Learning to deal with high balls

To perform the actions required to deal with high balls, a goalkeeper must rely on some key technical fundamentals that will help them perform effectively.

In this session, FIFA Goalkeeping Coach Thierry Barnerat presents a series of drills that will help goalkeepers establish a strong technical foundation when dealing with high balls. They can be better prepared for aerial balls by:

reading the speed, path and height of the ball to meet it at the right moment;
focusing on effective footwork by taking considered steps towards the ball so that the front foot goes up first underneath the ball’s path, leading with the knee raised;
working on a solid footing by pushing the back foot into the ground and using it to generate power in the jump;
maintaining a strong and stable upper body whilst keeping the elbows parallel when raising the arms;
raising the hands simultaneously with the jump and keeping them close together; and
meeting the ball with strong fists, forearms, elbows and shoulders to gain more distance on the punch.

Introduction

Exercise 1: Jumping with the ball

(1/3) The starting position is on the goal line with a ball gripped in the hands and facing forward.

(2/3) When stepping forward, the goalkeeper coordinates their feet so one foot leads with the knee rising and the back foot pushes into the ground. A stable upper body and core are required.

(3/3) The hands come forward and upwards with the elbows staying parallel to the body. The back foot then drives the body upward to get more height on the jump.

This first exercise works on the solid footing required to make a high jump. Therefore, a moving ball is not used in this exercise, and the goalkeeper holds it instead whilst making three forward steps so that they can focus on the correct technical aspects, such as leading with one leg and a high knee, solid footing on the back foot, a stable upper body posture, and keeping elbows parallel when raising the hands to meet the ball.

Exercise 2: Aerial jump in three zones

(1/5) The starting position is slightly off the goal line and 5 metres from the near post, facing the goalkeeping coach with the ball.

(2/5) Coordinate the footwork so that the correct movement can be taken to meet the ball. In this case, the ball is in front, so start to step forward quickly.

(3/5) The knee comes forward and raises, and the back foot pushes down into the ground to get more height on the jump. The upper body remains stable, and the hands move towards the ball.

(4/5) The elbows must stay parallel and keep the knee high with a stable upper body. Meet the ball with open palms and the hands close together.

(5/5) If the ball is thrown to the back or centre of the goal, adjust footwork to move towards the ball and judge the flight of the ball whilst maintaining the fundamental technical skills.

This practice introduces a challenge in terms of movement as the goalkeeper must operate in three zones when claiming a high ball — the near post, the centre of the goal and the far post. Goalkeepers have to change their run and coordinate their feet to judge the flight of the ball whilst maintaining solid footing, stability of the upper body and the position of their hands and elbows.

Exercise 3: High jump with punch

(1/5) The starting position is in a standing position 1 metre from the goal line with a ball in the hands, which should be at chest height. The goalkeeper is facing out towards the goalkeeping coach.

(2/5) Eyes must follow the flight of the ball, and the goalkeeper must coordinate their feet to move towards and under the ball, while maintaining a strong upper body.

(3/5) The front foot moves up with the knee leading, and the back foot pushes into the ground. A firm grip of the ball must be maintained as the hands move up.

(4/5) The back foot pushes the body off the ground, and the hands move up to meet the ball. The balls of the hands must connect with the ball and punch it away.

(5/5) Without the ball, the goalkeeper must apply the same fundamentals, but move their hands closer together and punch it away with their fists, while maintaining strong wrists.

This drill focuses on the quality of a goalkeeper’s handling and punching. The first part works on handling and keeping hands firm when jumping and performing punching actions, whilst applying the fundamentals previously worked on. The second part works on the punching aspect and maintaining an upper-body structure to be able to gain distance on the punch.

Exercise 4: One-handed punch

(1/3) The goalkeeper starts 1 metre from the goal in a standing position, with arms slightly raised to chest level whilst facing the goalkeeper coach.

(2/3) Coordinate the footwork to move under the flight of the ball and jump, leading with the knee of the front leg. Push off with the back foot and start to raise the hand that the punch will be performed with.

(3/3) Meet the ball with a strong fist, forearm, elbow and shoulder. Do not turn or move them, and instead focus on the impact to gain distance on the punch.

This final exercise works the single-handed fist whilst applying the same principles with the jump — solid footing, lead leg and upper-body stability. Hand-eye coordination is imperative to ensure that the timing to connect the punch with the ball is effective. A strong fist, forearm, elbow and shoulder must be maintained to gain distance on the punch.