Soccer Goalkeeper Training. Drills on How to Dive

Goalkeeper Training:  Collapse Diving Progression

Introduction:  Goalkeeper drills for developing youth goalies from 11 to 16 years old.  There are a million diving excercises.  They are fun and exciting to watch.  I wanted to introduce the when, why, and how of the collapse diving or better yet the decision to dive.  

Question: Why dive?   Answer: To make the save duh?  More specifically because the speed and location of the shot moves the ball away from the goalkeeper’s center or core. Depending on the shot the collapse dive is an attempt to get as much of the keeper’s body behind the ball.  It is more of a controlled dive as opposed to a full extension save. 

The Keeperstop.com YOUTUBE goalkeeper training collapse dive progression from warm up to a few simple but effective progressions to reinforce the diving technique; a proper ready position; footwork; angles.  Feel free to like it and share it with your goalkeeper friends.

Part 1 Cognitive Warm Up - Different color cones in the shape of a square or rectangle. Base the size of square on the desired footwork and the ability level of the goalkeeper.  Goalkeepers can travel to line or touch a cone.   Move from hand services to quick volleys as the keeper warms up, feels comfortable, wants to be challenged more etc.  Vary the type of service to reinforce and challenge the goalkeeper’s ability to make the correct decision and control their body.
Goalkeeper Coaching Points (CP):

• Short sharp movements from the keeper close to their set position with arms bent and hands out in front at the ready.  
• Strong catch in front of the body.  
• Collapse dive when GK needs to get more behind the ball, control the ball, as well as the body.
• Step is the elevator that gets the head and hands behind the ball.  For higher shots the body and head are higher behind the ball.  For a lower shot the goalkeeper transitions body weight and hands over the inside knee lowering the head and hands behind the ball.
• I have the goalkeeper use the ground to absorb and control the impact of the dive.
• Don’t cheat, get caught moving, or guessing. 
• Relax

Part 2 6:42 - Keepers in goal with 2 two different services.  Here we opted to reinforce the collapse dive technique within angles such as 3 goal situation.  Bigger space to move across and cover.  Goal is split in half for to challenge the goalkeeper but reinforce the collapse dive technique and decisions through some success. Requires faster movement, recovery, better angles, control of the body and ball, and decisions to catch vs deflect.  
CPs:

• Proper angles and starting position related to shooter.
• Step and body position behind the ball is based on the shot. Goal is to finish with head and hands forward of starting position.
• Get square and balanced to new angle and potential shooter as quickly as possible.

Part 3 8:49 – Evolve to a more game realistic shot from a side angle.  Server can choose to shoot or pass to the center. Servers make sure this does not turn into a breakaway sessions.  Goalkeeper has to consider many things such as angles, footwork, catch vs deflect as well as the techniques in diving.
CPs:

• Angle and vertical position have to consider a shot as well as a pass.  
• Balanced and ready
• Quick movements and decisions
• Manage rebounds out the side of the six yard box.

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To reinforce technique or decision making build from simple to complex.  Controlled services and scenarios to game realistic.

Contact the goalkeeper equipment and training specialists with any questions.