Fitness

As the goalkeeper holds the most individualized position on the field, he requires individualized training designed to help him respond to short and sudden workloads. Goalkeepers need agility to act efficiently when called upon in interval bursts of up to 10 seconds in length. As these required movements are dynamic and explosive, the goalkeeper must be able to change directions and sprint short distances without any hesitation. His anaerobic energy system needs sufficient training to accommodate all of these demands. In addition, the goalkeeper must also train his cardiovascular system to handle longer intervals of moderately paced running. This higher level of aerobic endurance will help the goalkeeper recover faster from the anaerobic output.

Intelligence

The best view of the field is from the goalkeeper’s position. From that vantage point, the goalkeeper must be aware and knowledgeable of the other players and positions on his team. He needs to understand how the team attacks, how they defend and where his teammates should be at all times. Just as important, the goalkeeper must be able to communicate with his team to help generate the attack, to help organize the defense, and to help setup set pieces. Goalkeepers should be encouraged to continually engage in communication with the team in practices and games; this will build confidence not only in the goalkeeper himself, but also in the entire team. The best goalkeepers in the world do not master this skill until later in their career. For this reason, professional goalkeepers are generally older than their outfield counterparts.

Technique

The goalkeeper is the only player who is allowed to handle the ball while the ball is in play. In order to take advantage of this rule, the goalkeeper must learn how to correctly catch the ball. If the ball arrives above the goalkeeper’s waist, he should catch it with the ‘W’ catch. To perform this catch, the goalkeeper will form a letter W by placing both thumbs together and then the index fingers and remaining fingers will be moderately splayed. If the ball arrives below the goalkeeper’s waist, he should catch the ball with the inverse ‘W’. To perform this catch, the pinky fingers will be placed together and then the ring fingers and the remaining fingers will be moderately splayed.

However the ball arrives to him, the goalkeeper’s hands should act as pillows and not as walls. The ball should be cushioned into the hands, just like catching an egg. To avoid the ball from slipping though his hands, the goalkeeper wants to avoid catching the ball on its sides. Once the ball is secure, it must be drawn into the goalkeeper’s chest and tightly secured underneath a firm grip for protection. Bringing the ball against the chest and running the arms parallel with elbows pointing towards the ground perform the most common and effective grip used.

Balance

Balance is an integral part of goalkeeping since the goalkeeper has limited time to react to any situation. He must stay alert in the goalkeeper’s ready position and be prepared for a potentially dangerous situation to occur. In any case, correct posture and balance are critical in order to make the appropriate response while also being able to avoid injury.

The goalkeeper can achieve balance by standing with his feet shoulder width apart. The knees should be slightly bent and weight should be distributed to the balls of his feet. The goalkeeper’s hands should be at waist height with palms turned inward. From this position, the goalkeeper will be prepared to continually track the ball while monitoring the play situation incase any defensive changes are needed. This stance will give the goalkeeper the balance he needs to make the required save.

Attitude

The goalkeeper’s attitude can set the tone for the whole game. He is the player who can heroically lift his team to victory or who can just as easily become the team goat. Yet every goalkeeper, especially the best, has let in a goal at one time or another. Only the best goalkeepers can quickly bounce back after a costly mistake is made or after a goal is scored. To achieve this, a goalkeeper needs mental training and encouragement from his coach and teammates to regroup, refocus and get prepared for the next time he is called upon. For the goalkeeper, this also requires self- discipline, focus and optimism. He must not dwell on the past. Instead, he must ask himself, his coach or a teammate about what he could have done differently in that situation and, if applicable, communicate how they could have worked differently for him. A good goalkeeper has the ability to learn from his mistakes, even when facing ultimate defeat. Essentially, demonstrating confidence in his skills, and in the players around him, will make all of the players better and more equipped to perform their own jobs on the field.

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