7/28/2019 Maintaining Posession Nov05

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GoalNevada26 • November 2005

Amy holds her NSCAA National Goalkeeping and Advanced National diplomas as well as her USSF C license.

She lives and plays in SouthernCalifornia.

If you have a goalkeeper question or comment, please write to her at SoccerAKW@aol.com, and include GOAL in the subject header. Your letter could be selected for a response.

This month she responds to e-mail comments from last month’s column

“Some Advice for Team Coaches: Invest in Your Keeper,” and challenges 

 goalkeepers to greater accuracy with their  punts.

F

or the Parents: “Hallelujah!”shouted the goalkeeperparents who read last month’scolumn. The major message

was “Stop blaming thegoalkeeper!” Though many goalkeepersfelt their development was being ignoredit’s unrealistic to expect a team coach toprovide specialized training. A coach hasonly so much practice time.

For the Goalkeepers: Goalkeepersmust take more responsibility for theirown training. The position is unique and

requires an extra set of skills, developingcontrol with the hands as well as feet.Extra training could include camps,clinics, game observation, and/orresearch on the web or in books.

For the Coaches: Help yourgoalkeepers locate these resources. As youtrain the team, consider the impact of exercises on the goalkeeper and strive to

keep them involved in training. Createopportunities for the goalkeeper tohandle the ball more frequently. Forexample, begin exercises with a ball fromthe goalkeeper’s hands instead of a kick-

off. Add restrictions to specifically assistin the goalkeeper’s development. If yourteam is playing short-short-long, could

the goalkeeper catch and throw instead of passing? The expectation is not for allteam sessions to be built arounddeveloping the goalkeeper, however thegoalkeeper should receive more trainingthan just “standing in goal.”

Maintainin

g Possession

A goalkeeper’s job is to catch the ball.A goalkeeper’s job is to organize his back

line. A goalkeeper’s job is tocommunicate. A goalkeeper’s job is tokick the ball to the opposing team.

Wait a minute! Yes, the last statementis incorrect. Like every other player, agoalkeeper’s job is to help his teammaintain possession of the ball. Typicallythis means keeping the ball out of the netand organizing the defense. But what

happens after you catch the ball? When

you put in the extra effort to make anamazing save, you should avoid returningthe ball to your opponent.

Most coaches are so relieved thegoalkeeper has made the save that theygive little concern to what he does next.And distributing the ball poorly onlycreates more work for the goalkeeper, andless possession for the team. A goalkeeper

with quality distribution is a player whocan play a greater role in the attack. Thisis the difference between a creative centralmidfielder and a midfielder that is only aball winner. The ideal central mid is onewho has both these skills. Coaches wouldnever encourage their players to pass theball to the opponent, so why is thegoalkeeper allowed to play so many

50/50 balls?Punting to a Target

The specific practice that disturbs meis goalkeepers who give no thought towhere they punt the ball. “If you don’thave a goal, you will hit your target onehundred percent of the time.” Qualityincludes more than distance. Yet whenmany goalkeepers punt the ball their

primary objective is to kick it as far aspossible. These goalkeepers have notarget area of the field because they canneither decide for themselves, nor hastheir coach advised them to look forspecific situations. If it appears thegoalkeeper has no control over the ball,its probably because the coach has neverexpected or demanded it.

Young players are taught to kick theball as far as they can. This is a great start,but its not where the coaching shouldend. While goalkeepers are working ondistance, they should also be instructedto work on accuracy. Players as young aseight or nine can become fairly accuratewhen given the proper exercises andpractice time. One basic suggestion is for

goalkeepers to aim for the space betweenthe sideline and the outer edge of thecenter circle. Yet in some games, thecoach may want the ball punted straightup the middle.

Older or advanced goalkeepers can beencouraged to look for specific attackingopportunities. These goalkeepers canconsider many factors when determiningwhere to punt the ball. They mustrecognize the possibility for a 1v1breakaway to goal or a numbers upsituation.

As a goalkeeper, you want to punt theball to an area of the field or a set of players who will help your team maintainpossession. Observe your team. Someplayers are simply better at winning theball out of the air. Observe theopponent. Your own players may struggleon particular days depending upon thematch up. Maintaining possession with

the punt means you as the goalkeeperconsider and account for these factors.Has the coach subbed in a weaker orslower player as a striker? If you think hewill get beaten to the ball, punt the ballelsewhere. Maybe the coach has subbedin a speedy striker with fresh legs. Puntthe ball over the top and let him run.

Great goalkeepers will intuitively seek

ways to not only maintain possessionthrough their punts and other forms of distribution, but will also value their roleas the first attacker. Great goalkeeperswill account for timing and the matchsituation. They will recognize the impactof their actions and the opportunity tocontribute to possession and attacking.Accuracy in punts must be developed

and expected from the start.Again, keep writing, I love to hear

from you.

Amy Walz 

The Art of Goalkeepingby Amy Walz

 Maintaining Possession:What Happens After You

Catch the Ball 

 Yes, Walzy Actually Does Play Goal -- For Those of You

 Who Doubted.photo by NSCAA/Perry McIntyre Jr.