What are your rules for Goalkeepers?

[lanesra]

I tend to have everyone play keeper on my teams. I coach mostly recreational soccer up to U12 and U14, so I have to give my kids rules for keeping each game, and the week of practice leading up to it.

So, I have three rules for my younger kids, say U8 and U10s:

1. Always use your hands. (Since not all kids feel that it is cheating to use their hands when they don't have to.)
2. Stand 2 big steps in front of the goal. (So if they drop a ball, they have some space to recover.)
3. When the ball pounces, you pounce. (If they bobble the ball, they have to get it it.)

I'll coach a U12 team next spring, and I've forgotten what my rules were the last time since I coached that age. What are a good couple of rules that are age appropriate?

[ian.curry]

Well I have always had a regular keeper - tends to be the norm here though.

1)Watch the ball with your hands - follow it all the way
2)You have 3 hands, left, right and face
3)COMMUNICATE!!!

[lanesra]

How old are your kids, Ian, and how soon did you start specializing keepers. I'm conflicted over this issue. I had a boy who was the typical fat kid with two left feet, but he played some keeper and his slowness wasn't such an issue, and he really gained confidence. He's only OK at keeper (but he likes it) but out in the field he's much more determined, and I chalk it up to playing keeper. If I'd kept only kid in goal, this kid would have missed out, I feel, and since keeping is such a different skill set, I'd like everyone to experience it.

[ian.curry]

Not sure what its like in your league - but generally every team we play against has a specific keeper. At under 9s we had two teams and thus, 2 keepers, but since 11's we've had one keeper and another who plays elsewhere but goes in goal when required.

My thinking is, if you rotate ur keeper do you rotate your striker, and defenders too?

My opinion is that most kids have a preferred position, and an actual best position(these may not be the same).

However I do believe that keepers need to be specialised as early as any other position, under 11s at latest.

This typical 'fat kid' with two left feet may be great on the small pitches but look at the top keepers nowadays - they are tall, fit, lean and excellent at punting with both feet.

[Tiny]

I'm only 14 but I've played keeper my whole life, I'm playin club under a very very good coach and these are my goal keeping tips and tricks.

1: For the older boys/girls, if you play well with a certain warm up, don't change your warm up at all. If you change your warm up to much, then the keeper just feels really wierd.

2: Use the same gloves in practise as you do in games. This applys for all equipment (Shin guards, cleats, girts, sliders) this helps the keeper get used to their equipment and know how well it can grip.

3: (Now for more techneque) When your keeper is running our after one of those boncy kicks one a rocky pitch, have them run threw when they pick up the ball. This should be RELIGOUS for a keeper, for if they stand flat footed and still at an ocward ball, and they happen to drop it, thats easy pickings for a mid fielder or forward. It they're running through with it, if they bobble it, it will be going away from the goal at least.

4: Foot work, foot work, foot work!!!! When your team is workin on a dribbling drill, or whoops or hurdles, have your keeper work with your fielders. If your gonna get scored on, have it on a nice solid shot instead of when your keeper comes of his/her line and they trip over their own feet.

5: The position of the keepers hands after the catch should be behind the ball if the ball is a bit higher. If the shooter is taking a longer shot when your keeper has to dive for it. They should have their near side hand behind the ball and their far side hand on top of the ball. When they hit the ground, they should pin the ball into the ground.

6: Goal kicks. Heres an interesting topic. If your keeper cant take the goal kick, dont have him take it, have one of your mids of defenders take it.

Thats all I can think of right now, seeing how its 4 am where i am, but i might put som more on later.

[Tiny]

@Ian: For the rotation question, If your coaching like AYSO or YMCA, always play your players the same amount of time. especially at younger ages, nothin pisses you off more then a mob of angry parents. If your kids have a favored postion, ask then if they wanna play that postion, and if they dont, play them in a diffrent position. And for the last part of your post, i think that you can be an position one day, and a diffrent one the next. For example, I have a friend thats rather short, and she has only played keeper scince she was 12, who is now 13, shes 'vertically challanged' if you will (shes short) but shes a very good keeper. And some kids are just plain good at the game and can play anywhere


My thinking is, if you rotate ur keeper do you rotate your striker, and defenders too?

My opinion is that most kids have a preferred position, and an actual best position(these may not be the same).

However I do believe that keepers need to be specialised as early as any other position, under 11s at latest.

[lanesra]

Hey Tiny. Good points and thanks for the perspective. Keeper was the one position I never played (never could dive...) and while I helped make my younger brother a pretty keeper, that was years ago...

[ian.curry]

I don't know what Ayso or Ymca is, is it similar to mini soccer over here (u8s-u10s)
When we managed that level most team selections were rotated, if you were sub one week you were likely to start the next week. Also subs were very likely to get at least 20 minutes of a 30min each way match.
These players generally had two good positions, say winger and striker etc, and so there was no 'rotating through the positions' lark.
Al through this time both teams had a regular keeper.
I would and will do exactly the same thing again when I get back down to that level.

Angry parents because their son isn't playing? Yes, had a one leave after 10 games. Bye bye.
Angry parents because their son is playing, but in too many different positions? Yes, had one leave after his son playe 4 different positions in 8 games. Bye bye.

I'm the gaffer, I do the hard work, I plan sessions for 45 minutes, and delivers for 2 hours, bring all the equipment, hire the location, do the qualifications. In my free time.
I make the decisions.

[huffsw]

I coach keepers and the one thing that I can tell you that might stop a goal is their being in the correct possition at the proper time. It's much easier to say this than to do it but with a couple of pices of rope and a ball... you'll have your keeper "playing the angles" in no time. Here's a quick tip...

1. tie a rope to each goal post (about 10 - 15m each)

2. make the ends meet at ball

3. have keeper stand between the ropes with arms outstretched and there still be metre for him to reach the rope on either side.

4. have him maintain this as you move the ball from side to side.

He should only have to do this for about 10 minutes to grasp the concept.
If he cant, find another keeper!

[Jerzy]

Good post. I should try this next season, plus I still have one of those ball return nets that I never used, so connecting the rope to the ball should be doable.