Teaching Football Skills Goalkeeping Coaches Tips for Goalkeeping – At-A-Glance Tips for Practice 1. A lower ability goalkeeper should be taught to stay close to the goal at all times and not wander out. Remind the goalkeeper to glance over their shoulder when the ball is away from the goal and to maintain position in the center of the goal. As a guideline, a goalkeeper should not go out to either side further than the goal post. Teach all of the players not to blame a goalkeeper when the other team scores. Have a defender get the ball out of the net as quickly as possible to restart the game. Teach other players to be supportive. If you have a higher ability player who wants to learn to be a goalkeeper, it would be helpful to find a goalkeeper coach. The goalkeeper needs to be able to communicate to their field players. This is very important when the goalkeeper is going for the ball at the same time as the defender. The goalkeeper is responsible for calling the other players off of the ball. Always kick to a player on the wing, and not up the middle. Be aware of positions of opposing players. When throwing the ball, always ensure that the throw is hard enough. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Tips for Competition 1. 2. 3. 4. Keep focused on the play in front of you when the ball is not at your end of the field of play. Keep your eyes on the ball, not the players. Have a backup goalkeeper in case of injury or too many goals being scored. Always be aware of your position on your line. 106 Special Olympics Football Coaching Guide Created: February 2004