearing or catching the ball.

Settling the ball
The general method used for settling rising shots (or shots above shoulder level) is known as The W. The name comes from the positioning of the keeper's hands. The index finger and thumb on both of his hands are locked at about 45 degrees. His hands are put next to each other, forming the letter W. Ideally, the index fingers should not be perpendicular but pointing slightly inward.
Balls directed below shoulder level (or dropping balls) are handled by cushioning it from below. Similarly to handling a baby, the keeper must cushion the ball from underneath, pressing it against his chest.

Different methods of handling the ball

Rolling ball pickup The safest way to gather a rolling ball is to get down on one knee and scoop it up with your hands. To ensure that the ball has no chance of going through your legs, you must plant your other foot near the grounded knee. From this position, you can easily cradle the ball to your chest. As you lock the ball against your chest, lean forward to protect it.
Grounding the ball Raise the knee of your opposite foot (the one further away from the ball) and leap sideways, off your other foot. When handling the ball, have your nearer arm parallel to the ground with fingers and thumb forming the bottom part of the W. Your other hand should be used for guiding the ball down.
Diving for air shots This is one of the more spectacular techniques used in goalkeeping. In terms of execution, it encompasses a scissors-like movement, similar to a bicycle kick. First, raise the knee of your leg which is further away from the ball. Then, take off from your other foot which should be nearer to the ball. As you're flying, accelerate the knee of your leaping foot while extending the other. When you catch the ball, get your hands on top of it and use it as a landing cushion. The ball should touch the floor before the rest of your body. Contrary to intuition, you should not land the dive on your side.
Crosses On high crosses and steeply falling balls, you must be the first person to contact the ball. Take off from one leg with the knee of the other raised as high as you can. This will give you protection against enemies (and even teammates) that can potentially collide with you. Immediately after you grip the ball, bring it to your chest and lean over it.

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Heading

How to head a football
Players who can't head the ball correctly are at a higher risk for injury. Therefore, it is important to learn how to head the ball at an early age. One of the most common obstacles is overcoming your natural fear of getting hit in the head by a flying object. So, don't let the ball to hit you. You are the one who is swinging at it!
The ball should be struck with the top part of your forehead. Young players tend to close their eyes when heading the ball. By doing so, you can't see where the ball is and you can seriously injure yourself. Lock your eyes on the part of the ball that you want to head. Hitting it below its equator will cause it to rise while striking the upper part of the ball produces a downward header.
The power of a header does not come from your neck muscles. Bend back your entire upper body and then lunge forward to strike the ball. Before heading the ball, you should adjust to its flight by taking a succession of short shuffling steps. This helps you avoid tilting to the side after you have leapt in the air. Remember, it won't hurt if you do it correctly.

Different methods of striking the ball

Standard header To head the ball with a good amount of power you'll need to arch back and swing your head forward. Keep your shoulders leveled and perpendicular to your aim. Contact should be made with the center of the forehead.
Diving header In this technique, you must propell your entire body in the path of the ball. Your arms have to be stretched forward for protection on landing.
Glancing header When executing a glancing header, you must turn your head in direction of your aim. This motion redirects the oncoming ball.
Flick header On flick headers, you are actually making contact with the back of your head. As you arch backward, you direct the ball backwards. This technique is often used by midfielders who have their back towards the opponent's goal.

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Dribbling

360 spin move by Zinedine Zidane In this move Zizou finds himself in between two players and does his trademark 360 spin. Notice how he initiates the move early, as soon as the defender on the left commits. By the time the defender is in the middle of his tackle, Zidane has already turned with the ball.

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Interval Training

Drill 1: Sprinting Chain

Description: Two lines of players are jogging perpendicularly to one another. The last pair of players sprints to the top of the line. As soon as they both reach the front, another pair takes off from the back. Notice that the entire pack is continuously jogging even while the pair of two players is sprinting. Explanation: The best feature of this drill is that it puts players in competition as they sprint to the front of the line. Players who reach the front of the line should give a signal so that the last two can have an equal start. The coach can monitor the rest interval by altering the total number of players involved or the average speed of jogging.

Task: two lines of players jog together; last pair of players sprints to the front Purpose: improves muscle endurance Complexity: simple

Drill 2: Shuttle Sprints

Description: A group of players lines up along the goal line. On a given signal, the players sprint up to the 6 yard line (a) and back. After resting a given number of seconds the players sprint to the 18 yard line (b) and back. After a second brake, the players sprint to midfield (c) and return to the goal line. To complete one repetition they do two more sprints to the 18 (d) and 6 (e). Explanation: When the players are at the goal line, the coach is to monitor their resting interval. In the course of a season, as the team's fitness improves, this resting time should get shorter and shorter. Task: players sprint to the top of the 6-yard box (a) then back to the goal line; after resting a given amount of time, they repeat this with four more sprints to lines (b) (c) (d) and (e) Purpose: improves muscle endurance Complexity: simple

Drill 3: Pass and go

Description: Two teams (of 7 players or less) play a small-sided game with no goalkeepers. Each time a player completes a pass, he must sprint to his own goal line. Until the player has finished his sprint, he is not allowed to interfere with the game. Explanation: The main idea of this drill is to teach players that they must move right after completing a pass. It helps their fitness while instilling in their mind the importance of off-ball movement. The coach must encourage verbally his players to sprint immediately after they make a pass. Notice that the drill can be inverted: instead of sprinting towards their own goal line, players can sprint towards their enemy's goal line. Task: two small-sided teams play against each other; every time a player completes a pass, he must sprint back to his own goal line Purpose: improves muscle endurance, encourages off-ball movement Complexity: average

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Defensive Drills

Drill 1: Man in the Middle

Description: Five attackers, arranged in a circle, must keep the ball away from two pressuring defenders, who are staying inside the circle. If an attacker gives up the ball or kicks it out of circle he becomes a defender. The defender who caused him to lose possession takes his role. Explanation: When a pass is made, the defenders have to adjust (Step 2) to prevent a through ball whereas the attackers have to give support (Step 3.) At first, it may seem that the drill is only for kids, but in fact many professional teams use it. The drill is a great warm up for passing and tackling skill.

Task: keep the ball away from the two defenders; for increased difficulty, the attackers must try to play the ball between the defenders Purpose: warm up drill, tackling, quick passing Complexity: simple

Drill 2: Turnovers
Description: This is a relatively simple (and fun) defensive drill. Four defenders and a goalkeeper are challenged by three attackers. The attackers start with the ball. Their goal is to score in the central goal. The defenders' job is to regain possession of the ball from the attackers and finish in either one of the two smaller goals. The team which gets scored on first must leave (and be replaced by another round of players.) The goalkeeper works in conjunction with the defense. If the ball ends up in his hands, he must quickly initiate a counter attack towards one of the smaller goals.
	Task: for the attackers - to score in the center goal; for the defenders - to finish in one of the smaller goals; whoever gets scored on first leaves the pitch Purpose: turnover counter attacks, group defense Complexity: medium
Explanation: The main focus of this drill is on the defenders and the way in which they organize a counter attack. The transitional process of regaining possession and exploiting it must be practiced by defenders so that they know their positions and tasks in dynamically unfolding situations.

Drill 3: Group defending
Description: Two squads of players start in a confined rectangular area or grid. Basically, both teams are playing keepaway with the exception that the team in possession of the ball is allowed to leave the predefined zone. To keep things even, if an attacker receives the ball outside of the box, he must play it back into the zone with one touch (two touches for younger players.)
Task: keep possession of the ball by knocking it in and out of the grid; the team without the ball must stay inside of the box; players outside of the grid can only play it back in with one touch (or two, one for controlling and one for passing) Purpose: compact group defending Complexity: complex
Explanation: This drill encompasses many features of real match situations and forces the players to work in conjunction. Compactness is the major principle of playing group defense. In the drill, the defending team is required to compress inside the box (forcing the opposition out.) The attackers have no choice but to spread outside of the grid. Young players may have trouble understanding the importance of spreading out in attack. To stimulate them, you can enforce an additional rule demanding that at least one attacker has to stay outside of the box at all times.

Legend

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