Goalkeeping
Counter Goalkeeper One-v-One Spread
Deal with strikers running through on goal
Goalkeeping
Defending
Finishing
Counter Goalkeeper One-v-One Spread is a 16-minute goalkeeping drill for 2-10 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, full goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryGoalkeeping
Defending
Finishing
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Counter Attack
Duration
16 min
Players
2-10
Pitch size
32 x 26 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Counter Goalkeeper One-v-One Spread — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 32 x 26 yards
Step 1 of 5Attacker runs onto a ball and drives at goal.
- 1. Attacker runs onto a ball and drives at goal.
- 2. The keeper closes the angle then sets before the strike.
- 3. Any rebound stays live until the ball leaves the area.
- 4. The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5. Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
- 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
- -Deal with strikers running through on goal
- -Time the moment to close the angle
- -Make a big, safe blocking shape
Setup
- 1A goal with an attacker start cone 25 yards out in a 32 x 26 yards area.
- 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
- 3Balls with the attackers.
Coaching instructions
- 1Attacker runs onto a ball and drives at goal.
- 2The keeper closes the angle then sets before the strike.
- 3Any rebound stays live until the ball leaves the area.
- 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
Coaching points
- -Close quickly, then set
- -Stay tall as long as possible
- -Spread wide and low on contact
- -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run
Common mistakes
- -Diving in early
- -Getting caught on the goal line
- -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on
Where this drill fits
- More football goalkeeping drills
- More football defending drills
- More football finishing drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme