How to react to a back pass

Let’s tell the truth: until not long ago it was not common to see a goalkeeper go too far from the goal . Usually they were always still under all three suits, without much influence on the game.

Therefore, unless his spectacular saves saved his team frequently, or conversely, repeated poor performances by him meant defeat after defeat for his squad, no one generally said much about goalkeepers.

However, today, the goalkeepers have taken another role. It’s been a few years, for example, that they have not been able to take the ball with their hands in the face of backward passes from their teammates, so it is necessary for a good goalkeeper to know how to react well to these types of passes and to have good footwork. .

guardameta ganar confianza

Confidence in footwork

Are you nervous about receiving passes backwards? The bad news we have to give you is that defenders will need to keep passing the ball to you. Sometimes a rival attacker exerts too much pressure and you, you know, are the only option .

On the other hand, the good news that we also have for you is that you can take your nerves off with training. You can gain practice and skill with a simple exercise. You will gradually feel more confident and gradually you will lose your fear of this situation. Find out how you can train to improve this variant of the game.

How to improve your footwork?

Training the game with the feet is as important for a goalkeeper today as training his game with the hands. The “one” must be able to respond skillfully and decide quickly, without hesitation, just as any other player on the team would.

First of all, the goalkeeper has to always be ready, as a defender can send a pass back at any time, so he must be vigilant to kick the ball back or play.

To start practicing, you can stand in front of a wall and kick the ball against it repeatedly, from different positions and distances. The ball will always bounce in a different way: as a good goalkeeper you should always anticipate and think about how fast and where it will do it.

You should make an effort to always control the ball with your feet. You can exercise your left foot first if you wish, then your right. Or you can alternate: once with each if you want. You can also train to stop the ball with one foot, then kick with the other.

Do you want to insert a second ball? Do it! This situation will require additional concentration on your part, and why not, more speed and better coordination. It will force you, of course, to be wide awake.

portero jugar con los pies

Conclution

All these variants that we have shown you to train your footwork will emulate different normal situations in the future of a match, so they will be very useful to, on the one hand, increase your skill with the ball at your feet and, on the other, , so that you feel safer when a defender of your team gives you a back pass.

References

  • Jonathan Fadugba, How to deal with a back pass. For FourFourTwo [Revised October 2015].