Academy Arena Drill Detail

GK Practice – Match Winning Saves
First striker passes to the central player who sets the ball for them to run onto and finish 1 touch.
They then join the queue on the opposite side of the pitch.
As soon as the central player sets the ball, they turn and set the striker from the opposite queue.
High tempo is key while maintaining quality of goalkeeping (clean handling) and accurate ball striking.
Progressions:
Swap sides on the queues to work on opposite foot
Condition the strikers that they must take 2 touches or more to work on 1v1 / blocking saves
Strikers now ‘follow their shot’ and go in goal after shooting – this creates more chaos and GKs must think harder
(Older / more advanced players only) Strikers clip the ball into the hands of the central player – then then set the ball in the air for a volley / half volley
(Bigger pitches only) Strikers clip the ball into the hands of the central player – they serve the ball into the air (like a cross) – the striker catches the ball and uses a side volley to shoot at the GK
Can turn the game into ‘GK Wars’ – if a GK catches the ball, they can dribble and shoot at the opposite GK before the next ball becomes active

Academy Arena
GK Match Winning Saves