Goalkeeping

Diving Technique Work

Learn a safe, efficient dive

Goalkeeping

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Diving Technique Work is a 14-minute goalkeeping drill for 1-6 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.

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Goalkeeping

Technical Practice

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Small Group

Youth Friendly

Adult Suitable

Goals Needed

Duration

14 min

Players

1-6

Pitch size

Goal area

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Diving Technique Work — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · Goal area

Step 1 of 3Progress from kneeling collapse saves to standing dives.

1. Progress from kneeling collapse saves to standing dives.
2. Serve to both sides evenly.
3. Ten dives per side.

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

-Learn a safe, efficient dive
-Land correctly to protect the body
-Save low and mid-height shots

Setup

1Keeper kneeling or standing on the goal line.
2Server five yards away, balls in hands.
3Soft ground or mats if available.

Coaching instructions

1Progress from kneeling collapse saves to standing dives.
2Serve to both sides evenly.
3Ten dives per side.

Coaching points

-Push off the leg nearest the ball
-Top hand behind the ball, bottom hand under it
-Land on the side, not the front

Common mistakes

-Diving backwards
-Landing on the elbow
-Both hands on top of the ball

Equipment needed

Balls

Cones

Full Goals

Age groups

Under 9

Under 10

Under 11

Under 12

Under 13

Under 14

Under 15

Under 16

Adults

Progressions

+Set Position Check: serve early to shorten the set time
+Blind Serve: add a deflection off a mannequin
+Distribution Exit: coach calls the target after the save
+Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

-Set Position Check: announce the serve so the keeper can prepare
-Blind Serve: serve slower and from further out
-Distribution Exit: one fixed target every time
-Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

-Set Position Check — The keeper must be fully set — feet split, hands ready — before every strike.
-Blind Serve — The keeper starts facing away or with a screen blocking sight of the strike.
-Distribution Exit — Every save or catch must be followed by a chosen distribution: throw, side-volley or pass to a full-back.
-Handling Volume — Ten unbroken repetitions per set with clean handling — a drop means the set restarts.
-1v1 Situation — A live attacker runs onto the ball, so the keeper must decide to close, hold or spread.
-Cross Claiming — Serves come as crosses from both sides with a passive attacker in the six yard box.
-Fatigue Finish — Finish each set with three saves in ten seconds to work handling under fatigue.
-Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch