Goalkeeping Technique and Becoming a

Goalkeeper
Translated from the original by Manel Silvestre, 19/07/2007.
All the opinions, development of themes and means of differentiating goalkeepers are
personal opinions and are not based on any specific study on goalkeepers. It is not an exact
science: there are no obligatory rules for the development of goalkeepers. It’s only a
personal opinion as seen by an insider.
The physical, mental, muscular etc., aspects are taken into account, but there is no guarantee
of success in all cases.
Various examples illustrating them can be seen in the video “Goalkeepers 70’ 80’ 90’ 00’” at
http://elcuervowaterpolo.blogspot.com/ or in YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=kuyUqsFUkB8 and at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBl0HMUZ7Vk.

Manel

CONTENTS
Goalkeepers, the Great Forgotten......................................2
What goalkeepers do we have?..........................................2
How to train a goalkeeper?................................................2
What type of goalkeeper do we have or what type of
goalkeeper are we creating?..............................................3
There are types of goalkeeper?..........................................4
1.1 Conclusions.......................................................................7
Technique.........................................................................7
1.2 The Back, the Lumbar and the Abdominals..........................7
1.3 Glides and Fakes: the Hands ..............................................8
1.3.1 Glides............................................................................................8
1.3.2 Gliding in the goal, in set attack...................................................9
1.3.3 Glide in man-down......................................................................10
1.3.4 The fake: the hands....................................................................11
1.3.5 The jump.....................................................................................12
1.3.6 The jump with a fake..................................................................13
1.3.7 Arms in the jump........................................................................14
1.3.8 Hands.........................................................................................15

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Goalkeepers, the Great Forgotten
Do we pay enough attention to our goalkeepers?
There are very many times that, when we have finished explaining training to our players, we
look at two people alone, anxiously waiting for the training that applies to them. Our solutions
are not the best…
- We get them to swim with the players.
- We repeat the same routine training.
- We say to them “warm up a little for shooting”.
These are easy solutions but are not correct for an essential element in our team’s scheme.
It is said that the goalkeeper is more than 50% of the team. That might not be a slight
exaggeration but he is one of the most important players in any team and we don’t treat him
as such.
We do not correct them, technically.
We do not make them work to give their maximum.
We do not prepare them to perform at 100% at the end of the week.
We do not adapt the system to them, but we do expect them to adapt to the system. Perhaps
You should not take the same approach with goalkeepers who range from those who save
from close range, from far, are fast or slow, those who steal balls, those with great wingspan,
those who stay up for the fake, the ones that only save the first time shot. In the end, what
goalkeepers do we have?

What goalkeepers do we have?

In general terms we can say, that whoever our goalkeeper, our system is not going to
change: that is a big error.
Here are some examples:
• Goalkeepers that is good at saving first time shots.
If we play a 2-3 static zone, for example, it will be very difficult and we will not get the
maximum performance.
On the other hand, if we convert to a more dynamic defence including adding a player more
to help the zone, the performance will be improved. The attackers will have only one or two
seconds available to take a shot and it will always be first time or without much of a fake.
• Goalkeepers with good movement
You can benefit by using an M defence, or by pressing, to steal the ball at centre forward.
• Goalkeepers with little movement
Types of defence confined to two players: 1 and 2 or 2 and 3. If there are three players
involved, always place one in line (in the passing line) so that a long pass, for example, from
2 to 4, will be as slow as possible. These are goalkeepers used to cutting down the shooting
angle and their tendency is to jump forward.
• Goalkeepers used to certain systems
Russians, Hungarians, Serbians, Croatians, etc. Used to defensive systems with big blocks
limiting the space where a save is required. In this case especially, you have to adapt the
team to him, improving the team’s capacity for blocking in defence in 6-on-6 and 6-on-5.

How to train a goalkeeper?

Broadly speaking as a player.

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We get the players to carry weights, in the gym and swimming pool, reducing these over the
week, and increasing speed and explosiveness when getting nearer to the match.
For the goalkeeper, it needs to be the same whether in the gym or in the water. Do drill
taking more time, weight or quantity at the start of the week and changing to less time,
weight, or quantity; progress from slow and long drills to more explosive as the week goes on.
(You can find specific drills in Training Goalkeepers 2000 in the downloads section of
http://elcuervowaterpolo.blogspot.com/ or at http://www.scribd.com/people/view/69166).
In any case it all depends, as always, on the type of goalkeeper that we are talking about.

What type of goalkeeper do we have or what

type of goalkeeper are we creating?
It is with disappointment that we often see goalkeepers that have great quality in early
categories fade away gradually as they go up through the grades. And regardless of the
physical or technical qualities that had been acquired during years of training, we are partly to
blame that goalkeepers of great quality become good, but not excellent, goalkeepers.
The majority of goalkeepers in inferior grades have the style that we could call from 1993.
We’ll call this type of goalkeeper type A.
The principal characteristics of this goalkeeper are:
• Vertical alert position
• Vertical jump in a cross shape
• Body when jumping almost never twisted sideways.
• Hands in “alert” position outside the shoulders (and the more the fakes, the more they
open)
• Jumps with arms almost straight
• Arms going out laterally from the body when jumping
• Hands oriented to the outside (the opposite of what is needed for absorbing a shot)
• Often a two-handed jump
etc…
If a goalkeeper’s physical development has been premature, they like it that it is easier to
save shots in the younger grades.
Schools:
Stops everything that arrives
• Why?
Small goals: Big error. A goalkeeper gets used to saving in a cross position because no more
is required to cover the goal.
The majority of shots are high, slow and with a predictable shape to them. It’s obvious that
school children lack the strength and technique required for bounce-shots (they might be
seen in training, but not in matches because of tiredness), or to make changes to the shot
using wrist action etc.
Jumps with two hands, because shots are predictable by look, position or the difficulty of
making technical shots in these younger grades.
Youth:
Things begin to go wrong. He does not get to well-placed shots, but continues being a good
goalkeeper.
• Why?

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With the players’ increase in strength, they can start taking bounce-shots (also because they
enjoy it) and shots under the arms (low shots) without fear that they will get stuck in the water.
He continues to have the tendency to jump upwards, including taking his hands out of the
water before the shot.
The goals are normal size. He doesn’t get to well-placed shots because he continues to jump
in a cross position and because his continued physical development makes him slower.
He is still a good goalkeeper, he has a good physique for his age and continues to stop shots
from the majority of players in matches, but in training, we see he doesn’t stop certain shots
from fresh players…That makes us think. He continues saving with two hands, because he
knows the players at this grade (and will know them) throughout his career up to the senior
team.
Juvenile and Junior
He saves half the shots what he saved as a youth player. He is a ordinary goalkeeper. He
has stopped growing and hasn’t passed 1.80 (like many).
• Why?
He continues to save as we have taught him. Or rather, as we left the development of his
technique, that is to say without saying anything. Or if we said something, we didn’t know
what we were talking about.
The players start using wrist variations, also bounce-shots from various angles, (the ball
coming from above or side-on), the accurate placing of shots and big fakes.
He doesn’t save shots under his arms, nor those to the top corners, nor bounce-shots and
only guesses half the shots for two-handed saves.
We have created an average goalkeeper. Congratulations!
The solution is to understand the types and techniques of goalkeepers and to apply training to
them.

There are types of goalkeeper?

Yes, there are.
You are doing 10 sets of 30 seconds with 5 kilo medicine balls each over the head (the
famous Mickie Mouse), and legs going at a thousand revolutions, and each time that you
reach 25 seconds in each series your legs begin to burn.
Having finished the drill, you go to the goal and feel that you have made a good effort with the
legs, you need to continue warming up.
Why? Because you are a type C goalkeeper.
There are very many types, including goalkeepers that from the same position in the water
make a completely different jump to their peers, but, taking an overview, we can distinguish
three. We will call them A, B and C.

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As all photos of goalkeepers are obviously in the water so that we don’t see more than half
the body, we suggest some clear examples out of the water.

A B C
NOTE: In the “Goalkeepers” video, they are not classified into these three classes, but class
A predominates.
Type A – Cross Power
Type B – Full Power
Type C – Quick Power
These are only names, helpful for viewing the video.
Type A Goalkeepers
Look at the vertical position of the motorcyclist: it is pretty much the typical position of
American goalkeepers, but also the typical position of new goalkeepers that we have already
described and in our case (in Spain) it is the worst option to teach unless, obviously, the
players is about 2 metres tall.

Brandon Brookes Craig Wilson

Gabor Nemes Hacket

Examples in the “Goalkeepers” video: Brooks, Nemes.
Type B Goalkeepers
This is the best position for a goalkeeper who has the following physical characteristics: a
great wingspan and a big physique with good coordination in and outside the water.
• His almost foetal position allows him to make the most of his trunk when beginning a
jump even before taking his arms out of the water
• Great arm power, helping stay up during fakes with arms at shoulder width and without
opening them much wider for fakes.
• On the other hand, they are vulnerable to very technical shots, like a shot over the head
or with a delay.
• Their arm technique is usually very good.
• Their technique with “hands in the water” is very good.
• Technique with “hands out of the water” varies according to the individual, but, when
correct, barely a ball goes into the net.
• In the jump, there are two types:

1. Once the shot is made, some tend to contract their trunk again to cut down the angle of
the shot. He is practically the perfect goalkeeper (taking into account his physical

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 advantages). They have few flaws in their characteristics.

Sostar 1 Nicolai Maximov 1

Examples in the “Goalkeepers” video: Sostar, Maximov

2. Whilst others make a lateral jump, sacrificing the capability of cutting down the distance to
the ball. These are vulnerable to bounce-shots when making a lateral jump. Their
technique with hands out of the water is worse, so they give too many rebounds.

Denis Sefik 2 Slodoban Soro 2

Examples in the “Goalkeepers” video: Sefik, Soro

Type C Goalkeepers

This is the position advised for goalkeepers lacking height, because it allows them to reduce
the angle further in the jump. The position of the knees is lower and the goalkeeper works in
his initial position, more with abductors than with quadriceps or “femorals”.

Hence the answer to the example we gave at the beginning. With the medicine ball you are
likely to work vertically: therefore you are working muscles that are used in the second part of
the jump, but you are not working the main muscle used by these goalkeepers: the abductor.

In jumping, as with type B, the whole trunk is used and they further reduce the angle by
crunching again. As a result of having the knees further back, the angle to reduce is greater.

With very fast hands, they need to work with lower weights than the previous type and more
explosively, above all with reference to the shoulders.

Again there are two types:

1. With a much more extended body as we have already described. Their tendency in
response to a fake is to go forwards, making them vulnerable to lobs (here computer
analysis comes in, or memorising the shots of players, as well as intuition) but good at
penalties and close-range shots.

Jesus Rollan 1 Manel Silvestre 1

Examples in the Goalkeepers video: Rollan, Silvestre

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2. The goalkeeper’s body position is between that of B and C and although their position
seems semi-vertical, their technique is faster than type B’s, having a lighter physique, and
they are good with lobs and at reducing the angle of the shot to a little less than the
previous type; however they are a bit less assured with close-range shots and bounce-
shots.

Examples in the Goalkeepers video: Andreo, Aguilar, Attolico

In the video “Goalkeepers 70’ 80’ 90’ 00’” at http://elcuervowaterpolo.blogspot.com/ or in

YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuyUqsFUkB8, you can see the differences
between the types although there are some goalkeepers like Andreo and Aguilar who fall into
two different types.
1.1 Conclusions
• Understand where we are now and what is the typical state of players in our country.
(Although there are always exceptions).
• There are significant medical studies on the growth of the individual in both height and
wingspan, at a early age.
• Introduce stimulating technical routines, correct, teach and back up what we explain with
argument.
• Choose carefully the type of goalkeeper that we want to instruct, whether:
He already is an extremely big individual.
Or maybe he lacks motor skills or coordination in his movements (in and out of the water).
Or maybe even look at his parents to see what he might end up like.
• Observe his weaknesses and insist on correcting them in training.

• Don’t forget that in doing shooting drills, we are already working the goalkeeper. The
goalkeeper also needs players to be at his service in specific drills.

• Be sure that anything that is not corrected now, will be technical issues that will always
hold them back and will be more difficult to correct later.

Technique
How is that when each type of goalkeeper and each individual is different, we do a general
progression of technical work.
1.2 The Back, the Lumbar and the Abdominals
This is the first major element in a goalkeeper’s jump, even if they can save first-time shots
with, for example: hamstring on an abductor, or with legs crossed, or with a body half-
extended in the water.
1. It is work is done on the lumbar muscle that allows you to come out to the waist.
The trunk has to go in the same direction as the ball, not come up and then turn towards it.
Another of the important tasks when dealing with fakes is keeping rhythm for the duration of
the faking.
Example in the Goalkeepers video: Sostar.
2. The abdominal is the next muscle, allowing you to close the shooting angle. When the
ball is already on its way, that’s the moment to contract the abdominals.
Example in the Goalkeepers video: Rollan
3. These movements are generally in real-life defensive situations where movement of a
short distance is needed by the goalkeeper (1 and 2, 2 and 3).

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In long glides (from 2 to 4 or 2 to 5 for example), it is more difficult to make this movement,
because the tendency in these shots is to jump backwards, so that you are not in the ideal
situation in the goal in relation to the player: also because you have had further to move.

Example in the Goalkeeper video: Yurismel Horta

4. Useful methods of training
In the gym: working the abdominals and the lumbar in general
In the pool:
High butterfly with crunches in the air
Multiple shots in the same position
Jumps facing the goal: if we always insist that they touch the posts and the corners when
facing outwards from the goal, it’s only possible by jump backwards. Jumping towards the
goal and insisting on reaching the posts and corners, gets them used to saving while jumping
forwards, cutting down the angle.
1.3 Glides and Fakes: the Hands
1.3.1 Glides
There are three or four different glides.
1. The glide made with the arm out of the water in the direction they are moving. From the
front position towards the side, accompanied by a small jump.
The problem with this glide is the loss of support and balance when the arm and body come
down into the water, resulting in an unnatural position for the next jump, and when needing to
jump again, the position of the arm (which is already extended) coming from the below to
above without any control. Very typical of American goalkeepers, like Craig Wilson, Brandon
Brooks or Hackett: the Hungarian goalkeeper, Zoltan Zsecsi is also used to doing like this.
2. Glide made with the arm below the water in the direction of travel, extending it but not
using it like a pushing stroke. The only push is from the hand the opposite side from
where they are moving from where they are moving.
The problem with this glide is the loss of support by not having the same thrust with the arm
extended as contracted, and, if a jump is required, the position of the arm (which is already
extended) coming from the below to above without control.
Goalkeepers: Duplanti, Gabor Nemes, James Stanton (2002, from then he changed his
style).

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3. Glide in almost all goalkeepers - two pushes
For example glide to the right.
From the normal alert position:
1. Left hand with the palm of the hand outwards to get the greatest resistance in the water
and therefore to start the glide. At the same time, the left hand begins the glide towards
the right with the palm of the hand downwards to have the minimum resistance to the
water.
Initiation of the glide and the jump

palm of the hand downwards with minimum resistance

2. Return to the initial position, in this case the left hand turns with the palm of the hand
lightly inwards, with little resistance to speed up the movement, but at the same time
having a minimum level of support to make a jump. At the same time, the right hand is
the one that gives almost all the power of the glide, turning the hand horizontally when
returning to the original alert position.
Hands in 3rd movement of the glide

Force for the glide Perpendicular vertical force

And so on. In this manner a rapid movement is made: while it is not the quickest method to
glide (that is the first method), you always have the correct support and enough power in the
arms to make a jump in whatever direction.
Useful types of training:
• Lateral alert movement across the pool
• Lateral alert movement across the pool with traction from only one arm (right and left in
the same direction)
• Shots with 5 players in an arc, making as many passes and fakes as they like.
Typical faults in drills: pay a lot of attention in the lateral glide to having the most vertical body
position possible. If the body leans in the direction of the glide, the jump is low, technically
incorrect and uncoordinated.

1.3.2 Gliding in the goal, in set attack

We already have a way to glide. Now we need to know where to glide to.
It’s easy to understand. From the shooting position to the centre of the goal draw an
imaginary line: we will call this the line of shooter. We also make an imaginary ellipse from
post to post, and the intersection with the line of the shooter gives us the point where we
have to place ourselves. This point we will call the ideal position.

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As you see in positions 1 and 5 we are closer to the goal than in 2, 3 and 4. So far so good.
In all the glides, the rule is: move first to the line of the shooter and then, secondly, to the
ideal position. If we were always to follow the ellipse to get to the next ideal position, we
would always arrive late.
In the case of a short glide, for example from 1 to 2:
The distance between the line of the shooter and the ideal position is almost nothing: by
making a small glide we are already in position.

In the case of a long glide, for example from 2 to 5: the big difference between the
movements that we have to make to get to the ideal position is obvious.

1.3.3 Glide in man-down

The movements in man-down will depend on the defence of the team in each position.
If in general the defence is tight, the radius of action to defend is quite small and the shift is
less.

Whilst with a more open defence, the goalkeeper has to cover more of the goal.

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Advice: My advice is to always assume the later applies, because in that way you become
used to not always being dependent on the defender’s block. In that case, they are not just
used to saving shots in “their space” and you are unpredictable to attackers, who otherwise
know that passing the arm of the blocker is half way to scoring a goal. (This is case with
Russian, Croat, Serbian and Hungarian goalkeepers).
Examples: in the Goalkeepers video, Aguilar and Silvestre save behind the arm of the
defensive block.

1.3.4 The fake: the hands

(Examples for styles of type B and C)
A player fakes to make position of the goalkeeper unstable: so is that that the goalkeeper
should maintain the alert position as long as possible before the shot.
• The alert position
The arms:
Hands and elbows parallel to each other.
Elbows separated from the body coming out some 10 centimetres from being level of the
shoulders.
Elbows about 20 centimetres in front of the torso.
The hands:
They have the most important function in the balance of the body with the back.
They are also the stabilisors when staying up for fakes and for making the jump afterwards.
The movements are symmetrical:
1. Palms perpendicular moving outwards to exert pressure on the water, without opening
the arms too much: the movement outwards should coincide with the shooter’s arm
moving backwards, and…
Movement of the hands in alert position No 1

Vertical force to maintain elevation of the body

2. Palms of the hands perpendicular and inwards, producing a vertical push that coincides
with the shooter’s arm moving forwards, so that you are prepared to jump if a shot is
made. If no shot happens, back to the beginning.

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 Movement of hands in alert position No 2

Vertical force to start the jump

It’s very important not to make the first movement too high in response to the fake because,
after this movement, the shooter has a window, and with one more fake, gravity does its job
and the body sinks.
Another of the important point is that, when the arms are more open, the jump is less natural,
and there is no control of the jump from a lateral position upwards.

1.3.5 The jump

There are two different leg techniques for the jump.
• With an alternate kick: for goalkeepers with a big wingspan, lateral jumps are limited in
extent, but recovery after the jump is quicker.
• With breaststroke kick: the boost is greater as is the jump: the disadvantage, in a lateral
jump, is that the resulting position of the body is more sideways than the first technique
and the recovery to the alert position is slower.
Hands low in the water
We have already explained the alert movements to initiate the jump: this is the complete
sequence with the jump included…

Final boost for the lateral jump

Palm downwards with minimum resistance Vertical and lateral force

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Have a look at these lateral jumps

None of them have the support hand at the end of the jump.
In some it is because, even having made the effort of a lateral push, their body is already at
maximum height for the jump and the hand is off the water.
In others, it’s a result of the circumstances of the game.
The correct jump can be done when the shooter is at a distance of 6-8 metres: when the
shooter is much nearer, (in man-up, counter-attack, lateral players), the tendency of the
goalkeeper is:
1. To have a more vertical back: positioned so that the angle with reference to the players is
less.
2. The reaction time is less, therefore you tend to cover more of the goal jumping with two
hands at the same time, but in the end you end up doing a lateral jump that is technically
poor.
Don’t get confused by the examples below, where the trunk is completely vertical. “Aquí
pasas, de parar el balón a desear que te de…”

1.3.6 The jump with a fake

The principal mission of the goalkeeper, in response to fakes, is to maintain the alert position
as much as possible.
Errors when responding to fakes:
• In fakes, the tendency is to open the arms, so the arm goes forwards and to the side,
particularly hindering saving low technical shots.
• The tendency is for the hands to come out of the water with the loss of all support, and,
when there is another fake, only the range of the arms can be covered.

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• Many young goalkeepers (and not so young) first cover the face and then watch the ball.

The sequence is clear: at the beginning of the shot, Patricia del Soto has her hands in the
water and in the end makes the save.

1.3.7 Arms in the jump

Always depending on the situation, normally the arms will move from a forward position to the
side or upwards.
The first movement you already know.
Hand movement in alert position No 2

Vertical force to begin the jump

Which allows you to get to a high position.

From that position, you can make whatever jump you like quickly and with lateral support.

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In a low position or with an open alert position:
• The arms go out to the side and almost extended forwards
• Saves around the head are slower as you go in a circumference around the body with
arms extended.
• Jumps to the corners come up short because the support hand exercises less power in
the water.
Open alert position: slow around the head, with arms extended and around body
Short corners

Low jumps, arm go from up to down.

1.3.8 Hands
Once the jump is correctly started, the hands become the most important element to avoid
corners and rebounds to a long way out.
Turning wrists forwards, downwards and inwards is important to block shots and to not give
the ball away.

The End
Note: I repeat again that they are personal opinions and that, of course, I don’t have perfect
technique myself…
Manel

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Translation notes:
The text refers to “presión” as “the alert position”.
I’ve translated “desplazamiento” as “glide”: it may be better translated as “displacement” or
“slide”, or even “shift”.
Where I’ve used “he” or “his” or “him”, this should read “he/she” or “his/her” or “him/her”.

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