Goalkeeper Drills for Beginners: 8 Drills to Build Strong Basics

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Every keeper starts somewhere. Maybe a player has just volunteered to go in goal, maybe a young keeper is joining a club for the first time, or maybe you are a field coach who has been asked to look after the goalkeepers. In all of these cases the same question comes up: where do we start? The answer is not spectacular saves. It is a solid ready position, safe hands, simple footwork and the confidence to go down to the ground without fear.

In this guide we share eight goalkeeper drills for beginners. They need very little equipment, they work for children, teenagers and adults who are new to the position, and they build the basics in a sensible order. Every drill includes coaching points, a regression to make it easier and a progression to make it harder, so you can match the work to each keeper.

Why the basics matter for new goalkeepers

Beginner keepers often want to dive straight away, because diving is what they see on television. But most of the ball a keeper deals with in a match is not a flying save. It is a back-pass, a rolling shot, a cross, a ball at the chest or a ball that needs a quick step to the side. If the keeper is balanced, holds the ball cleanly and moves their feet first, many shots that look difficult become simple. Good basics also keep beginners safe, because a keeper who knows how to get down to the ground is far less likely to land badly.

The ready stance comes first in this list for a reason. If you want more detail on it, our guide to the goalkeeper set position explains the stance step by step. For more catching work once your keeper is comfortable, use our goalkeeper handling drills.

Safety first

• Warm up with light jogging, mobility and easy catching before any goalkeeper work.
• Do every falling or diving drill on soft grass or mats. Never ask a beginner to go to ground on hard or frozen surfaces.
• Teach keepers to land on the side of the body (thigh, hip, shoulder) and never to go head-first.
• Start with soft throws from close range. Only add kicks and more pace when the technique is good.
• With children, use a lighter or softer ball, keep sets short, and make sure there is plenty of rest and water.
• Gloves help, but they are not required for the first sessions. Make sure fingers are warm and nails are short.

8 goalkeeper drills for beginners

1. Ready position freeze game

Keepers jog or shuffle freely around a small area. When the coach shouts “Set!”, every keeper stops and takes the ready position as quickly as possible: feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, weight on the front of the feet, hands relaxed in front of the body. The coach checks the stance, then the keepers move again. After a few rounds, the coach throws a ball to one keeper straight after the call, so the stance always leads to a catch.

• Coaching points: stop on two feet, keep the head still and the eyes forward, keep the hands in front where the keeper can see them, and avoid standing flat-footed.
• Regression: walk instead of jog, and give the call slowly so the keeper has time to think about each part of the stance.
• Progression: call “Set!” while keepers are turning or moving backwards, or throw the ball at once so they must be set and catch in one movement.

2. Three catches: scoop, basket and W

Stand three to five metres from the keeper and throw by hand. Start with balls rolled along the ground (the scoop), then balls at stomach or chest height (the basket, where the ball is hugged into the chest), then balls at head height (the W shape, with thumbs close together behind the ball). Do five of each, then mix them. This gives beginners a clear picture of which hand shape to use for each height.

• Coaching points: move the body behind the ball, make the hand shape early, watch the ball all the way into the hands, and bring the ball into the chest straight after the catch.
• Regression: throw slowly, tell the keeper the height before each throw, and use a softer ball.
• Progression: throw a little to each side so the keeper must take a step first, or ask the keeper to call the catch type out loud before the ball arrives.

3. Rolling ball scoop

Many goals at beginner level come from simple rolling shots that pass under the hands or through the legs. Roll or pass the ball firmly along the ground at the keeper. The keeper moves in line with the ball, bends at the knees and hips, keeps the legs close together behind the ball, and scoops it up into the chest with the palms facing forward and the little fingers close together. Then repeat with a one-knee technique, where the keeper kneels sideways so the leg forms a barrier behind the hands.

• Coaching points: get the body behind the ball, keep the gap between the feet smaller than the ball, little fingers close together, and lift the ball straight up into the chest.
• Regression: use a slow roll from a short distance and let the keeper start already in line with the ball.
• Progression: pass harder with the foot, add a small bounce, or roll the ball one step to the side so the keeper must move before scooping.

4. Shuffle and catch

Place two cones about four metres apart on or near the goal line, with the keeper in the middle. The keeper shuffles with side steps towards one cone, stops, sets, and catches a throw from the server standing about eight metres in front. Then the keeper shuffles back to the other side and repeats. This is the first step to good goalkeeper footwork: move, stop, set, then save.

• Coaching points: take small, quick side steps, never cross the feet, keep the shoulders square to the ball, and be fully set before the ball is thrown.
• Regression: walk the side steps and throw only when the keeper has clearly stopped.
• Progression: throw earlier so the keeper must set faster, throw to different heights, or ask the server to point at a cone so the keeper reacts to a signal.

5. Sitting and kneeling falls

This is how beginners learn to get down to the ground without fear. On soft grass, the keeper sits with legs straight and the server rolls the ball just to the side. The keeper falls sideways, catches the ball with one hand behind and one on top, and lands on the side of the body. Next, do the same from a kneeling position, then from a low crouch. Only move to the next stage when the keeper looks relaxed and lands safely. Our goalkeeper diving drills take this further when your keeper is ready.

• Coaching points: lead with the hands, keep the eyes on the ball, land on the side (thigh, hip, shoulder), keep the ball in front of the face and pull it in after landing. No head-first falls.
• Regression: roll the ball very slowly and close to the body, and let the keeper practise the fall without a ball first.
• Progression: move from sitting to kneeling to crouching, roll the ball a little further away, or throw it at hip height instead of along the ground.

6. Step to the ball (simple angles)

Set out three cones in an arc around the edge of the penalty area: one on the left, one in the centre and one on the right. The server dribbles slowly to one of the cones. As the ball moves, the keeper takes small steps along their own arc so that they stay on an imaginary line between the ball and the middle of the goal. When the server reaches the cone, they shoot or pass at the goal. This introduces positioning without long explanations.

• Coaching points: move while the ball moves, stop and set before the shot, stay on the line between ball and centre of goal, and take one or two steps off the line rather than standing on it.
• Regression: walk the ball slowly, let the keeper look back at the posts to check their position, and use passes instead of shots.
• Progression: move the ball faster, add a cone wider out, or let the server shoot from any point during the dribble.

7. Roll and throw to a target

Once the keeper has the ball, the next job is to start the attack. Place two small target gates made from cones 10 to 20 metres away. The keeper practises an underarm roll along the ground to one gate, then a sidearm or overarm throw to the other. A ball that goes through the gate scores a point. This shows beginners that their work does not end with the catch.

• Coaching points: step towards the target, release the ball low for the roll so it does not bounce, follow through towards the target, and look up before throwing.
• Regression: bring the gates closer and make them wider.
• Progression: move the gates further away, make them narrower, or have a player run into space and ask the keeper to throw into their path.

8. Two-goal keeper game

Finish with a game. Set up two small goals about 15 to 20 metres apart with a keeper in each. Keepers take turns to roll, throw or kick the ball towards the other goal, and each one tries to stop the other from scoring. A clean catch scores a bonus point. Because the keepers are both shooting and saving, they get lots of touches and lots of fun, and the coach can watch which basics hold up under a little pressure.

• Coaching points: get set before every shot, choose the right catch, use the feet first, and go to ground only on the soft surface and only to the side.
• Regression: use rolls and throws only, and make the goals smaller or the distance longer.
• Progression: allow kicks from the hands, add a rule that a keeper may come off the line, or add a player who looks for rebounds without making contact with the keeper.

How to build a beginner session

We suggest a 45 to 60 minute session for new keepers. Start with a warm-up and the ready position freeze game. Spend the main part on two or three technique drills, for example the three catches, the rolling ball scoop and the shuffle and catch. If the ground is soft, add the sitting and kneeling falls. Then use the step to the ball drill or the roll and throw drill, and finish with the two-goal keeper game. Keep each set short, give lots of praise for good habits, and stop a drill when the quality drops. For a full template, see our goalkeeper session plan guide.

Plan your session with KEEPIX

We built KEEPIX to help goalkeeper coaches plan clear sessions in minutes. Use the KEEPIX session designer to draw these beginner drills with keepers, cones, throws and movement arrows, add your coaching points, and share the plan with parents, staff or your keepers. For more ideas, download our 50 Essential Goalkeeper Drills free PDF, follow our daily GK drills on Instagram, and keep track of every session in KEEPIX Diary. You can find all our guides on the goalkeeper drills hub.

Key takeaways

• Beginners need a solid ready position, safe hands and simple footwork before anything else.
• Teach three catches early: the scoop for low balls, the basket for chest-height balls and the W for high balls.
• Feet first: move, stop and set before the ball is played.
• Learn to go to ground step by step, from sitting to kneeling to crouching, on soft grass and never head-first.
• Introduce positioning with a simple idea: stay on the line between the ball and the middle of the goal.
• Keep sessions short, positive and full of touches, and finish with a game.

Frequently asked questions

What should a beginner goalkeeper practise first?

Start with the ready position and basic catching. A balanced stance and the right hand shape for low, middle and high balls make most shots easier. Add simple side-step footwork next, and only then begin safe falls on soft ground.

Can beginner goalkeepers train without gloves?

Yes. For the first sessions a soft ball and bare hands are fine, and they can even help the keeper feel the ball. Gloves give more grip and protection as the shots get harder, so most keepers start using them once they begin to train with kicks.

How can a beginner goalkeeper learn to dive safely?

Build it in stages on soft grass or mats: first from sitting, then from kneeling, then from a low crouch. Lead with the hands, land on the side of the body, and never go head-first. Keep sets short and move on only when the keeper lands safely and calmly.