Specific Training for Goalkeepers

Translated from the original by Manel Silvestre (2007, with presentational help from Sergio
Gómez)

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CONTENTS
1 Medicine Ball............................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Ball on the Head.............................................................................................................. 4
1.1.1 Pre-season................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1.2 In the season.............................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Medicine Ball Passing.................................................................................................... 4
1.2.1 Passing from out of the water............................................................................................. 4
1.2.2 Series of 25 metres with 3kg or 5kg................................................................................. 5
1.3 Combinations of Passing and Ball on the Head.....................................................5
1.4 Variations.......................................................................................................................... 5
2 Jumps without the Ball............................................................................................. 5
2.1 Jumps along the length of the pool............................................................................ 5
2.2 Static Jumps...................................................................................................................... 6
2.2.1 Pre-season................................................................................................................................... 6
2.2.2 In the Season.............................................................................................................................. 6
3 Sculling, Legs and Core (waist)..............................................................................6
3.1 Sculling............................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Legs..................................................................................................................................... 6
3.3 Core..................................................................................................................................... 6
3.3.1 Below the water........................................................................................................................ 6
3.3.2 With hands out.......................................................................................................................... 7
4 Weight Belt................................................................................................................... 7
5 Jumps and Drills with the Ball................................................................................ 7
5.1 Passing with hands out (of the water)......................................................................7
5.2 Passing with Hands In (the water)............................................................................ 7
5.3 Passes with One Person out of the Water................................................................ 8
5.4 Flicks or Taps................................................................................................................... 8
5.5 Shots with Two Goalkeepers....................................................................................... 8
6 Movements................................................................................................................... 9
6.1 Positional Movements relative to the Attack.........................................................9
6.2 Movement in Man-Down............................................................................................ 10
6.3 Special Movements...................................................................................................... 11
6.3.1 Helping the centre back on the foul within five metres.........................................11
6.3.2 Helping in counter-attack on a foul within 5m..........................................................11
6.3.3 Movement to help on the expulsion of the centre back.........................................12
6.3.4 Other situations...................................................................................................................... 12
7 Swimming................................................................................................................... 12
7.1 Endurance...................................................................................................................... 12
7.2 Specific Endurance....................................................................................................... 12
7.3 Power-Speed.................................................................................................................. 12
7.4 Explosiveness................................................................................................................ 12
8 Shots with the rest of the Team........................................................................... 13

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9 Weight training and the Gym............................................................................... 13
9.1 Weights............................................................................................................................ 13
9.1.1 Shoulders with Dumbbells................................................................................................. 13
9.1.2 Core............................................................................................................................................. 13
9.1.3 Abductors................................................................................................................................. 14
9.2 Gym................................................................................................................................... 14
9.2.1 Core............................................................................................................................................. 14
10 Working with Injuries.......................................................................................... 14
10.1 Abductors..................................................................................................................... 14
10.1.1 Swimming with feet tied and board between the legs.........................................14
10.1.2 Alert position and jumps.................................................................................................. 14
10.1.3 In the Goal.............................................................................................................................. 14
10.2 Shoulders..................................................................................................................... 14
10.3 Hands and Fingers..................................................................................................... 15
10.4 Back............................................................................................................................... 15
Translation notes:.......................................................................................................... 15

The drills are based on training for goalkeepers at senior level, in pre-season and during the
competitive season itself.
During the season itself, it takes into account weekly training in preparation for matches at the
weekend.
Thus training progresses from endurance to speed-power; as the week runs from Monday to
Friday:
 Monday and Tuesday the main days dedicated to endurance
 Wednesday to power-endurance or power-speed and
 Thursday and Friday to pure speed.
The ideal distribution of drills is based on a variety of work elements, without abusing one
particular type of element. For example: although we have specific medicine ball work each
day of the week, we combine it with jumps, movements with the ball and so on.

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1 Medicine Ball
 Types of weight:
o Moderate (3kg)
o High (5kg)
o Maximal (10kg)
 Warm-up: (applicable to all stages of the season)
o Ball on the head: 10 x 15” work 15” rest, 3 or 5 kilos.
1.1 Ball on the Head

1.1.1 Pre-season
10 x 1’ rest 15” 3kg
10 x 1’ rest 30” 5kg
5 x 2’ rest 45” 3kg
5 x 2’ rest 1’ 5kg
2 x 5’ rest 1’ 3kg
2 x 5’ rest 1’30” 5kg (maximal work)

1.1.2 In the season

 Endurance (5kg)
o 3 x 15” rest 15”, 3 x 30” rest 30”, 3 x 45” rest 45”, 3 x 1’ rest 1’. Follow the
complete series.
o 10 x 1’ rest 1’
o 10 x 30” rest 30”
 Power-speed (5kg)
o 3 x 15’, 3 x 30’, 3 x 45’, 3 x 1’ all with rest 15’’
o 10 x 1’ rest 30”
o 10 x 30” rest 15”
 “Mickey Mouse” (10kg)
o 10 x 30” rest 30” (maximal)
o 10 x 15” rest 15”
1.2 Medicine Ball Passing
Possible series:
 10 x 1’ rest 15” 3kg
 10 x 1’ rest 30” 5kg
 5 x 2’ rest 45” 3kg
 5 x 2’ rest 1’ 5kg
 2 x 5’ rest 1’ 3kg
 2 x 5’ rest 1’30” 5kg (maximal work)
 1 x 10’ 3kg
 1 x 7’ 5kg

1.2.1 Passing from out of the water

10 x 30” passing 3kg or 5kg:
 Facing forwards
 Laterally
 Receiving close
 Receiving high and behind

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1.2.2 Series of 25 metres with 3kg or 5kg
 Two players moving laterally
 One in front, one behind
 Moving laterally making passes requiring a lateral jump and regaining a vertical position
before making the next pass.
 Receiving high and keeping the body up in the water with arms extended.
1.3 Combinations of Passing and Ball on the Head
10 consecutive series of:
 1’ consisting of: passing for 30”; ball on the head, one player for 30”; passing; ball on
head, the other player
 The resting player has his hands out.
 5kg weight
The same in fractions of 1’ and with 3kg:
 2’ consisting of: passing for 1’; ball on the head, one player 1’; passing; ball on the
head, the other player
 The resting player has his hands out.
 3kg weight
1.4 Variations
 Take the ball to the bottom using eggbeater or breaststroke kick
 Alternating left and right-hand passes
 Glides with the ball half-submerged
 And so on

2 Jumps without the Ball

2.1 Jumps along the length of the pool
 Sideways with 1 hand as though to the corner and base of the post
 Sideways with 1 hand as though to the corner and base of the post after one, two and
three fakes

 Sideways with 2 hands as though to the corner and base of the post
 Sideways with 2 hands as though to the corner and base of the post after one, two and
three fakes
 Sideways with 2 hands as though to the corner and base of the post, keeping hands out,
regaining vertical body position with extended arms

 Vertical and high with 2 hands as though for shot over the head
 Vertical and high with 2 hands as though for shot over the head with 1, 2 and 3 fakes
 Vertical and high with 2 hands as though for shot over the head and staying high with
hands out and extended

 Lob right and left

 Lob right and left after 1, 2 and 3 fakes

 Low penalty in cross position

 High penalty in cross position
 Deceptive penalty
 Penalty to right and left

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 Combination of 3 or 5 types of jump and variations of jumps

2.2 Static Jumps

Drills:
 Laterally moving alert position with half-jump to finish (3 metres)
 Sideways jumps as though to the base of the post
 Sideways jumps to the corners
 Vertical jumps with two hands up and as though for a shot over the head (“intercalar”)
 Lob jumps (just 6 jumps)
Drill variations:
 Various two-handed jumps
 Shots over the shoulder
 From positions 1 to 5 with two hands and recovering, with hands out of the water
 Glides right and varied jump left and vice-versa
 Shot over the head with one hand
 And so on.

2.2.1 Pre-season
 5 series of varied jumps for 2’ with 1’ rest
 10 series of varied jumps for 1’ with 30” rest
 1 series of varied jumps for 5’
 10 series of 15 jumps
 5 series of 30 jumps
 2 series of 60 jumps
 10 series of sprint for 5 metres 10 jumps, sprint 5 metres 10 jumps, sprint 5 metres 10
jumps

2.2.2 In the Season

Monday or Tuesday: 3 series of 5 drills 30” work each 1’ (minimum 10 long jumps)
Wednesday or Thursday: 3 series of 5 drills 20” work each 1’ (minimum 10 quick jumps)
Friday: 3 series of 5 drills 10” work each 1’ (minimum 10 explosive jumps)

3 Sculling, Legs and Core (waist)

3.1 Sculling
 Lengths of the pool
 Glides sideways, forwards and backwards
 Movement in circles, legs together and shoulders out
 Legs straight (feet and knees out) forwards and backwards (abdominals) combined with
extending the legs
 Dorsal movements forwards and backwards
3.2 Legs
 Vertical legs forwards, backwards and sideways
 The same series with a medicine ball
 In the goal, series of four glides touching the crossbar
3.3 Core

3.3.1 Below the water

 Sideways movement of the core with arms on the neck

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 Circular movements of the core with arms on the neck

3.3.2 With hands out

 Sideways movements of the core
 Circular movements of the core

4 Weight Belt
2kg:
Valid for every type of goalkeeper training
 Training matches
 Jumps (medium duration)
 Medicine-ball (medium work)
 Shots (15-25 minutes)
 Sculling
 Etc.
3kg:
The same work of less duration
4kg:
Very short periods of work

5 Jumps and Drills with the Ball

In pairs:
5.1 Passing with hands out (of the water)
Warm-up and lengths of the pool:
Two hands
Right and left hand
Tapping the ball in various directions with various ways of receiving it (right, left, high, low,
lobs and so on)
Lengths:
Two goalkeepers sideways (right, left, etc.)
One in front, the other behind (right, left, etc.)
Sideways with leading passes, received with two hands, regaining vertical body position once
the ball has been caught.
5.2 Passing with Hands In (the water)
Passes above the head: important points: rapidity, alert position, returning quickly,
explosiveness
Series of 15 reps.

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5.3 Passes with One Person out of the Water
In series of 30”
Types:
Passes over the head, received with two hands
Passes to the side, received with two hands
Passes to the side, received after lunge with one hand and returning
With hands out, fast shots in range of the arms, including lobs
Shots to the water in front of the goalie, receiving and pulling down with two hands, quickly
moving to lobs
Throws further away, lunging with one hand (right, left) after making a sprint
5.4 Flicks or Taps
Series of 5, 10 or 15 flicks of the ball at the goal without the ball touching the water (another
player supplies the balls).
5.5 Shots with Two Goalkeepers
A lot of balls
Series of 15-10 shots
Types of shots, to:
 Corners (strong shot)
 Corners (lunge with one hand)
 Corners (lunge with two hands and coming back to vertical)
 Base of the post (strong shot)
 Lobs (the goalkeeper on 2 metres in the middle comes back with one hand to the right or
left)
 Quick-fire, close range saves with hands out (very quick, varied, shots, with an emphasis
on quick reactions)
 Quick-fire, close range saves in alert position (very quick, varied, shots, with an emphasis
on quick reactions)
 Jump with two hands to position1 to 5 without putting hands in the water and shot to the
corner: x 5 from two metres
 Glide position 1 to 5 and lob from position 4 to the far post or shot to the near post
 Shots at position 1 from two metres (counter-attack)
 Shots at position 5 from two metres (counter-attack)
 Penalties
 And so on.

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6 Movements
6.1 Positional Movements relative to the Attack
Attacking positions:

The ideal position of the goalkeeper relative to each attacking position: the half-moon will be
more open or more closed depending on the goalkeeper, the opposition and so on; but it is
obvious that the goalkeeper’s positions are in an ellipse, while the players’ positions are in
more of a semi-circle.

Positional movements relative to the attack will vary according to the movements made in the
positions.
From 1 to 2, the glide will be direct in an imaginary line between the positions.

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From position 2 to 5, the movement is quicker by taking the shortest path seeking the
imaginary line to position 5 and then moving forwards towards the ideal position.

6.2 Movement in Man-Down

Man-down movements depend on the defence deployed by the team in each position.
In general, if the defence is closed, the radius of action is less and the glide required will be
less.

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On the other hand, with an open defence, the goalkeeper has to cover more of the goal.

6.3 Special Movements

6.3.1 Helping the centre back on the foul within five metres
7m in the diagram should read 5m; “boya” = centre-forward

6.3.2 Helping in counter-attack on a foul within 5m

7m in the diagram should read 5m; “falta” = foul

If a foul is committed inside 5 metres, the goalkeeper has to cover a close attacker,
depending on whether or not there is a defender.

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6.3.3 Movement to help on the expulsion of the centre back
If the ball is on the outside and there is an exclusion (“expulsion al defensor”) at centre
forward, the goalkeeper should cover the centre forward (“boya”), while the defence positions
itself to stop a quick pass.

6.3.4 Other situations

In addition to these well-established movements, there are an infinite variety of movements
that can be used depending on the situation of the ball, markers, attackers and so on.
For example:
 Going out to a counter-attacking player outside 5 metres, if you don’t succeed in stealing
the ball, concede a foul, take the ball and move it away towards your own two metre line
(you get an expulsion, but stop a direct goal from 5m and your team still hs the chance to
defend a man-down).
 In man-down, you can lean on the post when the wing comes very close.

7 Swimming
7.1 Endurance
In general, we make the most of the early days of the week to do lengths of swimming, similar
to field players, which might amount to 2000 or 2500 metres, including series of breaststroke
and butterfly.
7.2 Specific Endurance
The second and third day, work will be of about 1000m, involving short series (50m) of
freestyle and butterfly with breaststroke legs, with good speed and a good deal of rest.
7.3 Power-Speed
The next to last day before the match, the workload comes down to around 500m.
The repetitions will be very short (25 and 12.5m) of freestyle and breaststroke.
There’s a prevalence of very fast arms and plenty of rest.
7.4 Explosiveness
The day before the match: some 300-400m of which about 100 or 200 are just of pure
explosiveness.
Repetitions of 12 to 20m. with increased tempo of strokes, great explosiveness in the
repetitions and a lot of rest.
Breaststroke: very short stroke, high body

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Freestyle: very short stroke, head up

8 Shots with the rest of the Team

These are specific shooting drills for the goalkeeper, distinct from technical and tactical
shooting drills for outfield players.
 Each player, two balls at positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5: one shot each player in this order: 1-2-
3-4-5-1-2-3-4-5
 Each player, two balls at positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5: one shot each player in this order: 1-5-
2-4-3-1-5-2-4-3
 Each player, two balls at positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5: one shot each player in following no
pre-determined order
 Small arc, very close to the goal, where the posts and two metres mark positions 1 and 5
and position 3 is at 4 metres
 Positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with a ball, moving it quickly with fakes and random shots. A
game can be played (to encourage motivation) with the following rules:
o Goal 1 point to the players
o Save 1 point to goalkeeper
o Goal off the post 2 points to the players
o Save with two hands 2 points to the goalkeeper
o If the ball is dropped 1 point to the goalkeeper
The exercises above can be applied, with the proviso that shots and passes are “bocic” and
“suecos” (shot variations).
The goalkeeper can do series with hands in the water and other series with hands out of the
water.

9 Weight training and the Gym1

These drills are elements to add or substitute from normal work for all the team in its normal
preparation.
9.1 Weights
Use the heavier load in the early days of the week.

9.1.1 Shoulders with Dumbbells

Make movements like those in the goal with 4 or 5 kg, in series of 20 or 15 repetitions, all
drills starting in the alert/sculling position:
 1 extending arms above and forwards as for a shot over the head to the side
 Opening arms in a cross high with the shoulders and to the side
 Opening arms in a cross high with the shoulders and forwards

9.1.2 Core
With a 5 or 10 kg plate, legs together, weight on the chest:
 40 reps of lateral movements
 40 reps turning the trunk to the right and left
 20 reps forward and upward (lumbar)
With a 5 or 10 kg plate, legs apart, weight behind the head
 40 reps laterally
 40 reps turning the trunk and lowering the knee
 20 reps forward-knee right-knee then left

1
NOTE: Land work depending on Strength and Condition (S&C) specialist guidance

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9.1.3 Abductors
Only work in the gym when not able to work in the water
 20 reps 40%
 15 reps 60%
 10 reps 80%
9.2 Gym

9.2.1 Core
With a long bar behind the head and legs apart
 40 lateral reps
 40 reps turning the trunk to the right and left
 40 reps turning the trunk inclined to the back (like for a lob)
 40 reps forward-back-middle-knee right-knee then left
On an abdominals bench: in addition to normal, lower sideways with two hands
On “printom” and feet on a “trellis”: lower slowly and come up explosively (extending
abductors, ideal for prevention of groin injuries).

10 Working with Injuries2

10.1 Abductors

10.1.1 Swimming with feet tied and board between the legs
Very important, never work alone with a board between the legs, which forces you to engage
the abductors.

10.1.2 Alert position and jumps

With feet tied
 Sculling of all types with a vertical body. Working the arms.
 Jumps sideways and vertical
With feet on the trough of the pool
 Sculling sideways and vertical
 Jumps sideways and vertical (these are very difficult)

10.1.3 In the Goal

With a severe injury:
 With body almost flat on the water (first-time shots)
 Injured leg extended, work with body a little to the side with all the weight on the good
leg (first-time shots)
With a light injury:
Body in seated position, almost curved, legs a long way forward (first time shots)
10.2 Shoulders
 All types of legwork
 Sculling only with the good arm
 Jumps to the good side only
 In the goal, only working the good side

2
NOTE: depending on physiotherapist’s guidance

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10.3 Hands and Fingers
 All types of legwork
 All sculling
 All jumps
 In goal, it depends (on things like capability, if there’s a match that week, what protection
is available, etc.)
10.4 Back
 All types of vertical legwork
 All sculling

Translation notes:
The text refers to “presión” as sculling with the hands with active eggbeater, being in a
position ready to receive a shot, and, if done with high intensity, being in an “alert position”.
I’ve translated “desplazamiento” as “glide”: it may be better translated as “displacement” or
“slide”, or even “shift”. I’m interested in views on this.
I’ve translated “cintura” as waist, although it seems to refer the middle of the body, the core or
the abdominals.
“Palmeos”: “taps”; maybe could be translated as “slaps”; anyway it involves using the palm of
the hand to propel the ball.
Where I’ve used “he” or “his” or “him”, this should read “he/she” or “his/her” or “him/her”.
Where the word “lateral” is used, it can usually be replaced, more colloquially, with
“sideways”.
“Devolución” is translated as “lunging” for the ball.
References to 7m in the original text have been replaced with 5m, thanks to the rule change.
Some diagrams still have the old 5m line.
Land, gym and training related to injuries should only be attempted with S&C and physio
guidance.
Unsure of meaning (they have been translated literally): “movimientos dorsales”, “piernas
verticales”
Unable to translate: “intercalar”; “printom”
UK English is used.

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