Goalkeeping – Football Techniques (Senior 4 Physical Education) | Ganzaa

Football Techniques

Lessons

Senior 4 · Physical Education

Football Techniques

5 lessons

Lesson 5 of 5

Goalkeeping

25 min

The one player who may use the hands, with conditions

A goalkeeper may handle the ball, but only inside his or her own penalty area, and even there the Laws of the Game set limits. Since the 2025–26 Laws, a goalkeeper who holds the ball in the hands for more than eight seconds gives the opponents a corner kick, a rule kept in the 2026–27 Laws. Good goalkeeping is mostly not spectacular diving: it is a safe catch, the right position before the shot, quick decisions and accurate distribution. This lesson covers the set position, the main catches, diving safely, the geometry of positioning, and the Laws that apply only to goalkeepers.

Definition

Set position: the goalkeeper's ready stance just before a shot: feet about shoulder-width apart, weight on the balls of the feet, knees slightly bent, hands in front at waist height.

W (diamond) catch: for balls at chest height or above; thumbs and index fingers form a W or diamond shape behind the ball. Basket (cradle) catch: for balls at stomach or chest height; the ball is scooped into the arms against the chest. Scoop: for ground balls; the keeper gets the body behind the ball and gathers it with the palms forward.

Narrowing the angle: moving off the goal line towards the ball, along the line that bisects the angle between the ball and the posts, so that less of the goal is open.

Distribution: restarting play by throwing, rolling or kicking the ball.

The Laws for goalkeepers (IFAB Laws of the Game 2026–27)

Situation	Law	Sanction
Controlling the ball with the hands for more than eight seconds	Law 12 / Law 17	Corner kick to the opponents
Touching the ball with the hands after a team-mate deliberately kicks it to the keeper, or throws it in directly to the keeper	Law 12	Indirect free kick
Handling the ball again after releasing it, before another player touches it	Law 12	Indirect free kick
Handling the ball outside the penalty area	Law 12	Treated like any player: direct free kick, and a card if it stops an attack or a goal
Penalty kick	Law 14	Keeper on the goal line between the posts, facing the kicker, not touching the posts, crossbar or net; at least part of one foot touching, in line with or behind the line when the ball is kicked

The Laws treat the ball as "controlled" when it is between the keeper's hands, or a hand and the ground or body, held in an open hand, or being bounced or thrown in the air.

Technique

Skill	Key points
Set position	Set as the shooter's foot goes back; head still; weight forward on the balls of the feet
Footwork	Small side-steps (shuffle), never crossing the feet, to stay between the ball and the centre of the goal
Catching	Get the body behind the ball; W for high balls, basket for chest height, scoop for ground balls; soft hands that "give" with the ball; bring it into the chest at once
Diving	Step and push off the leg nearest the ball; hands lead; land on the side of the body (hip, thigh, shoulder), not on the elbows or stomach; ball first, then use the ground as a third hand to secure it
Distribution	Roll or throw for accuracy over short distances; kick or drop-kick for distance; look up before releasing

Positioning: the geometry of narrowing the angle

For a shot from the centre, a distance $d$ from the goal line, the lines from the ball to the two posts form a triangle. If the goalkeeper advances a distance $s$ along the centre line, the width he or she must cover is, by similar triangles,

w = 7.32 \times \frac{d - s}{d}

Worked example

Worked example 1: how far to come out? A striker is through on goal, 11 m out and central.

On the goal line $(s = 0)$ : $w = 7.32\,\mathrm{m}$ .
Advance 2 m: $w = 7.32 \times \frac{11 - 2}{11} = 7.32 \times \frac{9}{11} = 5.99\,\mathrm{m}$
Advance 3 m (as in the diagram): $w = 7.32 \times \frac{8}{11} = 5.32\,\mathrm{m}$
Advance 4 m: $w = 7.32 \times \frac{7}{11} = 4.66\,\mathrm{m}$

Evaluation. Each metre forward shrinks the target, so coming out is right in a one-against-one. But the further out the keeper is, the easier a chip (a lifted shot over the keeper) becomes, and the less time there is to react to a shot. Keepers come out quickly, stop and set before the striker shoots.

Worked example

Worked example 2: why keepers guess at penalties. A penalty is struck at $25\,\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}$ from the mark, 11 m away.

t = \frac{11}{25} = 0.44\,\mathrm{s}

A full dive to the corner takes longer than that, so a goalkeeper who waits to see the ball's direction cannot reach a well-placed penalty. Keepers therefore read the kicker's run-up, body and supporting foot and move as the ball is struck, keeping at least part of one foot on or in line with the goal line, as Law 14 requires.

Important

Safety and first aid for goalkeepers

Wear gloves; dive only on grass or mats free of stones; learn to dive from kneeling before diving from standing.
Goalposts must be anchored so they cannot tip over; never hang on the crossbar.
Keepers often collide with attackers. After a blow to the head, any sign of concussion (headache, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, confusion, sleepiness or changed behaviour) means the keeper is removed from play and sent to a health professional, not allowed to continue (ERC Guidelines 2025).
After a fall onto the head or neck, suspect a neck injury: keep the player still, no collar, and call 912.

Video: "Goalkeeper Catching Basics Made Easy: Best Drills for Beginners", Ground Glory Goalkeeping. Watch the W and basket catches, and how the keeper's body gets behind the ball.

Tip

"Set, behind, secure." Be set when the ball is struck, get your body behind the ball, and secure it into your chest.

Warning

Common mistakes. Moving as the striker shoots instead of being set. Crossing the feet when moving across the goal. Catching with stiff hands. Diving onto the elbows or stomach. Staying on the line in a one-against-one. Holding the ball too long: more than eight seconds gives away a corner kick.

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Practice

Describe the goalkeeper's set position.
State which catch you would use for (a) a ground shot, (b) a shot at chest height, (c) a shot above the head.
What happens if a goalkeeper holds the ball in the hands for ten seconds?
A defender deliberately kicks the ball back to his goalkeeper, who picks it up. What is the decision?
A striker is 16.5 m out, central. How wide is the gap the keeper must cover after advancing 3 m?
A penalty is struck at 22 m s⁻¹. How long does the ball take to reach the goal line?
Explain how a keeper should land after a dive, and why.
Evaluate the advice "a goalkeeper should always stay on the goal line so the striker cannot chip him".

Show answersHide answers

Feet about shoulder-width apart, weight on the balls of the feet, knees slightly bent, hands in front at waist height, head still, set as the shooter strikes.
(a) scoop; (b) basket (cradle); (c) W (diamond).
The referee awards a corner kick to the opponents (more than eight seconds).
An indirect free kick to the opponents.
w = 7.32 × (16.5 − 3) ÷ 16.5 = 7.32 × 13.5 ÷ 16.5 = 5.99 m.
t = 11 ÷ 22 = 0.50 s.
On the side of the body (hip, thigh, shoulder), with the ball held or pushed away; this spreads the impact over a large area and protects the elbows, ribs and stomach.
Poor advice: on the line the keeper must cover the whole 7.32 m and gives the striker the largest target. Coming out and setting narrows the angle; the chip is a risk only if the keeper comes too far or is not set. The right position depends on the distance of the ball.

Quick check

Under the 2026–27 Laws, what is awarded if a goalkeeper holds the ball in the hands for more than eight seconds?

Remember

Handling only inside your own penalty area; more than eight seconds in the hands gives a corner kick; no handling a deliberate kick or throw-in from a team-mate.
Set position, shuffle footwork, body behind the ball; W, basket and scoop catches; land on your side.
Narrow the angle: $w = 7.32 \times \frac{d - s}{d}$ , but stop and set before the shot.
Concussion: remove and refer. Neck injury: keep still, call 912.

1The one player who may use the hands, with conditions

2The Laws for goalkeepers (IFAB Laws of the Game 2026–27)

3Technique

4Positioning: the geometry of narrowing the angle

The one player who may use the hands, with conditions

The Laws for goalkeepers (IFAB Laws of the Game 2026–27)

Technique

Positioning: the geometry of narrowing the angle