Defending the goal and goal area

This session is designed around the decision-making of when, how and why to use the spread technique in 1v1 situations. Think of Joe Hart for Manchester City against Barcelona in the 2015 UEFA Champions League, dealing with Lionel Messi’s through-ball to Luis Suarez on an angle, and Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez against France in the 2022 World Cup final, facing Randal Kolo Muani who picked up a loose ball inside the box. More recently, Stefan Ortega’s save against Son Heung-Min of Tottenham could have won Manchester City the league, while Leeds’ Illan Meslier saved from a Norwich attacker in the play-off semi-final with his hands wide in the spread position. These are great illustrations of how effective the spread technique can be.

I’m a big believer in presence first: how can you stand out and optimise your ability to be effective before making contact with the ball, whether in possession or not of the ball in hand or at feet? I enjoy coaching this type of session as it hones in on reading triggers, being big, driving down the line of the ball, being brave, being confident when engaging the ball to optimise the timing of action and ability to defend the goal with robustness in the reaction. In this session, the goalkeeper will put their body on the line and show defiance, wanting to protect the goal at all costs, and being quick and aggressive, creating a presence that forces the striker to make a snap decision close to goal. Small touches may make a big difference.

This session is a core topic and will be covered for a period of three weeks with this one specifically once per age group per week as other techniques will be coached throughout the topic block. If revisited, this session can be adapted each time to bring in different scenarios and actions. The session will create new actions and decisions that may not have occurred previously. We’ll look at live game pictures and bring them to life, so the goalkeepers can practise actions performed, supporting development of the actions when unsuccessful, and creating stronger muscle memory in the successful actions.

TARGET PRACTICE

Following a warm-up where the goalkeeper practises the spread technique, leading with each leg in turn, place two target goals together on an angle with the middle posts inverted. The server stands with the ball three or four yards away, with the goalkeeper in the middle of the two goals. The goalkeeper is on their knees and then reacts off the server’s trigger: foot back, head down, to perform a spread shape, with the leading leg on the side the striker goes. The server puts a punch pass low towards one of the target goals.

You can progress this with the server alternating sides, or by serving at either goal, with no pattern. The server could also take a touch forward before serving, or the goalkeeper could start from a standing position to create a more realistic approach to the spread action.

[1]

1. Server has ball, goalkeeper sets on knees in middle of two target goals

2. Server serves punch pass low towards target goal. Goalkeeper reacts off server’s trigger, foot back, head down to perform a spread shape, with leading leg the side the server goes

“The goalkeeper reacts off the server’s trigger”

VOLLEY AND ANGLES

Place two mannequins within the 18-yard box, four yards from the six-yard line corner. The red player serves a volley towards the goalkeeper [2a].

[2a]

1. Two mannequins placed in 18-yard box, four yards from six-yard line corner. Red team server central to goal, behind mannequin line, serves volley to goalkeeper

“The goalkeeper looks to cover the area”

If they handle it securely, they distribute it back to the red player. This triggers the blue player to dribble a second ball towards the outside of the mannequin to create an angled shot for the goalkeeper to react to. The goalkeeper looks to cover the area to perform a spread technique save at the blue player’s trigger point - foot back, head down. The blue player can rotate between sides [2b].

[2b]

1. If goalkeeper handles this securely, they distribute the ball back to red player. Blue player touches and dribbles a second ball towards the outside of mannequin line to create an angled shot

2. Goalkeeper reacts to shot and looks to cover the area and perform a spread technique save at the point of the blue player’s trigger

You can progress this with the red player playing the ball to the blue player so that only one ball is active. You could also make it into a competition, with the goalkeeper getting two points for a successful and effective spread technique save, and the blue player getting one point for a goal scored.

THROUGH BALL

Set up a rebound board on an angle eight yards from the byline, level with the six-yard line, facing towards goal. Place two mannequins on the edge of the box to create a deep line. The goalkeeper starts by playing the ball off the rebound board and looks to control the bounce back. The goalkeeper then scans to see the red player’s movements and plays to their back foot with a through pass [3a].

[3a]

1. Goalkeeper plays ball off rebound board and looks to control bounce back

2. Goalkeeper scans to see red player’s movements and plays to their back foot with through pass

At the point of the red player’s touch, the blue player looks to create a run behind the line for the red player to play into as a through-ball. The blue player is then looking to shoot, first time. The goalkeeper reacts to the red player’s through pass to engage down the line and create a spread technique opportunity [3b].

[3b]

1. At the point of red player’s touch, blue player looks to create a run behind line for red to play into, and then shoots first time

2. Goalkeeper reacts to red’s through pass to engage down the line and create spread technique opportunity

“The goalkeeper must scan to see the red player’s movements”

You could move the rebound board as a starting point, or allow the red player to shoot, preventing the goalkeeper from moving too early. You could make this into a competition: two points to the keeper for a successful, effective spread technique save, one point to the blue player for scoring a goal. The goalkeeper could also drop to set for a shot. This depends on the pass from the red player.

GAME PRACTICE: 3v2

Set up in a 3v2 plus goalkeeper, with two mannequins on the edge of the box to also indicate the offside line. Blues can only score past the mannequins. The goalkeeper starts the practice with a bounce pass with a red player. The goalkeeper then plays a pass to the furthest blue player from goal, allowing the red bounce-pass player to step and reposition as a centre back after a call of “stop” from the goalkeeper [4a].

[4a]

1. Goalkeeper starts with a bounce pass with a red player

2. Goalkeeper then plays a pass to blue player furthest away while red player repositions as centre back

The blues now look to combine to create movements behind the line and receive a through-ball to shoot. The reds look to press or deny space for a through pass. The goalkeeper reacts to the ball position and moves into the line as the blues are in possession. The goalkeeper reacts to the through-ball on the blue trigger, looking to create the spread technique to deny the blues the opportunity to score [4b].

[4b]

1. Blue team combine and create movements behind the line to receive a through-ball and shoot while reds press and deny space

2. Goalkeeper reacts to ball position and moves into line as blue team are in possession
3. Goalkeeper reacts on blue player’s trigger, using spread technique to deny scoring opportunity

 If the ball is transitioned, the reds and goalkeeper look to score [4c]. 

[4c]

1. If ball is transitioned, red team and goalkeeper look to score in mini goals

The game is live until the ball is out of play, or until a goal is scored, when we reset. 

We can mix things up and give two points to the goalkeeper for a successful spread technique that prevents a blue goal, making it first to score ten points, or move the offside line, or allow the blue team to shoot from anywhere inside the drill area.

“The goalkeeper looks to use the spread technique and deny the blue team the scoring opportunity”

GAME PRACTICE: 7v7

We set up now for 7v7 including goalkeepers, with the offside line for the blue team now set with a cone indicator across the width to the throw-in line. A red player starts the session by playing into the goalkeeper, who then looks to play the ball to the opposite goalkeeper [5a].

[5a]

1. Red player starts session by playing into goalkeeper, who then looks to play to the opposite goalkeeper

“The blue team look to combine and create opportunities for 1v1 situations against the goalkeeper”

The opposite goalkeeper then starts the game by playing into a blue player. The blue team look to combine and create opportunities to play the ball behind the reds’ back line to create 1v1 situations [5b].

[5b]

1. Opposite goalkeeper plays into a blue player, and the blue team then look to play the ball behind the red back line and create 1v1 situations

The game is continuous and only pauses if the ball goes out of play or if a goal is scored. To create opportunities for the goalkeeper to use the spread technique, blues get two goals for 1v1 goals via through-ball passes behind the red backline. Reds get a goal added to their scoreline if the goalkeeper saves via the spread technique.

We can progress this by widening the pitch, moving (or removing) the offside line, or creating an overload in favour of the blue team if our intended game pictures don’t appear.

COACHING POINTS

What are the key things to look out for? 

Technically, we are looking for a body shape driving low towards the ball, with head and torso forward to the ball preventing space, and hands leading, closing space at the side of the torso, to react if necessary. Tactically, we are looking for speed across the goal, positioning to block the goal, timing of action, and second-phase recovery decisions.

There are many points to consider with this session. There are a multitude of decisions to make as a goalkeeper: dropping to defend the goal, engaging to defend the space or area using smother or block. Therefore coaching these actions will bring the session more success. You can run the session again with the same design but highlighting other actions or techniques, eg block or smother.

The pictures might not come out continuously - for example, in this session, the players may not create a spread technique decision for the goalkeeper. That’s OK - that’s the game! At times, tweaking the session’s area space or constraints could bring out the pictures you want - but make sure it doesn’t affect players’ decisions to the point where you create robots. Keeping the sessions as close to the game as possible is always the aim.

What are the typical mistakes players might make and how do I avoid them?

This session is only focusing on one particular action, and so other actions that aren’t being specifically looked at might need to be performed. But that’s perfect! There are many actions to consider in 1v1 or through-ball situations. This only stimulates when, why and how to perform the spread technique. If the goalkeeper’s action isn’t the spread but the spread would have been the most effective decision, then a coaching point is available to raise - and the same applies if the spread is used but wasn’t the most effective decision. Both decisions are part of our topic - knowing when, why and how to use the spread technique.