Soccer drill to defend goalkicks
How often does your goalkeeper kick the ball from a goalkick only to see it go to the opposition, who smash it back straight into the net? Introduce a soccer training drill that involves having a player on the line to put a stop to this.
Are goalkicks worse than a corner?
It happens doesn’t it. Your team has been playing superbly, soaking up the pressure, nearly scoring, you can feel it in your bones that you are going to win. But disaster strikes. Your goalkeeper kicks it out and the other team just knock it back into the goal and you’re losing a game you should be winning.
Let your goalkeeper kick
I like my goalkeepers to take goalkicks. It’s hard enough having to put someone in goal at this age, and to take away the one thing they like to do just to let one of the big kickers hoof it up the pitch is wrong. Let the goalkeeper kick. Of course this leaves your team open to the scenario described above. So how do you solve this problem?
Put a player on the line
At under-10s and below you can have an extra player in the box at goalkicks. At under-11 you cannot. What I do with my junior teams is put a player on the goal line at goalkicks, usually your best defender. This defender becomes a very important player if the goalkick goes to the opposition.
Once your team has lost the ball, your goalline defender speeds into action.
A NOTE OF CAUTION: NO HANDS! IF YOUR GOAL LINE DEFENDER USES HIS HANDS, YOU’VE LOST ANY ADVANTAGE GAINED BY PLACING HIM THERE.
Drill for training
Players: Goalkeeper, two attackers and your goalline defender.
Where: Use the goalmouth on your pitch, making it as realistic as possible.
Aims: Goalkeeper kicks out and obviously the two attackers win it and advance on the goal. Your goalline defender must advance towards them at speed and so must your goalkeeper. You’ll be amazed at the number of times the attackers miss or shoot straight at your goalline defender.
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