Goal Keeper Article
Youth Soccer
"Proctecting Our Goalkeepers"
By Butch McGrew
NSCAA National Goalkeeper Coach
"Proctecting Our Goalkeepers"
By Butch McGrew
NSCAA National Goalkeeper Coach
Keeper Safety - By your email I would venture to guess that there isn't a goalkeeping trainer associated with your team. This is common, the GK is usually picked for their athletic ability around 12 years old and they develop their own style of goalkeeping by having shot after shot pounded at them from the rest of the team. The coaches are not concerned because the GK is good enough to keep them in the game. WRONG approach
Once a coach has a goalkeeper that is starting to specialize in the position the coach needs to a.) take a course to at least understand the position b.) hire someone c.) admit that they don't have the resource or the knowledge to the parents d.) suggest to the parents that they find additional assistance for their child. BETTER approach
Professional training, the first sessions that I teach are about safety on the ground, safety recovering a low ball, and safety recovering a high ball. Also how to escape the striker that has pictures of grandeur of putting the ball in the back of the net at the goalkeepers cost.
Not all injures are avoidable but just learning the basic body shape and movement to escape limits the exposure to the goalkeepers well being.
Example: I train a U15G C1 goalkeeper and her parents updated me on her latest performance and asked me to show her how to be safe because she was cleated in the throat????? I met with the parents and the player and confronted the safety aspect. She was actually cleated in the throat on a medium high ball, she recovered the ball without a knee up and she didn't try to escape after the recovery.
I know it's costly and time consuming but my suggestion for a specialized goalkeeper without the support of a specialized trainer on the team staff is to go out and find the appropriate training/trainer to work with your daughter. BEST approach
Laws of the Game - Law 12 decision 2: "The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms. Possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball, but does not include the circumstances where, in the opinion of the referee, the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper, for example after he has made a save". (Ref. Laws of the game 2007/2008 USSF Referee Program)
Law 12 "The referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions, as from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle"
Law 12 "Cautionable Offenses" - Yellow 1.) is guilty of unsporting behavior.
Law 12 "Sending-Off Offenses" - Red 1.) is guilty of serious foul play 2.) is guilty of violent conduct.
I know that I will have fellow referee's that will debate the interpretation of the "laws" but I did talk to a handful of referee's and coaches before responding to your questions. In the youth game U17 and under that Law 12 pertaining to a goalkeeping is not being enforced at a level to protect the goalkeeper. Too many times I have seen the extra steps to make contact with the keeper while the ball (under Law 12 decision 2) is under control.
I do believe that we have Referee's doing their "best" at controlling the game but factors such as booking 4-5 games in one day hinder their ability to get up and down the field to properly be in position to make the right decision when it comes to the goalkeeper or any other position on the field. This is given that a Center Referee is running 4 to 5 miles in one match if they are reffing the game at a top level of their individual capacity.
Law 12 is simple, straight forward and to the point BUT it is left up to the discretion of the Center Referee to enforce Cautionable and Sending-Off Offenses.
Coaching - The coaches at the Select (or C1) level have been through a considerable amount of training to attain their "D" certification. The coaches put that certification on the line every time their team is put on the field. The team is a reflection of them and I know that no coach wants to get their card pulled and have to answer to the league or CYSA itself. I have not seen or been a part of a team that the coaches would target a goalkeeper intentionally, nor have I seen pervasiveness of intentional, malicious and/or unsafe play towards a goalkeeper.
Although I have watched matches where if a foul is not called either against a goalkeeper or field player the situation can escalate very quickly, thus if Law 12 is not enforced the game can take on those characteristic's. Quid pro quo.
Example: As a trainer, coach, parent, I've helped carry off 2 field players with torn ACL's. The injuries were from "serious" intentional, malicious, unsafe play by field players. The sad part, no yellow was given to the opposing players. The worst was a striker vs. a goalkeeper; the goalkeeper came out off her line late and was in trouble at the top of the 18. She tackled the striker with cleats up and shin high. The striker suffered a broken leg. No card was shown.
The players need to be held accountable. The coaches need to be held accountable and the Referee's in charge of a match are there to regulate the players, coaches and the safety of a match.
What you can do? - In most of the leagues in which I coach or train there is a vehicle usually in the form of an evaluation/complaint form regarding the Referee and Assistant's performance.
Example: My goalkeeper came out on a 1v1 challenge; she won the ball but was kicked in the head. She had Adidas stripes on her forehead. I was out attending to her and asked permission for her parents to come on the field, the Center Ref allowed the parents to come on the field but as the parents arrived he told me to get her up because he believed she was faking it. I wrote up the report and he was suspended from Centering a game the rest of the season.
Writing your email is a great step in understanding the complex factors that make up a soccer match. I am sure that the Goalkeeping Staff Instructor's will have various opinions and options for you to use as vehicle's to ensure goalkeeper safety.
These are my personal opinions answering what I hope are the major issues in your email. Your daughter is a precious individual playing a very difficult position with a lot of injuries. Specialized training would be at the top of my list to help her in endeavor in the goalkeeping position and in turn limiting the amount of injuries.
I wish you and your daughter the best and hope to see her on the field through my travels in soccer.
Yours in soccer,
Once a coach has a goalkeeper that is starting to specialize in the position the coach needs to a.) take a course to at least understand the position b.) hire someone c.) admit that they don't have the resource or the knowledge to the parents d.) suggest to the parents that they find additional assistance for their child. BETTER approach
Professional training, the first sessions that I teach are about safety on the ground, safety recovering a low ball, and safety recovering a high ball. Also how to escape the striker that has pictures of grandeur of putting the ball in the back of the net at the goalkeepers cost.
Not all injures are avoidable but just learning the basic body shape and movement to escape limits the exposure to the goalkeepers well being.
Example: I train a U15G C1 goalkeeper and her parents updated me on her latest performance and asked me to show her how to be safe because she was cleated in the throat????? I met with the parents and the player and confronted the safety aspect. She was actually cleated in the throat on a medium high ball, she recovered the ball without a knee up and she didn't try to escape after the recovery.
I know it's costly and time consuming but my suggestion for a specialized goalkeeper without the support of a specialized trainer on the team staff is to go out and find the appropriate training/trainer to work with your daughter. BEST approach
Laws of the Game - Law 12 decision 2: "The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms. Possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball, but does not include the circumstances where, in the opinion of the referee, the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper, for example after he has made a save". (Ref. Laws of the game 2007/2008 USSF Referee Program)
Law 12 "The referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions, as from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle"
Law 12 "Cautionable Offenses" - Yellow 1.) is guilty of unsporting behavior.
Law 12 "Sending-Off Offenses" - Red 1.) is guilty of serious foul play 2.) is guilty of violent conduct.
I know that I will have fellow referee's that will debate the interpretation of the "laws" but I did talk to a handful of referee's and coaches before responding to your questions. In the youth game U17 and under that Law 12 pertaining to a goalkeeping is not being enforced at a level to protect the goalkeeper. Too many times I have seen the extra steps to make contact with the keeper while the ball (under Law 12 decision 2) is under control.
I do believe that we have Referee's doing their "best" at controlling the game but factors such as booking 4-5 games in one day hinder their ability to get up and down the field to properly be in position to make the right decision when it comes to the goalkeeper or any other position on the field. This is given that a Center Referee is running 4 to 5 miles in one match if they are reffing the game at a top level of their individual capacity.
Law 12 is simple, straight forward and to the point BUT it is left up to the discretion of the Center Referee to enforce Cautionable and Sending-Off Offenses.
Coaching - The coaches at the Select (or C1) level have been through a considerable amount of training to attain their "D" certification. The coaches put that certification on the line every time their team is put on the field. The team is a reflection of them and I know that no coach wants to get their card pulled and have to answer to the league or CYSA itself. I have not seen or been a part of a team that the coaches would target a goalkeeper intentionally, nor have I seen pervasiveness of intentional, malicious and/or unsafe play towards a goalkeeper.
Although I have watched matches where if a foul is not called either against a goalkeeper or field player the situation can escalate very quickly, thus if Law 12 is not enforced the game can take on those characteristic's. Quid pro quo.
Example: As a trainer, coach, parent, I've helped carry off 2 field players with torn ACL's. The injuries were from "serious" intentional, malicious, unsafe play by field players. The sad part, no yellow was given to the opposing players. The worst was a striker vs. a goalkeeper; the goalkeeper came out off her line late and was in trouble at the top of the 18. She tackled the striker with cleats up and shin high. The striker suffered a broken leg. No card was shown.
The players need to be held accountable. The coaches need to be held accountable and the Referee's in charge of a match are there to regulate the players, coaches and the safety of a match.
What you can do? - In most of the leagues in which I coach or train there is a vehicle usually in the form of an evaluation/complaint form regarding the Referee and Assistant's performance.
Example: My goalkeeper came out on a 1v1 challenge; she won the ball but was kicked in the head. She had Adidas stripes on her forehead. I was out attending to her and asked permission for her parents to come on the field, the Center Ref allowed the parents to come on the field but as the parents arrived he told me to get her up because he believed she was faking it. I wrote up the report and he was suspended from Centering a game the rest of the season.
Writing your email is a great step in understanding the complex factors that make up a soccer match. I am sure that the Goalkeeping Staff Instructor's will have various opinions and options for you to use as vehicle's to ensure goalkeeper safety.
These are my personal opinions answering what I hope are the major issues in your email. Your daughter is a precious individual playing a very difficult position with a lot of injuries. Specialized training would be at the top of my list to help her in endeavor in the goalkeeping position and in turn limiting the amount of injuries.
I wish you and your daughter the best and hope to see her on the field through my travels in soccer.
Yours in soccer,
| ● | Keeper Safety |
| ● | Laws of the Game |
| ● | Coaching |
| ● | What you can do |
In my travels I have seen very few teams or even leagues that have an experienced goalkeeper trainer either on staff or associated with a club or team. Nor do I see coaches seeking resources for the position in that of educational training for themselves or assistant coaches. So as you ended your email by saying "it may not be in our area of responsibility", I think that it's the beginning of an issue that I feel needs to be addressed in several areas.
Butch McGrew
Ohlone College, Head Assistant Coach
CYSA Staff Instructor, Goalkeeping
NSCAA National Goalkeeping Coach
USSF "D" National Coach
Ohlone College, Head Assistant Coach
CYSA Staff Instructor, Goalkeeping
NSCAA National Goalkeeping Coach
USSF "D" National Coach
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