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Goalkeeping

Diving Technique Work: Set Position Check

Learn a safe, efficient dive

Goalkeeping

Diving Technique Work: Set Position Check 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
Shot Stopping
Technique

Duration

14 min

Players

1-6

Pitch size

Goal area

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Diving Technique Work: Set Position CheckGKCS123Goal area

Diving Technique Work: Set Position Check — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · Goal area

Step 1 of 4Progress from kneeling collapse saves to standing dives.

  1. 1. Progress from kneeling collapse saves to standing dives.
  2. 2. Serve to both sides evenly.
  3. 3. Ten dives per side.
  4. 4. The keeper must be fully set — feet split, hands ready — before every strike.
  • 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

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

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Progress from kneeling collapse saves to standing dives.
  2. 2Serve to both sides evenly.
  3. 3Ten dives per side.
  4. 4The keeper must be fully set — feet split, hands ready — before every strike.

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
  • -Small adjusting steps, then set
  • -Weight on the balls of the feet, hands in front

Common mistakes

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

Where this drill fits

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