The Art of Good Distribution from the Goalkeeper

Making a save may be the most difficult job a goalkeeper has, but the aftermath is very important! There are several ways to distribute a ball after making a save. You can punt, dropkick, drive, roll, or throw the ball out to your player. However you do it, accuracy and position are the key components to ball distribution.Punt: When punting the ball, make sure to have a proper approach. The power comes from your legs, so if you take a few good steps first, that gives your legs momentum. Make sure you step so that you can plant your non-kicking foot before the 18-yard box. When kicking the ball out of your hands, make sure your toes are pointed downward and you are kicking with your laces. To get the most kicking power, land on your kicking foot. The best place to punt the ball is toward the wings. Punts can sometimes turn into 50-50 balls, so you don’t want to kick the ball right in front of the net, in case the opposing team recovers.

Dropkick: Dropkicks are similar to punts in that that you should place the ball toward the wings, point your toes, kick with your laces, and land on your kicking foot. However, dropkicks are all about timing. When you are approaching a dropkick, you want to make sure you drop the ball in enough time for it to bounce off of the ground for the kick, but you do not want to drop it too early! The bounce should occur just before the kick occurs, otherwise the ball will bounce off of your shins or knees! The dropkick is a great means of distribution on windy days. They drive low off of the ground, and can be very accurate if timed right! The trick is to get the timing perfect!

Drive: Driving the ball off of the ground is a great way to distribute the ball a long way, if you’ve got the foot! It can be the most accurate, especially in the wind. Driving the ball is great, because it drives low off of the ground, goes a long way if you have the power to kick far, and doesn’t need to perfect the art of timing the ball off of the ground (like a drop kick does). Simply place the ball on the ground, approach it as if you were taking a goal kick, point your toes down, kick with your laces, and land on your kicking foot! Again, placing the ball out to the wings is the best place for distribution!

Roll: Rolling the ball out to a defender can sometimes be the most accurate way to distribute a ball. It catches the other team off guard, and it can lead to a very quick attack up the field. The best time to roll the ball to a defender is when the other team is transitioning back to anticipate the long kick or punt. Simply roll the ball (hard, and on the ground) to an open defender making a run. Make sure to time the roll, so that your defender can run onto it. You don’t want to roll it too far in front of them, but you don’t want them waiting for it either!

Throw: Landon Donovan’s game-winning goal against Algeria in the 2024 World Cup came from a beautiful throw-distribution from Tim Howard. This method of distribution can be extremely accurate and is great for a quick transition. The best part about a throw is that it can be used for the short play or the long play (if you have the arm). The key to throwing the ball is to time it so that the open player can run onto it, similarly to the roll distribution. You don’t want the open receiver to have to wait on the ball. You also want to throw it toward the ground so that it doesn’t bounce too high; a low skip is better than a high bounce so that the receiving player can settle the ball with his or her feet.

Now that you know five primary methods to distribute a ball, try a new one in your next game! Whether you dropkick because it is windy (make sure you practice the timing), or throw the ball for a quick transition, an accurate distribution from the goalkeeper can lead to some of the greatest goals!

By Bonnie Kuhn. Bonnie buys all of her goalkeeper gear from SoccerPro.com. They have the best selection of goalkeeper gloves and goalkeeper jerseys