Goalkeeper Defending Tactics

There are a few main points that every soccer goalkeeper must be knowledgeable about. Here are three main points which goalkeeper can deploys.

Establishing a Wall

Once the opponent kicks a ball freely within ten to twenty yards around the penalty spot or even a straight kick in  the penalty spot, the normal defense is to create a “wall” of two or more players at least ten yards from the mark where the ball was kicked. The purpose of the wall is to protect the goal from the shooter so that the goalkeeper can only strategize how to defend a small part of the mouth of the goal. But when the wall is positioned incorrectly, it can do more damage than do good.

The wall needs to be anchored fast with the following procedures:

• A defender has to recognize themselves as the outer “anchor” of the wall. Everyone has to know who the defender is. They must raise their hands and establish eye contact with the goalkeeper. There are teams that recognize this player beforehand, usually in practices.
• Goalkeepers have the right to select the players who will stay in the wall. With extreme angles, there are lesser players. For a ball that is near the end line, two players are enough. The goalkeeper may like to place five or six players in the wall to be able to get a direct shot. The definite number of players all depends on the situation and the confidence the goalkeeper has.
• Figure 1 shows that the goalkeeper places the “anchor” in the outer section just around a line in between the ball and the closer post. Thus, the closer portion of the goal is covered with a slight overlying in order to hinder the ball from yielding around the wall. Goalkeepers normally run in full speed to the closer post in order to see if things are in their right places. Speed is ultimately a must here for the goalkeeper is in way out of place. A few teams like to allow the goalkeeper to use a forward, where the goalkeeper lines up the wall by seeing from the back of the ball back into the goalpost.
• The other players of the team line up alongside the “anchor” player to the inner parts of the goal. These players has to be next to one another so that no ball can slide through the wall.

When the wall is established, the goalkeeper has to move so that the space in the middle of the inner portion of the wall and the distant post are covered.

Occasionally, the team who attacks wins an kick that is not direct in the penalty area which is less than ten yards from the goal. Defenders are approved to move nearer than ten yards to the ball, but they have to be staying on the goal line and between the goalposts. That is why the wall must be established inside the goal. Players who are tall has to be positioned on the goal line so that chip shots can be prevented from going under the crossbar. This can occur on an indirect kick where one defender is named the “bullet man” for he is the one who rushes the ball immediately before it has touched and disrupted the next shot.

Almost all the teams never practiced this kind of situation. It can only be seen very seldom in games. However, a goalkeeper should be prepared at all times. They should also be aware of the terms of the law so that they can manage things faster if that situation occurs.

Dealing with Corners

Here are some main points in dealing with corner kicks:

• The six yard box only belongs to the goalkeeper. Older players have to expand their ranges beyond this box. It is a must to train the goalkeepers in traffic so that they can gain confidence in collecting corners and crosses inside the goal box.
• The starting position usually varies but the ideal spot is around 2/3 to ¾ of the way to the distant post as shown in figure 2. The explanation to this is because it is less difficult and quicker to go forward than go backwards. The goalkeeper’s area should be colored gray.
• The correct position of a defender is near the post, with shoulder right up against the post, and facing the corner. This is because this place should free the hard driven shots to the closer post that the goalkeeper has no access to.
• The balls that struck over the head and past the distant post must be tracked, left late and either punched wide or be alert for a shot or deflection from the distant side. This side is shown as the yellow colored portion in figure 2. A few goalkeepers and coaches want to position a player at the distant post to be able to handle these, with similar roles as the near-post defender. It is more preferred to have a defender marking than stand at the distant post.

Dealing with Back Passes

For defenders under stress, goalkeepers have to serve as outlets for them. If this is not done right, the back pass to a goalkeeper can cause a disaster such as an unchallenged giveaway before the net or an own goal. This article also provides main points for back passes to the goalkeeper.

• Goalkeepers should esquire for the ball. Do not back pass to the goalkeeper who is not anticipating it at all.

• The goalkeeper has to reside far from the goal and in the outer area of the near post so that they will be in a least susceptible position should the past go skewed.
• Passers must pass the ball with an excellent speed and through the outer portion of the closer post. A lot of goals have been won by defenders who bypass in the post and have failed to connect with the keeper.
• When the ball is taken, the keeper has to clear it fast, with 1 or 2 touches only. Changing fields is another great choice to hinder the ball out of stress. This skill must be learned!