Tip #21
Can You Handle The Back Pass?
Your defense is coming at you under pressure, chasing down a thru ball with an opponent on his/her back - are you ready and capable to provide support?
I have seen all too many cases where this is not so, and I have seen far too many cases where the coaches of teams neglect developing this ability in a goalkeeper - who is responsible???
Your coach, your trainer and YOU!
The role of today’s goalkeepers involves a large portion of the game being played with the keepers feet - time must be made to develop this part of your game. The days of not passing the ball back to the keeper are long gone - if you are not involved in moving the ball with your team, you are missing out on perfecting a vital part of your game.
I have heard over and over again from keepers that the coach will not allow the team to pass the ball back to them - and this is most common in the youth leagues. The keeper should be as proficient in handling the ball with his/her feet as is the best field player. Ryan Hayward, and outstanding former keeper for TCNJ and an excellent coach with whom I have worked extensively, always comments that he feels most complimented when somebody acknowledges that he is a good soccer player, not just a good keeper. This means that he has developed his overall skills as a player being able to handle the ball well with his body and feet, not just his hands.
This is a level that all keepers should attain.
Keepers need to be involved in all possession games played by the rest of the team; they need to be able to settle any kind of ball lofted or driven back to them and they need to be able to drive a ball to a target with both feet whether, or not, they are under pressure.
This can be accomplished by being taught proper technique by your trainer. Every practice session for a keeper should involve some aspect of handling the ball with every part of their bodies, as well as, the hands.
This should include the skills of dribbling, juggling, passing with the inside of the feet, collecting, driving balls with both feet (including taking goal kicks!) all with no pressure, a little bit of pressure and mostly, under high pressure.
Strive to become a better soccer player, not just a better keeper.
Feel free to respond to this tip and offer your own thoughts, if you so desire to Paul.
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