CONTROL
SHOOTING
PASSING
DRIBBLING
TURNING
HEADING
CREATE SPACE
INDIVIDUAL DEFENDING
SUPPORT PLAY
GOALKEEPING
CROSSING
TACKLING
THE THROW IN
ATTACKING SET PLAYS
DEFENDING SET PLAYS
THE FREE KICK
GOAL KEEPING
Please select a subsection from the topics below :

A basic introduction Throwing the ball Saving
Clearing the back pass I Clearing the back pass II
Positional Play Progression on Positional Play
Attributes needed for Goalkeepers Catching High Balls
Diving (early stages) Dealing with high balls Finishing Skills
Dealing with kicked clearances Punching one hand
Conditioned Games for Goalkeepers Punching the ball
Sharpening practices Progression I Progression II
Progression III Progression IV Progression V

DEALING WITH HIGH BALLS

Having concentrated on the technique of catching earlier, now the goalkeeper needs to learn to deal with high balls.


Practice 1

(G) Goalkeeper, (A) and (B) serves on opposite ends of the 6-yard area with a number of footballs. (C) acts as a fielder to retrieve balls and re-supply (A) and (B).

(A) using both hands lobs the ball just under the bar and (G) has to leap and either CATCH or TIP OVER THE BAR.

As soon as he has recovered (B) serves and it is up to (G) to move quickly across the goal to deal with it.
The serves must come regularly to keep (G) moving, leaping and catching.
JUST HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS PUT ON HIM DEPENDS ON THE COACH AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVED.

Practice 2
A practice similar to practice 1 only in this (A) and (B) are on opposite sides of the goal.

(A) lobs the ball under the bar (G) or (G1) jumps and catches or saves any way he can. The he turns immediately and (B) serves - G moves quickly to G2 and tries to save.
Practice 3  
(A) holds the ball in his hands, and after releasing, he volleys towards the top angle of the goal. (G) moves to G1 to catch, or tip away (A)'s serve. After saving he returns to face a serve from (B), who again aims for the angle (opposite sides of goal) and (G) moves to (G2) to save.

Once the servers are practised enough they can volley the ball high, (G) out to (G3) to leap and catch - he must try and catch at the highest point - not waiting for it to come down.
Practice 4  
To progress (G) is given passive resistance while catching. To begin, (A) lobs up and (G) jumps between (F) and (E) to catch. (F) and (E) just stand 1 metre apart. (A) can move to (A2) and (A3) to serve.

Then (G) is given more players to deal with. As well as (F) and (E), now (H), (J) and (K) are added - all inside the 6-yard area.
(A) again serves, from the 3 positions (A), (A2) and (A3) and with 5 players standing in the box (G) has to leap and catch the ball. (A)'s serve must be high enough to cause (G) the problems of keeping one eye on the ball and the other on the 5 players he has to avoid (see diagram 5 below).