Special Olympics Football Coaches Quick Start Guide 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 his/her 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 farther 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 his/her 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. Have the goalkeeper stay focused on the play in front of him/her when the ball is not at his/her end of the field of play. Have the goalkeeper keep his/her eyes on the ball, not the players. Have a backup goalkeeper in case of injury or too many goals being scored. Ensure that the goalkeeper is always aware of his/her position on the line. 42 Football Quick Start Guide – September 2004