Communication From the Goalkeeper

To find success with backpasses, the first component that needs to be addressed is communication. There are four main verbal commands to be used in the case of a backpass (this is in addition to body language, such as pointing or other non-verbal commands, such as eye contact):

1) "Keeper" - As in the case of a breakaway or cross, this has the same meaning on a backpass: don't touch it. The goalkeeper will either pick the ball up if it has been last touched by an opponent or come and clear with his or her feet.

2) "Back" - This means play the ball back to me. This command should be used with a point or body adjustment to show where the ball should be played - ideally to the stronger foot. At this point the goalkeeper has the choice to clear the ball first time up the field or to possess it by connecting a pass to a teammate, often times an outside back. Dribbling isn't usually an option here, however if you do have time to take a dribble or two up the field, be sure not to be dispossessed.

3) "Away" - An "Away" call means there is serious danger and should be conveyed with a sense of urgency (but not panic) in the goalkeeper's voice. The defender should clear the ball out of bounds and the team can reorganize defensively. By calling "Away" the goalkeeper is saying, don't give me the ball back.

4) "Outside" - This means self pass the ball wide and use that touch to adjust your body shape and your vision of the field to decide what is on. This command should be utilized when the striker is overplaying the backpass and/or is on the defender's inside shoulder. After the initial touch, the defender can decide what the best thing to do next will be.

The don'ts of backpasses

1) Don't backpass or call for a backpass once inside the penalty area, there is not enough space between the goalkeeper and the defender and the forward's chances of causing trouble increase dramatically. Play the ball wide and avert the immediate danger.

2) Defenders shouldn't rely totally on information from the keeper, but they should use it to assist in the decision they make. However, if the goalkeeper calls "Away" or "Outside", the defender shouldn't play the ball back.

3) Don't play backpasses inside the frame of the goal. Famously, in the first five minutes of the 1999 Women's World Cup Quaterfinal, Brandi Chastain played a backpass to Briana Scurry. Scurry had already started coming for the ball though. The result was a slow-rolling own goal that put the United States behind early against a very dangerous German team. Had that backpass been outside the frame of the goal, the miscommunication would have resulted in a corner kick, but not an early deficit.

training the backpass

We get asked a lot how goalkeepers should train to be better with their feet. Many coaches don't understand why their goalkeeper struggles in these situations, often citing, "My goalkeeper plays 5 v 2 with my fieldplayers." While this is good and should be encouraged, possession exercises are, on their own, not enough. These situations require a sense of comfort between teammates as well as a technical ability to play with his or her feet.

Exercise #1: Basic Backpass
Starting without pressure, the coach or player should be 25-30 yards away from goal. They should play a ball in and the goalkeeper should aim to hit one of two target players approximately 40 yards out. After doing several one-time clearances with the strong foot, they should do several one-time clearances with the weak foot. It is okay if these are out of play or less accurate, so long as they are away from dangerous areas. Next, the goalkeeper should clear balls on a two-touch rhythm with their strong foot and two-touch rhythm with their weak foot.

Coaching Points:
-Coach should vary starting point and the type of service.
-Require communication from the goalkeeper, both verbal and non-verbal.
-A one-time clearance on a ball rolling towards you is the easiest type of ball to strike. The ball already has momentum, so start with one-time clearances.
-Have the goalkeeper concentrate on good solid contact first, then encourage accuracy.


Exercise #2: Backpasses with Pressure
Similar to Exercise #1, except now add various forms of pressure. Start by having either the person who serves the ball or a player coming from approximately the same distance as the ball. Then apply pressure from different angles and positions on the field.

Coaching Points:
-The goalkeeper now needs to determine whether to clear a ball one-time or if they can receive the ball away from pressure and play with their next touch.
-When under intense pressure, they can and should clear the ball out of bounds. When in doubt, put it out.

Exercise #3: Coordinating with the Defender
From near the bottom of the circle, a defender and an attacker (or two) should be put into positions where balls are played in behind the defense and the goalkeeper must deal with each circumstance.

Coaching Points:
-The defender can be used as an option to play out.
-However, the goalkeeper must be aware of the weak-side attacker and be sure not to take a preparation touch into this additional pressure.
 

SoccerPlus Connecticut Goalkeeper, Jill Mastroianni deals with a backpass by preparing it as a defender starts to apply pressure. (Photos by Shawn Kelly)

Exercise #4: Training the Backpass as Part of the Team Session
Put a second goal at the midfield line and create an 18-yard box for that goal. With one goalkeeper in each goal, play 6 v 6 (depending on age and ability) in the middle. One team (yellow) plays with both goalkeepers. The other team (red), is attacking both goals. In essence yellow is playing 8 v 6. The goal is for the yellow team and the goalkeepers to maintain possession from the red team. If and when the red team wins the ball, they are free to attack either goal.

Keep Score:
Red scores a point by scoring on either goal.
Yellow scores a point in one of two ways: 1) by connecting 8 passes (this number can be adjusted depending on age and ability) or 2) by playing a backpass to the goalkeeper who clears a ball in the air to the other goalkeeper (I typically allow the goalkeeper to use their hands to catch this clearance as a high ball).

After 5 minutes, switch and yellow has a chance to attack both goals while red plays with the goalkeepers.

Coaching Points:
-This game will not only provide repetitions for the goalkeeper, but also provide you opportunities to discuss their decision-making with them. Whenever possible, we want our goalkeepers to possess off backpasses, but we don't want them to possess us into trouble. Help them to find this balance.
-Reinforce communication. This is key.
-Help them to understand they need to be prepared for backpasses and should take responsibility for getting the ball back to their feet at appropriate times in games.

Coaches, this may cost you a goal or two initially, however, the significance of this aspect of goalkeeping is significant in the modern game. Goalkeepers cannot and should not be protected from playing with their feet. We should expect it of them.

Brittany Cameron with SPGS student Whitney Midelton in 2008.

Learn more about Women's Professional Soccer and these goalkeepers at: womensprosoccer.com.
 

Kansas City, MO (9 January 2009) - Former SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School Director, John Pascarella was named Goalkeeper/Fitness Coach for the Kansas City Wizards. Pascarella played professionally in Peru and the United States, including a year with the LA Galaxy where his teammate was current Wizards Head Coach Curt Onalfo. Most recently he has been Technical Director for the Northern Virginia Royals and a Head Coach for Virginia and Region I ODP.

Anthony,
I’ve meant to send a note in the past thanking you and letting you know how things turned out for Kerrigan. The opportunity you and FSASoccerPlus [our Connecticut-based premier club] provided her almost two years ago for Kerrigan to guest play with your team at Disney really helped her focus and solidify whether she wanted to play in college. As an update, she was recruited by a number of schools, mostly DIII, which was the type of school she wanted to attend and she ended up at Denison University in Ohio. Denison is a terrific college with an excellent women’s soccer program. Kerrigan got some playing time in about 5 or 6 matches, as the backup keeper to a junior. The team won its conference title but stumbled in the 2nd round of the NCAAs. She loves the team and it’s been a terrific experience for her from an enjoyment standpoint and from a support/structure perspective. I think her experience with you, Todd [Sadler], and your team really helped the process.

Thanks again,
Mark Dopp
Washington, DC

 

Mark,
It is wonderful to hear that Kerrigan found a school that was right for her. She's a great kid with a great head on her shoulders and I have no doubt that she can help that team to the next level. She deserves a lot of credit for being willing to put herself out there and to try guest playing with girls she didn't know. That isn't an easy thing for anyone to do. Please give her our best and we'll be checking the web for Denison's results next fall!

Anthony

My daughter is a big fan of Briana Scurry! She wore her 2008 SoccerPlus jersey to the Achieve Your Gold Tour games. Chicago and Cincinnati! She finally got to meet Briana and took a picture with her! As she was looking through the pictures she realized that Bri knows the camp. Bri recognized the SoccerPlus shirt Audrey had on! Audrey told me I had to send this to you!
Thanks,
Julee Hickman

 

Briana Scurry (left) with Audrey Hickman in Cincinnati. (Right) Scurry demonstrating an extension dive as a staff coach for SoccerPlus in the 90s.

Julee and Audrey,
You are absolutely right. Briana knows SoccerPlus well. It is wonderful that you and Audrey were able to attend both games and that you were able to get this photo taken. Bri was just drafted by the Washington Freedom of Women's Professional Soccer and is only one of a handful of National Team Goalkeepers with SPGS connections including: Tracy Ducar, Siri Mullinix, Hope Solo, Mary Harvey, Jen Mead, Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner, Jaime Pagliarulo, Kim Wyant, Saskia Webber and there may be some I'm forgetting! And that's just American National Team Goalkeepers. Thanks for wearing your SPGS jersey proud.

Anthony
 

Dear TKL,
I have read various articles about how long distance running can kill your vertical. I have a 16 year old daughter who plays keeper. She is going to a team that runs a lot at practice. The keepers also participate in the running. This team has gone to Nationals twice so they are very good and they still throw up at their practices. My concern is keeping my daughters vertical intact. She has a very good vertical but is always looking to improve it. Will all this running really affect this?

Thanks.
The Mom

For this question, the Keeper's Line turned to our resident expert. Paul Cacolice is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach as well as a Certified Athletic Trainer. He runs Speed, Strength and Power Clinics for players here in Connecticut and works with the SoccerPlus Connecticut Reds of the WPSL:

Dear “The Mom,”

There are some different points in your email, so let me address them one by one.

For any team to be vomiting at practice suggests that there are significant issues with the timing of their pre-practice meals and fluid intakes, their intensity of activity or their existing fitness level heading into that specific practice. If this team is playing at an elite level and going to Nationals and vomiting is still regularly occurring, there is something else going on that should be addressed. My first guess would be the fluid or food intakes are too high too close to the start of activity.

You play for this coach and have gone to Nationals twice, so obviously the results on the scoreboard are to everyone’s liking (except your opponents). There is always some debate as to fitness component programming within sport. Even if you gather 10 certified strength and conditioning specialists in the same room and ask them, there would be debate.

Now to your specific question: You mention that your daughter does long distance running with the team. You don’t mention how often, for how long, at what intensity. Nor do you mention if your daughter does any short, intense power training or specific vertical leap training. That is actually important information to best answer your question. If it is one or two two-mile runs each week? Not a problem. Daily 7-mile runs? Different story.

In the meanwhile, the body operates on some basic guidelines as far as acquiring and maintaining fitness skills. One basic guideline is S.A.I.D.: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands. Basically, the body adapts and creates specific adaptations to the specific needs requested of it.

If your body spends much time running long slow distance and does not augment this with short, explosive training (see previous TKL articles on improving vertical leap), the body very efficiently will adapt specifically to long, slow distance movement. And get REALLY good at doing that.

If the body is trained to do both – then the body learns to do both. That unfortunately takes a great deal of time to acquire. The greatest concern for goalkeepers is when the goalie runs long slow distance in such a volume that they do not get the chance to do the short, explosive training. In that case, since there is not demand for short, explosive motions (like a vertical leap), the body doesn’t get much better at these motions.

In my own practice, I work with multi-sport athletes including distance trail runners. In this sport, athletes have to run in excess of 16 miles - which is a great amount of long distance running. Periodically though, there are 30-45 second burst runs up the side of a very steep mountain or very high leaps over fallen trees or across 10-12 foot streams. In that situation, the athletes have to (and do) train for both. Some of these athletes have vertical leaps in excess of 24 inches and race up and down hills in excess of 3 hours.

So, it is possible to run long slow distance and also have a great vertical leap, IF the athlete also trains for a great vertical leap.

Good question. I hope that helps.

Paul Cacolice



 

Visit goalkeeper.com for frequently updated goalkeeper news.

From The New York Times:

Goalkeeper Science

By Clive Thompson
18 December 2008

What’s the best way to stop a penalty kick? Do nothing: just stand in the center of the goal and don’t move.

That is the surprising conclusion of “Action Bias Among Elite Soccer Goalkeepers: The Case of Penalty Kicks,” a paper published by a team of Israeli scientists in Journal of Economic Psychology that attracted attention earlier this year. The academics analyzed 286 penalty kicks and found that 94 percent of the time the goalies dived to the right or the left — even though the chances of stopping the ball were highest when the goalie stayed in the center.

If that’s true, why do goalies almost always dive off to one side? Because, the academics theorized, the goalies are afraid of looking as if they’re doing nothing — and then missing the ball. Diving to one side, even if it decreases the chance of them catching the ball, makes them appear decisive. “They want to show that they’re doing something,” says Michael Bar-Eli, one of the study’s authors. “Otherwise they look helpless, like they don’t know what to do.”

Interestingly, the goalies’ behavior violates “norm theory,” which suggests that when people are faced with a tough problem, they often choose inaction, because a bad outcome looks worse and causes more regret when it appears to be the product of a bad decision. Better to do nothing and hope the problem goes away! But in soccer, this paradigm is reversed.

And it may not be just goalies that operate in this fashion. Bar-Eli suspects the behavior erupts during financial crises too. The temptation to appear decisive — particularly when you’re being heavily scrutinized — can be overwhelming. So during periods of economic turmoil, C.E.O.’s might be tempted to change their corporate strategy, or investment managers to juggle their portfolios, even when staying put is the wisest course. “I know an investment manager whose clients will be calling him on the phone saying: ‘Do anything! Just do something! I cannot sit and look at how my shares decline!’ ” Bar-Eli adds.

The same goes, of course, for presidents and politicians, who face enormous pressure to “fix” the economy even if they haven’t got a clue what to do. Perhaps our current economic crisis has been driven by precisely this dynamic: a global financial system that jumped — the wrong way — for the ball.
 

From FIFA.com:

Goalkeepers Eclipsed by Greatness

2 February 2009

They say that all great goalkeepers are slightly crazy, their solitary dedication to frustrating the principal aim of the game, scoring goals, requiring a special kind of personality. Yet some of the great goalkeepers have also shown that it is vital to have a huge well of patience, or even resignation.

The dream of one day wearing the national colors can seem like mission impossible for goalkeepers who reach the height of their powers during the reign of superstars such as Iker Casillas, Edwin Van der Sar or Fabien Barthez. When there is only one shirt up for grabs in the starting eleven, it can be a genuine occupational hazard.

Longing for Red, Blue or Orange
Iker Casillas has been a permanent fixture between the posts for Spain since he graduated with flying colors in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and forced a talented generation of Spanish custodians to settle for the glory at club level. While his understudy Pepe Reina relieves his international frustration by shining brightly for Liverpool, the red door remains firmly closed for Andres Palop, whose brilliance between the posts helped Sevilla win back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007, or Victor Valdes, who makes do with chasing titles with Barcelona. The current Villarreal shot-stopper, Diego Lopez, is another to have been affected by the immovable Casillas. Despite his undoubted talent, the Galician found waiting for his chance at Real Madrid so infuriating that he opted to change clubs rather than wait for the Spanish captain to suffer a loss of form.

Sometimes, even being allocated the #1 is not enough to guarantee a starting berth. Take Fabien Barthez, who chose number 16 before entrenching himself in the French goal shortly before the 1998 FIFA World Cup France. He consigned Bernard Lama to the bench or unimportant games and closed the door to the youngsters for eight long years. Gregory Coupet, in particular, had good reason to toast Barthez's retirement. Despite six consecutive league title wins with Olympique Lyonnais, Coupet had to wait until he was 33 to become the first choice international keeper with France. His big chance came at UEFA EURO 2008, but his international career ended somewhat disappointingly at the age of 36.

Just the opposite was the case for the gifted Ed de Goej, the winner of the Netherlands' Golden Boot in 1994. While he defended the Dutch goal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA, there was huge competition on the bench to take his place. Edwin Van der Sar has been lord and master of the Dutch goal since 1995, with De Goej acting as his substitute in the national team at the next three major international tournaments. The latter's move from Feyenoord to Chelsea was one of the landmarks signings in the 1997 transfer market, and he went on to make 179 appearances for the Blues, keeping 71 clean sheets. Another Dutchman left in the shadow of the great Van der Sar was Ruud Hesp. Despite the fact that he was a member of the national squad for EURO 96 and France 1998, he never got to defend his national colors, earning his international successes at Barcelona, where he won two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and one UEFA Super Cup.

The outstanding Jens Lehmann was forced to look on from the sidelines when Oliver Kahn was at the height of his powers. The rivalry between these two goalkeeping giants ended with a touch of poetic justice when Jurgen Klinsmann opted to hand Lehmann his place in the starting line-up for 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany. Yet the collateral damage from this duel produced two victims in Hannover's Robert Enke and Hoffenheim's Timo Hildebrand, who could never get a firm grip on the Mannschaft shirt. They pair were deemed too inexperienced to challenge in the Kahn-Lehmann era, then too 'old' on its conclusion, by which time the up-and-coming Rene Adler had moved ahead of them in the pecking order.

It has become a fact of life in Germany that each generation must witness a battle of titans for the goalkeeper's jersey. Bodo Illgner and Andreas Kopke generously shared both the position and the titles, with the former starting at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the latter at EURO 96. The 1980's rivalry between Harald Schumacher and his substitute Ulrich Stein was a little fiercer, while even Sepp Maier, the great hero of the 1970's, cast a long shadow over the international career of another great, Wolfgang Kleff, who made just six appearances for Germany.

A 'lucky' injury
In the decade or so Gianluca Pagliuca and Gianluigi Buffon have been keeping goal for Italy, two hugely talented players have come and gone. Angelo Peruzzi held the goalkeeping position at EURO 96 and looked likely to do so again at France 1998 when an ill-timed injury handed the gloves to Pagliuca. Unwilling to sit on the bench, Peruzzi refused to travel to Korea/Japan 2002, and when he returned to the Italian squad in 2004, it was as understudy to Buffon. Francesco Toldo got his chance at EURO 2000, where Italy were runners-up to France, but only then after injuries to Peruzzi and Buffon.

Argentinian talent Sergio Goycochea also seemed destined for a non-playing part during Italy 1990 thanks to the solid Nery Pumpido. But Pumpido fractured his tibia and fibula in a group qualifying game against the USSR, and Goyco took over and proved himself to be an expert penalty-saver. His performances against Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals and against the hosts in the semis made him a national hero, but lady luck deserted him in the final, when he failed to save the Andreas Brehme penalty that crowned West Germany world champions.

The list of goalkeepers that have lived outside the limelight is a long one. Take the promising English custodian Nigel Martyn, who was David Seaman's deputy for most of his career. Then there were the Mexicans Adolfo Rios and Felix Fernandez, who found Jorge Campos barring the way to international football. How many more were left waiting in the wings by long-serving legends such as the Colombian Rene Higuita or the Paraguayan Jose Luis Chilavert?

 

From SportsMail:

Top 50 Goalkeepers of All-Time

SPORTSMAIL'S Top 50 Goalkeepers:

50. Pat Bonner (Celtic and Republic of Ireland)
49. Chris Woods (QPR, Norwich, Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and England)
48. David James (Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and England)
47. Thomas Ravelli (Osters IF, IFK Goteborg and Sweden)
46. Luis Arconada (Real Sociedad and Spain)
45. Rene Higuita (Atletico Nacional and Colombia)
44. David Harvey (Leeds and Scotland)
43. Peter Bonetti (Chelsea and England)
42. Kevin Pressman (Sheffield Wednesday)
41. Steve Death (Reading)
40. Brad Friedel (Liverpool, Blackburn, Aston Villa)
39. Harry Gregg (Manchester United)
38. Alex Stepney (Millwall, Man United)
37. Gianluca Pagliuca (Italy)
36. Borislav Mihaylov (Reading & Bulgaria)
35. Shay Given (Newcastle, Manchester City)
34. Joe Corrigan (Man City)
33. Gary Sprake (Leeds)
32. Ron Springett (Sheffield Wednesday, QPR)
31. Jurgen Croy (East Germany)
30. Phil Parkes (Walsall, QPR, West Ham, England)
29. Gordon West (Blackpool, Everton, Tranmere Rovers)
28. Gyula Grosics (Honved, Tatabanya Banyasz, Hungary)
27. Mervyn Day (West Ham, Leyton Orient, Aston Villa, Leeds United)
26. Andoni Zubizarreta (Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Valencia, Spain)
25. Fabien Barthez (Marseille, AS Monaco, Manchester United, France)
24. Rinat Dasayev (Spartak Moscow, Sevilla FC, USSR)
23. Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool, Southampton, Zimbabwe)
22. Joel Bats (Auxerre, Paris Saint-Germain, France)
21. Walter Zenga (Inter Milan, Sampdoria, Italy)
20. Petr Cech (Sparta Prague, Stade Rennais, Chelsea, Czech Republic)
19. Bert Trautmann (Manchester City)
18. Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich, Germany)
17. Harald Schumacher (Koln, Schalke, Fenerbahce, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, West Germany)
16. Edwin Van der Sar (Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United)
15. David Seaman (Peterborough, Birmingham, QPR, Arsenal, Manchester City)
14. Sepp Maier (Bayern Munich, West Germany)
13. Nigel Martyn (Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Everton, England)
12. Hans van Breukelen (Utrecht, Nottingham Forest, PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)
11. Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay)
10. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain)
9. Ray Clemence (Scunthorpe, Liverpool, Tottenham, England)
8. Gianluigi Buffon (Parma, Juventus, Italy)
7. Dino Zoff (Udinese, Mantova, Napoli, Juventus, Italy)
6. Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow, USSR)
5. Neville Southall (Bury, Everton, Port Vale, Southend, Stoke, Torquay, Bradford, Wales)
4. Pat Jennings (Watford, Tottenham, Arsenal, Northern Ireland)
3. Peter Shilton (Leicester, Stoke, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth, Bolton, Leyton Orient, England)
2. Peter Schmeichel (Hvidovre IF, Brondby, Manchester United, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Denmark)
1. Gordon Banks (Chesterfield, Leicester, Stoke, England)

Two of the top 50 All-Time Goalkeepers are former SoccerPlus Staff Coaches: Pat Bonner and Peter Bonetti. (Above, Left) Peter Bonetti in a discussion with SPGS Director Matt Clark. (Above, Right) Bonetti, Tony Meola and Tony DiCicco at a session in Massachusetts.