Goalkeeper warm-up: hands, feet and footwork
Progressive 12-minute routine in goalkeeper pairs: hand passes, mid-height catches on the move, lateral footwork between cones and gentle volleys. Prepares hands, shoulders and legs before the specific work.
Step 1Manos
1 / 3
Pases con la mano y blocaje en W.
Objective
Activate hand-eye coordination, the set position and lateral footwork with a rising load and no ground contact in the first minutes.
Organisation
Two goalkeepers facing each other 6 m apart, each with a ball. Two cones 3 m either side of one of them mark the footwork zone. The coach supervises and serves in the final phase.
Development
- 1Two minutes of chest-height hand passes, catching in a W and returning with an overarm throw, alternating arms.
- 2Two minutes of mid-height balls: the partner throws to one side, the keeper takes a side step and catches against the chest, four repetitions per side.
- 3Three minutes of footwork: the keeper touches the side cone and returns to the middle to catch a low ball served by hand, alternating sides.
- 4Two minutes of gentle volleys to the partner, who catches high at the highest point.
- 5Final three minutes with the coach: varied serves (low, mid, high) without warning, increasing ball speed and asking for collapse dives only in the last serves.
Coaching points4
- Set position between reps: feet shoulder-width, weight on the toes, hands in front.
- Side steps without crossing the feet, braking before receiving.
- For mid-height catches absorb with the forearms and bring the ball to the chest.
- Hands always in front of the body when the ball arrives.
Common mistakes3
- Starting with dives before warming up shoulders and hips.
- Crossing the feet during footwork and arriving unbalanced.
- Catching high with stiff elbows and thumbs apart.
Variations3
- Add a third keeper who serves while the other two work.
- Replace volleys with long throws.
- Do the footwork phase with a tennis ball to sharpen the eyes.
Progressions2
- Reduce the distance to 4 m and speed up the serves.
- Serves that bounce before the catch.
Regressions2
- Hand passes and static catches only in the first sessions.
- Widen the footwork zone and always announce the side.
Tips
- Respect the order: hands, footwork, and only then work on the ground.
- Swap partners halfway to vary the serves.