Hints for Golkeeping

Goalkeeping needless to say is an integral part of football. It requires quick tactical decision making and quick judgement while in play. The goalkeeper has to be able to judge each situation and act accordingly, which in most cases requires split second decisions. Nowadays, goalkeepers are better equipped with proper footwear and specifically designed goalkeeper gloves. While these do help with the game, goalkeeping is mostly about the experience. An experienced goalkeeper will know when exactly to move, when to dive and when to confuse the opposing team by just standing still.

A goalkeeper has the daunting task of having to stop the ball single handed from entering the goal. He is the last point of defence. However impossible it may seem the goalkeeper should always attempt to stop the ball no matter what.

By staying central till the shot is made, the goalkeeper makes it harder for the striker to make a decision on where to aim. Inexperienced goalies tend to premeditate a shot and shift to one side of a goal, which makes it easy for the striker to change direction and aim for the opposite side.? Being central gives the goalkeeper enough leverage to shift once the shot has been made. It is tough to wait but goalkeeping is a game of strategy, where it is better to react to the decision made by the striker rather than taking precautions beforehand. Novice goalkeepers have a tendency to get into ?position? even before knowing what shot the striker is aiming for. This allows the striker to take a shot that is hard for the goalkeeper to defend. It is imperative to never give the opposite team this knowledge. A goalkeeper should always be centrally placed when a shot is taken. This way the ball can be reached easily. It is also wiser to avoid diving as much as possible. Once a dive is started it is impossible to stop and the goalkeeper will find it near impossible to get out of that position quick enough to defend the goal. Also rushing out should be avoided. Once the opposition sees the goalie out of the goal area it is easy to strategically place the shot in a way the goalkeeper will not be able to reach in time.

Goalkeeping is all about experience and having confidence in split second decision making. It is about waiting till the very last minute to move, so that the opposition has no hope out manoeuvring the goalie.

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