Goalkeeping

Sweeper Keeper Back Pass Practice

Receive and play under pressure as the spare player

Goalkeeping
Playing Out From The Back
Passing

Sweeper Keeper Back Pass Practice is a 20-minute goalkeeping drill for 5-12 players, suitable for Under 11 to Adults at intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, full goals, bibs. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Goalkeeping
Playing Out From The Back
Passing
Skill Practice
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Build Up
Goalkeeper Only
Under Pressure

Duration

20 min

Players

5-12

Pitch size

Half pitch

Ability levels

Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Sweeper Keeper Back Pass PracticeGKCS123Half pitch

Sweeper Keeper Back Pass Practice — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · Half pitch

Step 1 of 3Defenders pass back to the keeper who plays out under press.

  1. 1. Defenders pass back to the keeper who plays out under press.
  2. 2. If the press blocks the short pass the keeper goes long to a target.
  3. 3. Every third serve the coach plays a ball in behind for the keeper to sweep.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Full goal
  • GK = goalkeeper
  • C = coach serving, S = second server
  • Ball
  • Cones mark the keeper's starting positions
  • Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
  • Keeper distributes back to the server
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Receive and play under pressure as the spare player
  • -Judge when to play short and when to go long
  • -Sweep up balls in behind the defence

Setup

  1. 1Full goal with keeper and a back three.
  2. 2Two pressing forwards in bibs.
  3. 3Two outlet targets on the halfway line.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Defenders pass back to the keeper who plays out under press.
  2. 2If the press blocks the short pass the keeper goes long to a target.
  3. 3Every third serve the coach plays a ball in behind for the keeper to sweep.

Coaching points

  • -Open body shape before the ball arrives
  • -First touch out of the feet away from the presser
  • -Talk early so defenders know the plan
  • -Attack the sweeping ball decisively

Common mistakes

  • -Taking a touch straight into pressure
  • -Panicking and hitting it out of play
  • -Staying rooted on the line when the ball goes in behind

Where this drill fits

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