Extending the Goalkeepers Range - Sweeper Keeper

The days of the goalkeeper simply being someone who stops shots taken at the goal are long over. The modern goalkeeper must be able to play as well outside of the Penalty Area (18 Yard Box) as he does inside it.

Today`s goalkeeper must now be willing to venture outside of the Penalty Area to intercept long through balls played between or over the fullback line. He must be able to clear the ball first time, or control it and try to maintain possession via a short pass or his own long ball.

Sometimes he may even be called upon to use his head to clear a ball bouncing dangerously outside of the penalty area!

The modern goalkeeper must also be willing to accept back-passes from his teammates and deal with them in an effective manner.

Today`s goalkeeper must be a player first and a goalkeeper second. He must be a `Sweeper Keeper`.

In order to be an effective 'Sweeper Keeper', the goalkeeper must position himself properly on the field. To do this he must be able to use his imagination. He should envision a miniature soccer field inside of his own Penalty Area. The goalkeeper can then use this mini-field to determine his proper position on the actual field.

The goalkeeper than simply positions himself in the mini-field wherever the ball is on the actual field.

Keep in mind this is only an effective tactic for balls that are NOT within shooting range, or balls that are NOT in a position to be crossed into the penalty area!

For these situations the goalkeeper must adopt different tactics. For more details on the various tactics and when to use them [click here].

Here we see the ball positioned in the far corner of the field, maybe a corner kick or it could be during the regular course of play. The goalkeeper has taken up a position at the far corner of his mini-field. This places him in the perfect position to be able to intercept any long clearances that may occur (red area). The goalkeeper is also in a great position to be able to communicate with his teammates.

Here we see the ball positioned at the top of the oppositions 'D'. The goalkeepers has again taken up a position in his mini-field at the top of what would be the oppositions 'D'.

Ball is positioned at the half-way line of the actual field. The goalkeeper is positioned at the half-way line of his mini-field.

Ball is positioned over the half-way line of the actual field. The goalkeeper is positioned over the half-way line of his mini-field.

By employing this tactic of always positioning himself in the same position in his mini-field as the position of the ball on the actual field the goalkeeper will always be in the best position to intercept the ball when required or recover back into the goal to prepare for any other situations.

The ball rarely stops moving in a game which means the goalkeeper must be in constant motion and always re-adjusting his positioning. This will ensure that the goalkeeper stays focused and warm for the entire length of the game. Over time he will begin to recognize and anticipate dangerous situations as they develop.

The goalkeeper will find himself spending more time outside of the Penalty Area and becoming a more active and productive member of the team. He will turn potentially dangerous situations into advantages for his own team. Most importantly he will begin to eliminate goal scoring opportunities before they happen.

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