The soccer goalkeeper ball handling methods

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Your job as the soccer goalkeeper is to protect your goal by any means necessary. You cannot afford any mistakes and you need to be ready and alert during the whole soccer match.

Whether you like that or not you are expected to make all routine saves and also attempt to deflect the rest. To perform this job well you need to master several goalkeeping technique. The most important one is the ability to know how to catch the ball.

Standing Properly

If the ball is crossed inside your penalty box you generally have two options:

- The first one is to punch the ball at the side or off the field. However, you really need to punch the ball with power as you do not want it to land near an opponent.

- The second option is to catch the ball. If you lose the ball or miss it, your opponents will usually take advantage of that and score on you.

The diamond, or the W catch

As the soccer goalkeeper you will often use this when the shoots are wide or over your head. You should also try to get enough body behind the ball just in case you lose the ball. On this way you will be able to repair your mistake (in case you lose the ball) by falling on it.

The name of the W catch comes from the positions of your hands. The index finger and the thumb on your hands are locked about 45 degrees. Your hands are put next to each other and will form a W.

The Chest Catch

The chest catch is a technique used to catch the shoots that are fired right at you. As the ball arrives you should surround the ball with your arms and keep your elbows close together. On this way you will be able to trap the ball against your chest which will help you catch the ball without losing it on the ground.

The Scoop Catch

A scoop catch is ideal to use for low shoots. To perform it you will need to place your hands on the ground and have your palms facing up.

The Full extension dive

This method is pretty efficient when the shoot is flying toward one of your corners. The key is to extend yourself as much as possible and keep your body relaxed. Keep in mind also that you need to extend your arms from your face in order to see the ball clearly.

Crosses

When going up for crosses you need to have good timing and confidence in yourself. The key is to jump high by using one of your legs. Avoid jumping with both legs as you will have hard to jump higher than your opponent’s. You should also have the knee of the other leg pointing out in order to protect yourself. You will often use the cross technique during corner and free kicks. I know that this technique may look pretty basic; however, it is one of the most difficult things to master as the soccer goalkeeper.