Ready, Set, Save!

“You stand before you walk.” Each developing child can be expected to move step-by-step toward developmental mastery in each developmental skill. As youth goalkeepers develop, one of the most crucial skills that must be mastered is the “stance.” Proper development of the keeper stance also called the “Ready Position” allows the keeper to effectively execute every other aspect of movement in goalkeeping.

Formal keeper training beginning at the U12 age group is when the very basic principles of goalkeeping must be taught. Proper instruction for goalkeepers in these age groups provides a solid foundation and establishing good habits for future success. Keepers at the U12 age group have reached the point where they will probably not move out of the way of a hard shot.

So, it is time to concentrate on receiving all types of balls and on distribution. It is at this age that they should be exposed to proper diving techniques. However, none of these technical skills have the greatest chance of being mastered if the keeper never learns to get into a ready position prior to a shot.

The goalkeeper “Ready Position” or “Stance” when mastered gets all of the keeper’s body parts in the correct place in preparation to make a save. A goalkeeper that has a good stance can effectively move or react to a shot no matter where it is going. A good ready position or stance when combined with good positioning, help keepers make saves look simple.

The elements that make up the ready position or keeper stance are very specific and developmental. They should be taught in sequence so young keepers have a “check list” of how the stance should look. In time, this checklist becomes instinctual and the keeper has mastered the stance with their body responding to a potential shot without hesitation.

The key components to the ready position or stance:

1. Weight on the balls (front) of your feet with heels slightly elevated off the ground. Toes should point a little outwards.

2. Feet are even, neither foot in front of the other and approximately shoulder width apart.

3. Knees bent slightly so you are ready to move in any direction.

4. Body weight is forward, slight bend forward at the waist to bring the shoulders are in front of your feet.

5. Arms bent with elbows in front of your chest.

6. Extend your hands with the palms raised. Hands and fingers should be relaxed and positioned just above the height of your elbows.

7. Keep your head and neck relaxed with the head still and slightly forward. Move your body so that you are facing the play with your eyes focused on the ball.

It is important when getting in the stance, that your overall body position is relaxed, not tense, and it supports movement. The stance should allow active mobility. The keeper’s ability to demonstrate each of the points listed above is not difficult in an inactive manner. Practically every goalkeeper can perform the task when asked. However, the challenge for the keeper is to execute the ready position under live conditions.

Here is a game situation. You have just deflected a shot. The ball rebounds out about 10 yards from you. A forward gets to the ball first. You get up on your feet and prepare for the shot. Do you have the right stance? In reality this is where the ready position breaks down for most goalkeepers. Training keepers to get into the ready position is a very foundational step in learning to play the keeper position. But we must also put keepers into game like situations to train them to get into the stance at game pace. When a keeper has been forced out of position, the keeper must recover and get set for the shot.

Quick Training Idea:

Need two servers and a keeper and plenty of soccer balls. Remember to work from both sides of the goal equally.

Server #1 10-12 yards out from goal and equal to the right or left (near) post. Server #2 at the penalty spot with several balls.

Serve #1 plays the first ball to keeper at the “near” post. The keeper makes the save, tosses the ball back to Server #1 and then shuffles across the goal to make a save from a second server who is striking a ball from the penalty spot.

The object here is for the keeper not to make flying saves. Do not allow diving! The servers should be directed to play balls at the keeper. The keeper must stay on their feet.

Upon saving the ball, freeze the keeper, take a look at the keeper’s stance and make any corrections that are needed.

Some of the common mistakes that keepers frequently make getting into the ready position are:

1. Stiff, tense muscles.

2. Palms facing out with fingers in an upward position but the hands are either above or below the waist.

3. Arms hanging down too low.

4. Feet staggered, not balanced or square

5. Feet too far apart.

6. Weight backwards forcing the keeper onto their heels.

7. Poor head position.

Keeper coaches and keepers should constantly evaluate the keeper’s stance. Videotaping a practice session such as the one above or where the keeper is seeing a lot of action is an invaluable tool for directly showing and addressing the common mistakes keepers make while they are focusing on the ball and getting into the stance to receive shots at game speed.

When the keeper’s stance is executed correctly, their ability to perform more successfully increases. It is vital that coaches take the time to teach keepers the correct stance in a static and more moderate pace but as soon as possible, allow the keepers the opportunity to move into the stance at a game pace. Replicating the game pace challenges the keeper’s to get into the stance while connecting the brain and muscles as each part of the body moves together when getting ready to face a shot.

Peter Mastrogiovanni is the Goalkeeper Coach at Roberts Wesleyan College and the Doug Miller Soccer Academy in New York State. Peter has a Master’s Degree in Education and the National Goalkeeping Diploma through the NSCAA.