How to goalie. Mastering the Art of Goaltending: Essential Tips for Hockey Goalies

How does a goalie’s stance impact their performance in hockey. What are the key techniques used by successful hockey goalies. Why is proper positioning crucial for a hockey goalie’s success. How have goaltending styles evolved over time in hockey. What equipment is essential for hockey goalies to perform at their best.

The Fundamentals of Hockey Goalie Stance

A solid foundation in goaltending begins with mastering the basic stance. This crucial position serves as the launching point for all saves and movements, making it a cornerstone of effective goaltending. But what exactly constitutes a proper goalie stance?

The ideal stance involves positioning the feet shoulder-width apart, with a slight forward lean that emphasizes the front half and inside edge of the skate blade. Skates should be nearly parallel, with ankles angled slightly inward. The knees and hips should mimic the beginning of sitting in a chair, with knees pushed forward and hips bent at roughly 90 degrees.

Upper body positioning is equally important. The chest should be upright and square to the puck, with a slight downward tilt to maximize net coverage. Shoulders must remain relaxed to facilitate smooth arm movements. The blocker hand typically rests with the thumb on the upper part of the goalie pad’s outer roll, while the catch glove position can vary based on personal preference.

Proper stick placement involves angling it towards the ice, with the blade flat and positioned 1-2 feet in front of the skates. This angle helps deflect pucks away from the net and reduces impact force on the blade.

Optimizing Your Stance for Maximum Net Coverage

To ensure you’re maximizing net coverage with your stance, consider having a friend photograph you in position during practice. Compare your stance to those of top NHL goalies and make adjustments as needed. Remember, small tweaks to glove, stick, and leg pad positioning can make a significant difference in your overall effectiveness.

Essential Hockey Goalie Techniques

Goaltending techniques have undergone significant evolution since hockey’s inception, with major changes occurring even in the last two decades. The introduction of the butterfly style in the late 1990s revolutionized the position, prompting equipment manufacturers to adapt their designs to meet new demands for protection and mobility.

Today’s goalies employ a variety of techniques tailored to specific game situations. But what are the primary styles used by modern goaltenders?

The Traditional Stand-up Style

Once the dominant technique, the traditional or “stand-up” goalie style is now rarely seen in professional play. This approach, popular in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, involved goalies primarily remaining on their feet, only dropping to their knees when play was in close proximity to the net. Advancements in equipment technology and the efficiency of newer techniques have rendered this style largely obsolete.

The Butterfly Technique

The butterfly style has become the foundation of modern goaltending. This technique involves the goalie dropping to their knees with leg pads flared out to either side, effectively creating a wall along the ice while keeping the upper body upright to cover the top portion of the net. The butterfly offers excellent coverage for low shots and allows for quick lateral movements across the crease.

The Hybrid Approach

The hybrid style combines elements of both stand-up and butterfly techniques. Goalies employing this approach adapt their stance and movements based on the specific shot or play developing before them. NHL stars like Evgeni Nabokov and Jonathan Quick exemplify this versatile style. While it can make goalies more unpredictable to shooters, mastering the hybrid approach requires extensive practice and quick decision-making skills.

Mastering Goalie Positioning and Angles

Effective positioning is crucial for a goalie’s success. By properly aligning themselves relative to the puck and the net, goalies can significantly reduce the shooter’s available target area. But how exactly does a goalie determine the optimal position?

The key lies in understanding and controlling angles. Goalies must constantly adjust their position based on the puck’s location, aiming to cut down the shooter’s angle as much as possible. This involves a combination of depth in the crease and lateral movement along the goal line.

The Importance of Depth Control

A goalie’s depth refers to how far out from the goal line they position themselves. Generally, the further out a goalie can challenge a shooter while still maintaining coverage of the net, the more net they can effectively block. However, this must be balanced against the risk of being caught out of position for passes or deflections.

Lateral Movement and Squareness

As the puck moves across the ice, goalies must adjust their position laterally to stay square to the shooter. This involves quick, efficient movements that keep the goalie centered on the puck at all times. Proper edgework and push-off techniques are essential for maintaining this squareness during rapid play developments.

Essential Equipment for Hockey Goalies

Proper equipment is vital for both the performance and safety of hockey goalies. But what gear is absolutely essential for those looking to guard the net?

• Goalie Mask: Protects the head and face from high-velocity pucks and potential collisions.
• Chest and Arm Protector: Shields the upper body, including shoulders, chest, and arms.
• Blocker: Worn on the stick hand, used to deflect shots and handle the stick.
• Catch Glove: Allows goalies to catch and control shots and passes.
• Goalie Pads: Large leg pads designed to protect the legs and aid in blocking low shots.
• Goalie Skates: Specialized skates with extra protection and a flatter blade for lateral movement.
• Goalie Stick: Features a wider blade and paddle compared to player sticks.

Each piece of equipment plays a crucial role in a goalie’s ability to perform effectively and safely on the ice. As technology advances, manufacturers continue to refine these items to provide better protection, increased mobility, and enhanced performance.

Developing Mental Toughness as a Hockey Goalie

The mental aspect of goaltending is often as important as the physical skills required for the position. Goalies face unique psychological challenges, as their mistakes are often highly visible and can directly impact the game’s outcome. How can aspiring goalies develop the mental fortitude necessary to excel in this high-pressure role?

Cultivating a Short Memory

One of the most crucial mental skills for goalies is the ability to quickly move past goals or mistakes. Dwelling on errors can lead to a loss of focus and decreased performance. Successful goalies learn to acknowledge mistakes, identify any necessary adjustments, and then immediately refocus on the next play.

Visualization Techniques

Many top goalies use visualization as a tool to prepare for games and improve their performance. This involves mentally rehearsing various game situations, save movements, and positive outcomes. Regular practice of visualization can enhance confidence and reaction times during actual play.

Managing Pressure and Expectations

Goalies often face intense pressure from teammates, coaches, and fans. Learning to manage these expectations and maintain self-confidence is crucial. This may involve developing pre-game routines, practicing relaxation techniques, or working with a sports psychologist to build mental resilience.

Advanced Save Techniques for Hockey Goalies

As goalies progress in their development, they often incorporate more advanced save techniques into their repertoire. These moves can provide additional coverage options and help goalies adapt to increasingly skilled shooters. What are some of the key advanced techniques used by top-level goalies?

The Paddle Down Technique

This technique involves dropping to one knee while keeping the stick flat on the ice, effectively sealing off the five-hole (area between the legs) and lower corners of the net. It’s particularly useful for defending against wraparound attempts and low shots from sharp angles.

The Reverse-VH (RVH)

The Reverse-VH is a post-integration technique where the goalie drops their pad closest to the post flat on the ice while keeping the back leg slightly elevated. This creates a seal along the ice and post while allowing for quick lateral movement if needed. It’s highly effective for defending against plays from behind the net or sharp-angle shots.

The Butterfly Slide

This movement combines the butterfly position with a powerful lateral push, allowing goalies to quickly cover distance while maintaining lower-net coverage. Mastering this technique requires strong core muscles and excellent edge control on the skates.

Off-Ice Training for Hockey Goalies

While on-ice practice is crucial, a well-rounded training regimen for goalies should also include off-ice components. These exercises can improve overall fitness, enhance specific skills, and reduce the risk of injury. But what types of off-ice training are most beneficial for hockey goalies?

Flexibility and Mobility Work

Goalies require exceptional flexibility, particularly in the hips and groin area. Regular stretching routines, yoga, or dynamic mobility exercises can help improve range of motion and reduce injury risk.

Core Strength Training

A strong core is essential for maintaining balance, generating power in movements, and protecting against lower back injuries. Exercises such as planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball rotations can help build crucial core strength.

Plyometric Exercises

Explosive movements are key to a goalie’s ability to make quick saves. Plyometric exercises like box jumps, lateral bounds, and medicine ball throws can improve power and reaction time.

Hand-Eye Coordination Drills

Goalies can enhance their tracking and reaction skills through various hand-eye coordination drills. This might include juggling, reaction ball exercises, or even video game-based training programs designed specifically for goalies.

By incorporating these off-ice training elements, goalies can complement their on-ice practice and develop a more comprehensive skill set. Remember, consistency in training is key to seeing long-term improvements in performance.

Tips on How to Play Goalie in Hockey

As the last line of defense in hockey, a goalie holds the most important position in the game.  A goalie can steal a game for a team and one great save or sequence of saves can shift the momentum more than anything else.  Having to defend the net and stay protected doing so, there is a lot that goes into the position and learning the basics of movement and gear functionality can be a tough learning curve.  With experts who play goalies themselves, we’re here to answer all the questions you might have and GoalieMonkey has all the hockey goalie equipment you need for the game to keep you protected and playing your best. 

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Basic Hockey Goalie Stance
• Hockey Goalie Techniques
• Hockey Goalie Positioning and Angles
• Hockey Goalie FAQs

Basic Hockey Goalie Stance

A goalie’s stance is a critical basis for finding success at the goalie position.  Each goalie’s stance will vary slightly to best suit their playing style, ability, and flexibility, but the essence remains the same throughout.   The goalie’s stance is designed to maximize coverage in the net while providing the goalie with the best starting point for any of the many movements to make a save.

• Feet: A goalie’s feet should be about a shoulder width’s apart from one another.  In a normal goalie stance, the goalie will tend to be leaning forward and utilizing the front half and inside edge of the skate blade.
• Skates: In a traditional stance, skates should be near parallel with ankles having a slight angle inward to provide emphasis on the inside edge of the blade.
• Knees/Hips: The squat and knee bend can be linked to that of beginning to sit in a chair.  Knees out forward from the body and about a 90 degree bend at the hips.
• Chest: The goalie’s chest should be upright coming from the hips and square to the puck’s position.  While on the feet in the goalie stance, the chest will have a slight face towards the ice to cover more of the net.
• Shoulders: Shoulders should be relaxed and comfortable.  Too stiff of shoulders will stiffen the arms and prevent natural, easy movements.
• Blocker: The blocker’s position is quite simple.  A good starting point is having the blocker thumb rest on the upper part of the outer roll of the goalie pad. Adjustments can be made from there to best suit the goalie’s comfortability.
• Catch Glove: Catch gloves on the other hand vary considerably from goalie to goalie.  There are a wide variety of angles and ways to hold out a goalie glove, however the basic goal is to remain square to the puck at all times.  Variances include thumbs up positioning or fingers up positioning with differences in the angle of the elbow being possible as well.
• Stick: With the blocker in position, the goalie stick should naturally angle towards the ice.  Goals for stick placement include keeping the blade flat on the ice and about 1 -2 feet in front of the toes of the goalie’s skates.   The blade of the stick should naturally have some angle to it to help direct pucks upward and outward from the net and reduce the force of impact on the blade.

A good way to get a feel for maximizing net coverage is having a friend or family member take a picture of a goalie’s stance in net during practice, warmup, or open rink time.  Visualize the net coverage and compare your stance to the top NHL goalies’ stances.  Adjustments of glove, stick, and leg pad positioning can be made from there.  

Hockey Goalie Techniques

Goalie playing styles have evolved greatly since the game has been in existence and even so within the last 20 years.  Since the late 1990’s, a new generation of playing style has come to the forefront in the butterfly style.  Through the positioning evolving, new gear regulations have forced goalies to adapt and equipment manufacturers to make great advancements in the gear and its ability to protect a goalie.  A greater focus on goaltending training and development has led to specific positioning and playing styles for many different situations which are mirrored by the goalies you see today in the NHL.

Traditional / Stand-up Goalie

A traditional or “stand-up” goalie style is going extinct.  Goalies of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s played the position primarily standing up and would only drop to their knees in the event the play was near the net.  Advancements in gear technology and efficiencies in the butterfly style of play make this a very rare style in today’s age.

Butterfly Goalie

The hybrid style of goaltending has evolved in its definition over the past decade.  Past and present NHL goalies including Evgeni Nabokov and Jonathan Quick are the definition of this playing style.  “Hybrid” style is just that; a combination of butterfly and stand up styles, primarily played as a reactionary style to the shot.  Goalies can master this style and be more unpredictable to shooters, however often in playing this position, goalies can find themselves out of position more frequently by having to react to the shot.

Hockey Goalie Positioning & Angles

Like any position in hockey, the approach to a given situation in the game is not always standard.   Situations such as a Penalty Kill, Breakaway, or odd-man rush can factor into different approaches a goalie will take to a situation.  Even so, in a matter of a split second, a goalie must always be monitoring the current play and both his/hers and opposing players to determine the best positioning and angle for the play.  Additionally, goalies playing roller, ball/foot, or another type of hockey often will find different techniques more successful than they would playing ice hockey.  Lastly, this may not apply to all ages/groups of goalies.  Young players don’t often have the skill or power to shoot or pass the puck like older players do, so a goalie’s positioning will reflect this.

Defensive Depth

A defensive depth is generally used when the goalie identifies a potential cross-ice pass, play near the net, or when his/her team is shorthanded.  Playing “deeper” in the net (closer to the net) requires the goalie to cover less distance when moving side to side, thus being quicker and more able to protect the net against a cross-ice pass or play down low.

Base Depth

The base or standard depth a goalie will play is when neither the goalie or the shooter have the advantage.  This could be during a typical even-man zone situation or an even-man rush.

Aggressive Depth

An aggressive depth is used typically when the goalie has the advantage over the player and is looking to maximize net coverage and presence.  This could be when the goalie identifies a shot from far out or a situation where the opposing player has few options to pass to another player.  By playing aggressively and moving further out of the net, the opposing player has less net to shoot at and the goalie has a better ability to cover more of the net.

Hockey Goalie FAQs

What equipment does a hockey goalie need?

A goalie’s equipment setup is designed to protect from head to toe, while allowing for full movement to make saves.  This includes Goalie Skates, Leg Pads, Protective pants (breezers), chest and arm protector, blocker, glove, goalie mask, and stick.   Besides these items, a variety of accessories are generally worn including, undergarments, neck protector, and groin protector.  For a full list and more detailed explanation of a goalie’s equipment, check out our full guide here.

What is the most common hockey goalie playing style?

A hybrid/butterfly style has become the most prominent playing style in hockey today.  This style allows for maximum net coverage and an ability to easily move to other areas of the net to make follow-up and rebound saves, depending on the situation.

Is goalie the hardest position to play in hockey?

Goalie is a difficult position, it requires learning to skate and make movements with more gear than skaters, however for many, it comes easier.  Often young players will try goalie and become hooked, growing into the position with a background in skating out.

Do you have to be a good skater to play goalie in ice hockey?

It is very helpful for a goalie to be strong on their skates, although they generally don’t have the same speed and agility that skaters do.   Being strong on their skates with a good understanding of using both edges is key to the position.

This article was originally published on Feb 2, 2022, and has been updated with new information.

The Complete Guide on How To Train A Hockey Goalie

In the world of hockey goalie training, there are many things you can do to prepare for success on the ice. For many goalies, knowing where to start when it comes to their training is half the battle. Since we started Goalie Coaches, we’ve been asked just about every goalie training question you can imagine. In this comprehensive goalie training guide, we’ll do our best to answer some of the most frequently asked questions we get as Coaches.

If you’re new to Goalie Coaches, check out our free goalie training app, built specifically for hockey goalies.

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There are many components to training a hockey goalie. The three most important things for goalie training are working on goalie-specific drills, on-ice training, and off-ice preparation.

There are 6 main ways to train to be a hockey goalie. These are on-ice training, off-ice training, training with a private goalie coach, attending a goalie camp, and working on skills individually (using Sense Arena is a bonus).

On Ice Training

On-ice goalie training is the single most important things goalies do throughout their career. When it comes to building a goalie training plan that will make you a better goalie, follow a simple rule: the goalie’s job is to see the puck and stop the puck.

Of course. So what does that mean? 99% of this rule means becoming an elite skater. Well, what does it take to become an elite skater? Repetition. Repetition and skill progression. To develop a sound skillset and become a better skater, you must repeat the same movements over and over, until you’re proficient. Once a goalie is proficient in a certain area, it’s ok to move to another progression that incorporates this basic skill.

One of the most important parts of developing a goalie training program is skill progression. It’s important that goalies build a solid foundation of strong skating and puck tracking ability before moving into more advanced techniques and scenarios.

As a rule of thumb, doing something is always better than nothing.

Professional goalies train using the exact same methods an entry-level goalie uses, as the movements are the exact same. The only difference? Professional goalies are much faster than beginner goalies. If you’ve got an hour of open ice and you’re unsure of what drills you should be working on, do some simple crease movements. Throughout your career, you’ll be doing these exact same movements thousands of times. It’s far better than getting an hour of open ice and spending it trying to hit the crossbar from the blue line.

Tips for On-Ice Training

• If you’re unsure, attend a camp or hire a coach
• Doing something is always better than doing nothing
• Download the goalie training app for more drill ideas (and the ability to upload videos for review)
• Follow a skill progression, meaning don’t attempt to do RVH recoveries or complex movements before you’ve mastered the basics

Skill Groups Goalies Should Focus on In Their On Ice Training

There are many different components to on-ice goalie training. It’s not just stepping out onto the ice and skating around aimlessly. Goalies should be able to identify which areas of their game need the most attention, and start there.

If you’re needing more goalie drill ideas, check out the Goalie Coaches App.

Off-Ice Training

Off-ice goalie training is a huge part of becoming a better goalie. As a coach having worked with thousands of goalies, if I see goalies miss in one area, it’s how they train off the ice. There is no excuse for not training when you’re not on the ice, especially if you’re trying to become a Division 1 or Professional goalie. While we’re on that subject, dream big! There’s absolutely no reason you (yes you, the one reading this), can’t become a professional goalie. If you want to be a pro, you’ve got to train like a pro.

This means, training off the ice. There are millions of body-weight exercises that can be found on Youtube, or Instagram / Tik Tok. You don’t need fancy equipment to train off the ice. After all, the best training plan is the plan you follow.

Things To Work On Off The Ice (for Goalies)

• Improving your hand-eye coordination
• Building lower body strength
• Becoming more flexibile
• Vision training
• Mental training

Hiring A Private Goalie Coach

While it’s not necessary to hire a private goalie coach, it can make a huge difference in your career. Don’t get caught up in which coach has the best credentials. When you start your search for a goalie coach, we recommend seeing multiple.

The reason goalies should work with as many coaches as possible is to add as many different viewpoints to their game as possible. You wouldn’t rely on just one exercise to become stronger off the ice, so why rely on just one goalie coach on the ice? If you have the luxury of working with multiple coaches, be open to it and take advantage of it.

Tips for Working With A Goalie Specific Coach

• Work with as many coaches as possible, the more viewpoints you get on your game, the better
• Skate as often as you’re able
• Don’t get caught up in credentials, the best coaches often have the least amount of professional playing experience (see John Cooper, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning)
• Be willing to learn and accept new ideas

Attending Goalie Camps

While not necessary to playing the position, attending a goalie camp is a great way to learn from other goalie coaches and to see how you stack up against your peers. I often tell folks, the value in attending a goalie camps is not just in your hours on the ice during camp.

How To Get The Most Value Out of Attending A Goalie Camp

• Ask questions! You paid to be there, take advantage of it. You’re working with folks that are super passionate about the position (believe me, they’re not in this for the money), coaches love to talk about it.
• No question is a bad question
• Don’t be afraid to ask for criticism, coaches want you to leave feeling like you received value from their camp, so when you ask, they’ll answer!

Individual Skill Work

One of the single best ways to train as a hockey goalie is to train individually, by yourself. If you can find the ice time, take advantage of it.

How to work on Goalie Skills Individually

• Create a plan (our training app has the ability to create practice plans for yourself) so you maximize your ice time
• Find a friend willing to bring a few pucks to shoot throughout your skate
• Record yourself training! Even if you’re not sure what you should be watching for, learning from your own mistakes is one of the best ways to improve your skillset as a goalie

Football goalkeeper game rules.

Where and when the goalkeeper can play with his hands.

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Azteca
Interesting
05/27/2020

The goalkeeper is a special player in the team. It is believed that a good, skilled goalkeeper is half the team. After all, he, having caught courage, becomes an impenetrable wall, and a goal can only be scored with some incredible blow. In the penalty area, where the goalkeeper can play with his hands, he outperforms any field player.

According to the football rules, only the goalkeeper has the right to take the game projectile in his hands. Although even at the dawn of the history of football, all players on the field had the right to use their hands. Finally, such a privilege was assigned to the guards of the gate in 1903.

When the goalkeeper can handle the ball

The main task of the goalkeeper is to protect the goal at all costs. Any part of the body can be used. Of course, playing and catching the ball with your hands is considered the most practical way to keep your own goal intact. A boxed player must know when the goalkeeper can handle the ball:

• Touching the ball with your hands is only allowed in the penalty area. Just in case, let’s clarify that this is the penalty area of ​​\u200b\u200bits gate!
• The goalkeeper must not take the ball in his hands after a kick-in from out-of-bounds, a pass from a teammate.
• The goalkeeper may hold the ball for six consecutive seconds.
• If the goalkeeper has released the ball, it can be re-taken in hands when any field player makes a touch.

Handling allows the goalkeeper to feel in control of his own penalty area. Including when he is fighting for a riding ball with tall players.

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Actions on the pitch

Goalkeeping is not just about defending the goal. He, like any field player, may perform any other action:

• Kick the ball with his feet and head;
• Take free kicks, free kicks, penalty kicks.

Many scorers are known among them, who have scored more than a dozen goals: Rogerio Ceni, Jose Luis Chilavert, Jorge Campos, Dimitar Ivankov, Rene Higuita, Hans-Jörg Butt.

In the same way, all team members participate in the defense of the goal. According to FIFA rules, even a field player can become a goalkeeper if the goalkeeper is injured or sent off, and there is no such role as a substitute player.

Equipment

The special position of the goalkeeper on the field is emphasized not only by the exclusive right to play with his hands, but also by the distinctive equipment. His uniform is different in color from the team uniform. Plus, gloves are on. High-quality goalkeeper gloves have increased grip and ergonomics. Catching the ball in them is easier and more reliable. In the Azteca online store you can purchase high-quality models of uhlsport brand gloves.

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Vitaly Kafanov: “The goalkeeper is a key figure”

Vitaly Kafanov has been coaching goalkeepers for over 20 years. A year ago, he joined the coaching staff of the Russian national team, and in a short time managed to win sympathy and authority from the team’s goalkeepers. According to Anton Shunin, Kafanov pays attention to subtle details that help to become better. Matvey Safonov noted the coach’s ability to find an approach to the players, and Marinato Guilherme admitted that he is like a father to goalkeepers. In an interview with the RFU, Vitaly Kafanov frankly answered questions about the world of goalkeeper art.

About the European Goalkeeping School

— The fact is that in Europe schools are integrating, everyone takes something from each other, but there are moments that they keep. Yesterday we discussed with our goalkeepers the actions of the goalkeeper in one-on-one situations. The Italians still believe that in such situations the goalkeeper should act at random, as he feels. It is necessary not to look at the ball, but to anticipate the situation. In other schools, the goalkeeper is required to stand to the end, take the correct position, look at the ball and react already to its flight.

These differences are few, but they exist. If we talk about the German school (I managed to talk with three very strong German coaches), then the basis of the exercises there are basic exercises, there are a lot of them. And a lot of attention is paid to psychology. From what I saw and also talked with the coaches, there are a lot of different exercises in the training process of the Spanish school. They believe that there should be a lot of them, that goalkeepers should move a lot. And this also has its pluses. Although in the main components of the game when defending the goal, much in Europe is now similar.

If we take the English school, then this is primarily a game at the exits. We had Alexander Kolinko in our team, he played in England. I was also interested, I went to England and watched the training process. Probably b o most of the time was devoted to kicking the ball in and serving from the flank.

Moreover, when serving from the flank, they don’t stand on ceremony with the goalkeeper, they impose a fight on him, sometimes even very tough. Because the British play hard, and the judges allow, including playing hard with the goalkeeper. If earlier the goalkeeper was slightly hurt in the goalkeeper’s area – and immediately there was a whistle (that’s why it was called the goalkeeper’s, it could not be touched), but now there is no such thing.

About the Russian goalkeeping school

— It’s hard to talk about the Russian school. Since 2012, after we, the coaches, began to communicate with each other, I would say that our task was to preserve and improve the Soviet school, we still have many coaches who played at that time. And due to the fact that these innovations have appeared in the rules, they must be taken into account, and exercises related to this must be added to the training process. Well, and all the best that is in the European school, we want it to be with us too. I think that we, the goalkeeping coaches, have taken a big step forward. And our goalkeepers are also playing better now. Yes, as long as we are not called to Europe. After 2003, the first one who left for a good club was Andrey Lunev. I think that this is just the beginning and we, of course, hope that Andrey will show himself well there, and people will pay attention to our school. Because we have a lot of good goalkeepers.

About the most revolutionary change in football rules

– It was a long time ago, in 1992, when the goalkeeper was forbidden to take the ball in his hands if the pass comes from a partner. And of course, tactical innovations, when the teams switched to zone defense, and there was no last defender – the cleaner, or, as they said then, the libero. The goalkeeper had to fulfill this role as well, to insure his defenders. The training process has changed a lot, more attention has been paid to kicking, more exercises have appeared on how the goalkeeper should insure the defenders – first of all, when the ball is carried from the opponents’ half to your half. If the game with legs did not immediately, but went on, then with the role of the last defender, the matter turned out to be much more difficult. And even now we see that if the goalkeeper makes a mistake in such a situation, it is either a penalty or a goal. That is, the cost of error has increased. Previously, they didn’t even give a yellow card for such violations, but now it’s just removal and that’s it. The cost of a mistake is very high.

It turns out that I experienced this change already in adulthood. 1992, September, it was a match for the Asian Cup, Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan. Before the match, the referee was asked whether the new rules apply or not, whether you can take the ball in your hands when your partner passes to you. We were told that the rules are not in effect yet. In this match, the defender gave me a pass back, I took the ball in my hands, and the referee appointed a free one on the goalkeeper’s line. That’s how I found out about it.

About playing on the line and playing with feet

– If we talk about the current time, then the legs are a priority. Many coaches say that it is better to take a goalkeeper who plays well with his feet, even to the detriment of defense, goal defense. And we in Russia are also talking about this: if we want to be in demand in Europe, then this is the direction now. At the last conference in Nizhny Novgorod, we gave a lot of examples, videos about what kind of goalkeepers are now required in Europe. This should be taught in youth football, starting at the age of 13-14, because it is difficult to relearn in adult football. And if we do not want to lag far behind, we must first of all work on this. This means not only the beginning of the attack, where there is a short and medium pass, not only that goalkeepers should participate in the training process in the general group.

I don’t know if you’ve read it – Neuer recently scored the seventh assist of his career. Of course, I also dream that the goalkeeper of the team where I work would make passes, after which we would score goals. We are working on it a lot, there are moments where we make these transfers, tension is created. There was a moment when we earned a penalty after passing the goalkeeper to the penalty area. But, of course, I wish there were more of it. And not only in the team where you work, but in general in Russia they pay attention to this, so that goalkeeping coaches work more on this. Of course, a lot still depends on the head coaches, who should support this direction.

About what goalkeepers could play as outfield players

— At what level would a modern goalkeeper play in the field? Probably, here it is necessary to say not “at what level”, but “at what position”. The defender, of course, is easier, because he is next to the defenders, he sees them. When we worked at Rubin, we wanted goalkeepers in the academy to play in the position of central defenders in their youth, in order to feel it better, to make it easier to insure defenders. That is, first of all, these are central defenders, defensive midfielders. The vast majority of goalkeepers like to play offensively, they want to score, and I think they would also play forwards. Not in midfield.

About goalkeeper’s connections to someone else’s penalty area in the last minutes

— I’ll tell you so. It was 1992, Kazakhstan, when no one was talking about it yet. We had a coach in Kairat Dalrod Ibragimovich Galeev. Working before Kairat as a head coach in another team, he forced the goalkeeper to take corners and then everyone laughed at him (God rest his soul, he was a wonderful person). Now this is the norm. As for my attitude, we train it, our goalkeepers are ready to go into the penalty area at the last minute, we show them the area where they should go (this is the area where they score most often). We also train goalkeepers functionally. For example, now Sergey Pesyakov joined Spartak at the last minute, then returned, and he had the strength to go again if necessary. He was ready to go for the second attack, and for the third. That is, the goalkeeper must still be physically ready for this, and not just go, create a crowd, but score. This also needs to be trained, it will not happen by itself by chance.

About whether goalkeepers should take penalties

– Here I am definitely against it, because there are players for this who will do it just as well. This is not the case. It’s one thing when you connect at the last minute to create a numerical advantage; it makes no difference whether you lose by one ball or by two. And when there is a penalty and in case of failure, you have to run back … And there were such cases when the goalkeeper did not have time to return and he was scored. It’s not worth it.

About the criteria for evaluating goalkeeping

– When the guys from InStat contacted, they asked: “What numbers would you change here?” They are not entirely objective. For example, the goalkeeper did not come out, did not secure the defenders, they scored a goal, and this is not considered a tactical mistake. That is, he took the wrong position, but it is not visible. Or, for example, the goalkeeper gave an accurate pass to a partner in front of the penalty area, he lost the ball – they scored a goal. This is also the goalkeeper’s fault, because he should not have given there. This is a plus for him, the forward pass, and this is not entirely objective data, there is no assessment of the correctness of the decision.

Therefore, when we look at the goalkeeper’s numbers, they are very dry, here you can’t see how the goalkeeper thinks, what decisions he makes, where he should have played, where he shouldn’t. Where it’s just a one-on-one exit, he didn’t close the distance and could have prevented the attacker from scoring the ball. Or the goalkeeper hit the ball, he is recorded as a save. And the fact that he beat off in front of him and finished off this ball – these indicators are not there either. There are a lot of indicators that do not correspond, and if you do not watch the game, then the understanding will be wrong.

And here there is another moment when the numbers show: so many hits. It’s one thing if the goalkeeper saves when they hit from close range, it’s another thing when the kick comes from 20 meters and he must take it. It seems to me that here the complexity of the strikes must also be taken into account. It was a scoring chance, and the goalkeeper really saved the team or it was the ball that barely rolled to the goal, not a strong shot. There are also many of them, the kick didn’t work, the goalkeeper took the ball in his hands. Statistically, both are the same.

How a goalkeeper can get a match out on his own

— Let me remember something from the last. Matvey Safonov, Slovakia. This match was won by Matthew. We took one shot on goal, scored, and Matvey saved us several times. And then, the Slovaks scored in their own net. This game was won by the goalkeeper. Why I say that the goalkeeper is the most key figure is the impact on the result. There are many such examples.

On the importance of height for goalkeepers

— Of course, height is important, but it is not a panacea. There are small goalkeepers. Well, how small? 180-182 centimeters, in our time they were all like that, the vast majority. At some period, year 1997-98, the Germans, it seems to me, were the first to select tall goalkeepers. And the goalkeepers have grown dramatically. Now the average height of goalkeepers is 189-190 centimeters. They grew up, but this did not affect the quality of the game, the reaction to the balls that fly on the ground, from the bottom. Goalkeepers fit well even with such a complexion, but at the same time they play better on exits, it’s easier for them.

There are no goalkeepers much taller than two meters. There are 202, 198 – Pesyakov. Let’s just say that this is not the most important indicator. After some championship (probably it was 2016), the goalkeeper’s average height was calculated, and he was 189centimeters, and age – 29 years. That is, it does not mean that the higher the goalkeeper, the better. There is a certain level. Everyone knows Igor Akinfeev and Casillas – 186-187. The main thing for the goalkeeper is the head. Mentality, how he makes decisions, how he thinks – it will always come first anyway. Whatever the goalkeeper is, tall, short, first of all he must be smart.

How to recognize a goalkeeper as a child

— I haven’t worked with children, but from what I’ve heard: the Germans pay attention to character. Now there is such a tendency that for the first 3 years the child should play not at the gate, but in the general group, develop various physical qualities. At this age, it is very difficult to understand something, so I don’t understand when, at the age of 8-10, a child is suddenly removed from the team, they say that he is unpromising.

From my experience: I worked in the youth team of Russia born in 1983 (16 years old), they were the best guys, took 8th place in the European Championship, and only five of that team ended up in the Premier League. And vice versa, guys of the same age, who were not the best, ended up there after some time, played and play football for a very long time. Here we must say that each has its own ripening period. Just like goalkeepers, one can open up at 25, another at 28, so can children. Someone may be inconspicuous, but by the age of 16 he is slowly developing, getting better and better, and then he adapts better in adult football.

What is the problem with those players who were the best and didn’t play? We also discussed this topic at the conference. They come to the team of masters, and there they are no longer the best, and not everyone can stand it. It is necessary to prove everything again and not everyone succeeds, this is a matter of psychology. There is no person nearby who would say: “You have to start all over again, work hard, and in time you will be the best again.” In the transition to adult football, many people disappear, and goalkeepers too. I studied goalkeeping, but it’s the same with outfield players.

About whether it is possible to become a goalkeeper after 18 years old

— There are such examples. Sasha Kolinko – at the age of 19; goalkeeper of the Latvian national team, played until the age of 40. Yura Dupin at 22. This is just offhand. Therefore, to say that it is necessary to go all the way from 8 years to a team of masters is correct, logical, but there are times when a person has a goalkeeper’s core, something that the coach will not teach. Here is Sasha Kolinko, he came at the age of 19 – clumsy, a bear like I was told. And he helped the Latvian national team to get to the European Championship, he just pulled it there, he was a very strong goalkeeper. Yura Dyupin was a freight forwarder, he started at the age of 22, at the age of 30 he got into the Premier League, now he is a candidate for the national team. Of course, we can say that these are exceptions to the rules, but life has shown that it is impossible to give up on anyone, at any age.

No matter how weak a goalkeeper is today, it doesn’t mean that in 2-3 years… Nikita Khaikin, let’s talk about him, now he is in the national team. I watched him for a long time – he didn’t succeed at all, nothing. “Kuban”, “Mordovia”, “Ural” – everywhere they said: “Thank you, you are not suitable.” In Europe, how many clubs he traveled to, in the second league he was abroad. Israel, Holland, Spain, England – wherever I’ve been. Didn’t like it. And now the two-time champion of Norway, playing in a club that beats the Italian Roma, has arrived in the national team. To come to another country and become the first is very difficult. Another country, another culture. On the one hand, it helps a person to develop, but not everyone can come, become the first in a team and help this team become the best in the country.

About other sports for goalkeepers

— In general, I am in favor of goalkeepers doing as many different sports as possible. So it was before, in Soviet times, goalkeepers were engaged in all team sports, played both handball and basketball. Basketball helps a lot.

Tennis helps to move correctly and quickly across the field, the goalkeeper needs fast legs. The more sports the better. Someone recently sent a clip in which they say that the goalkeeper is 100 sports. He must be able to do everything, play everything and win everything. The more, the better, I’m only “for”, with both hands.

The closest thing to us is, of course, futsal. A lot of goalkeepers these days, unlike in the past, block when they get close. Block in place, block in motion, we call them “long block”, “short block”. For those who play futsal, big football helps in such situations.

Handball, and this was also discussed recently, helps to keep the hands higher. Many goalkeepers have their hands down at the moment of impact, they do not have time to raise them, and we tell them: “Look at the handball players. You don’t have to keep them up, but you have to keep them at a medium height.” The coaches argued a lot among themselves whether it was necessary to keep their hands up, like handball players. What is the minus here? Everything that flies lower there – they lift their leg, goalkeepers cannot do that. We came to the general opinion that such a stand does not suit us. Of course, we look, we study, we argue. So far, from what we’ve seen, futsal is closest to us.

Sometimes people come to football from other sports. I’ll give you an example, Viktor Bannikov, who was involved in athletics for 5 years, and then became the first goalkeeper in Dynamo Kiev, the champion of the USSR, played in Torpedo and in the USSR national team.

About the goalkeeper prompt

— When you can’t hear, we say: “Don’t even waste your energy. You will just lose a lot of energy, which is not enough for the end of the match, for concentration, for making the right, important decision.” When you hear it, yes. But again, we say that there should not be many of them. We don’t have to tell the player what to do with the ball, he has to make the decision himself. If he makes a mistake, there is no need to waste energy and scold him, there is a head coach for this. There is no need to waste emotions on this.

Tell me about defense – yes. A prompt made in time can deprive the opponent of a scoring chance. Just prompted in time – and there is no moment. When the goalkeeper does not prompt, and then the moment is created, and he helps out, he corrects his mistake, because he did not prompt in time. This is important. The only time when players with the ball can be prompted that they need to play simply is the risk of losing the ball. Here you can suggest: “Play simple, knock out for a corner.” But emotions should not be wasted either. And of course, in standard positions.

How to maintain concentration

— This is probably the most difficult moment, not everyone can do it. What is it expressed in? Here we say: in training, the goalkeeper helps out, helps out, but in the game in the same situation he conceded the ball, lacked concentration. That is, not everyone can apply in the game what he can do in training. This is a matter of psychology, because there is no stress in training, but in the game it is, and under stress, not everyone can keep their concentration. Why do goalkeepers make simple mistakes? Sometimes fans look: “I wouldn’t miss such a ball!” I hear it often. And I wouldn’t miss one like that, and you can hear from the coaches: “Well, how can you miss such a ball?”

Because when a goalkeeper is under stress for 90 minutes, not everyone can control their actions. This is probably the most difficult. You can be tall, and jumpy, and technical, and physically strong, but if the goalkeeper cannot keep the condition for 90 minutes, then this goalkeeper is not for big tasks. He cannot show what he is capable of. There have been many of these in my lifetime.

On the importance of psychology

— Goalkeeping coach is also a psychologist. A person who has not played at the gate, no matter how strong a psychologist he is, will never understand what needs to be said. Most importantly, I wrote about it in a book and am still sure: what to say before the game, how to say it and when to say it. This is probably more important than any exercise. Psychologists do not feel this. He didn’t play in goal, he won’t understand. General, superficial phrases will not reach.

About special equipment for training

— I tried the glasses, I didn’t like it, I don’t understand. Maybe I haven’t tried much. Refused. These balls too. They say that he is changing direction, you have to react. A large film library of ricochets has crept up when the ball changes direction. Now many coaches buy equipment (I know, they bought it at Chertanovo) that changes direction, and put these boards 5-6 meters before the goalkeeper. Bottles are thrown and other objects to change direction.

But when I started to delve into this matter and write down ricochets, an interesting thing turned out: all 50 balls with ricochets scored this year changed direction somewhere in 13-15 meters from the goalkeeper. Not 5-6 meters. I don’t know how to train it. The kick goes behind the penalty area, the players stand somewhere on the penalty line, change direction and the balls fly in. Therefore, I think that all these devices do not give anything. Because there were almost no such goals, when the ball changes direction from five meters away. Out of 50, maybe 1-2. All others change direction at a distance from the goalkeeper.

As for the gun, yes. It is good because you put a cannon, the upper corner is 30 meters, and here the plus is that the goalkeeper does not see the swing. That is, the ball flies out and it is necessary to react to it. In the game, the goalkeeper sees the swing and after the gun he has more time. Of all the things you said, of course I would like a gun. And when I worked at Rubin, we asked for a gun. Bought it when I left.

About revolutionary goalkeepers

– Here we have two big revolutionaries – Lev Yashin, who was the first to play inside the box with his hands, and Neuer, who was the first to play outside the box with his feet. And at first, no one scolded Neuer, only the lazy did not throw stones at him, because there were mistakes. But he was the first to come forward and play like a field player, open up in the field. Therefore, today the seventh assist is not just like that, it started in 2014. And everyone followed him not immediately, after 2-3 years. Everyone looked to see what would come of it.

If there is a coach like Guardiola who let Valdes make mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, and in the first year 14 goals were scored after Valdes made mistakes, then he made fewer mistakes. The next year there were only three. You will be lucky if there is such a coach who says: “Make a mistake. Scored? Nothing, come on.” Not every head coach can afford such a goalkeeper. More than that, even demand. And now all the goalkeepers in Barcelona are selected, first of all, according to such principles.

On the importance of psychology

— Here we have two big revolutionaries — Lev Yashin, who was the first to play inside the box with his hands, and Neuer, who was the first to play outside the box with his feet. And at first, no one scolded Neuer, only the lazy did not throw stones at him, because there were mistakes. But he was the first to come forward and play like a field player, open up in the field. Therefore, today the seventh assist is not just like that, it started in 2014. And everyone followed him not immediately, after 2-3 years. Everyone looked to see what would come of it.

If there is a coach like Guardiola who let Valdes make mistakes, mistakes, mistakes, and in the first year 14 goals were scored after Valdes made mistakes, then he made fewer mistakes. The next year there were only three. You will be lucky if there is such a coach who says: “Make a mistake. Scored? Nothing, come on.” Not every head coach can afford such a goalkeeper. More than that, even demand. And now all the goalkeepers in Barcelona are selected, first of all, according to such principles.

Goalkeepers in women’s football

– You asked a question about concentration here. Crazy concentration. At every practice, for every ball in practice. How attentively they listen, how they absorb it and can immediately show it in the game. This is probably the most important thing. Women’s dedication is simply amazing. They set a goal and nothing will stop them. In this regard, they are strong, girls.

Why goalkeepers spit on gloves

— Because a dry sponge holds less. Of course, we can water with some water, but then it dries up and it is not always possible to go to water the gloves. That’s why they spit. Wet gloves create better friction when receiving the ball.