Soccer drill to get goalies punching the ball clear

Balls that are played high into a crowded penalty area are often hard for a goalkeeper to catch, so the most positive move is to coach your goalkeeper to use their fists to punch the ball clear. If your goalie can get both fists to the ball it will be cleared much further.

Soccer drill to get goalies clearing the ball with 2 handed punch

What players must think about in this soccer drill

  • Place the insides of the the fists together, so the middle joints of the fingers touch.

  • Press the thumbs out of the way against the side of the fists, not inside.

  • Hands should be close to the chest, with the elbows by the side and bent.

  • Flat surface of the fists drive through the ball.

  • Look for height, distance and width - don't punch the ball straight back to the opposition or into the crowd!
Run the soccer (football) drill
  • Goalkeeper and catcher position themselves around 10 yards apart with a server between them.

  • The server throws a ball to the goalkeeper, (who is on their knees) and the goalkeeper tries to punch the ball over the server’s head to the catcher.

  • Repeat for a few turns before switching roles so every player has a go at being the goalkeeper, server and catcher.

  • Repeat the soccer drill, but this time with the goalkeeper standing rather than kneeling.
How to develop the soccer drill
  • Introduce a fourth player, a passive attacker, who stands next to the goalkeeper to distract them but doesn’t challenge.

  • Move the passive attacker in front of the goalkeeper, so the goalkeeper has to practise jumping to clear the ball when it is served over the attacker’s head.

  • Attacker increases pressure by moving and even jumping.
Turn the drill into a game
  • Play 4v4 in a pitch approx 30x20 yards, plus two goalkeepers. Two wide players operate outside the touchline, playing for the team with the ball and are conditioned to provide high crosses from a variety of angles whenever possible.

  • Wide players have three touches (control, dribble, cross/pass) while goalkeepers have to decide what to do, for example, catch, punch, allow defenders to head for each cross.
Click here for soccer drills to coach goalkeepers how to stop a high cross.

Click here to order a copy of The Soccer Goalkeeping DVD.

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