Recovery Reaction Drill

Steps:

1. The goalkeeper starts about 8-10 yards from the goal with his/her hand on a cone. The server is about 30-35 yards from goal with a set of balls. (See diagram). Distances will vary for the level of skill and speed of the goalkeeper.
2. The drill starts with service from the server. The goal of the server is to disguise the type of ball that is being played so that the keeper has to work hard to save the ball. The server is trying to score by lobbing a ball over the keepers head into the net or by hitting a grounder that rolls beyond 2-3 yards into the box. This is a goalkeepers drill so don't play balls that are impossible to save. The idea is to challenge the keeper to make quick decisions and work hard.
3. The goalkeeper must react to the lob by retreating quickly and trying to catch or tip the ball over the net. Service to the top of the box must be rushed onto by the keeper and collected with a scoop or dive before it enters 2-3 yards into the box.
4. Return the ball to the server and repeat several times.

Setup:

• 2 Players (1 Server, 1 Goalkeeper)
• Set of balls.

Variations:

• You can vary the starting points of the keeper and server to maximize the difficulty for the goalkeeper. It should be challenging, but not impossible.  

Tips:

• The keeper needs to use good footwork to react quickly to either ball. Be alert and focused to make either save and try not to guess. If you're unsure whether or not you can catch the lobbed service then you should punch or tip it out of bounds. It's better to give up a corner kick then a goal.