Goalkeeper Drills for Kids: 8 Fun Drills for U8–U12 Keepers

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Young goalkeepers do not need smaller versions of adult sessions. They need lots of touches on the ball, plenty of success, and games that make the right technique feel natural. If a ten-year-old goes home thinking “I love being in goal,” the session worked.

Here are eight drills we use with U8–U12 goalkeepers. Each one is short, safe, and teaches one habit that will still matter when they are seventeen.

Three rules for coaching young goalkeepers

• Use soft balls at first. A size 3 or a lightly inflated size 4. Fear of the ball blocks learning.
• Dive on grass, not hard ground. Start every diving drill from the knees.
• Short and playful. Five minutes per drill, then change. Keep score whenever you can.

1. Ready position statues

Goalkeepers jog around a small area. When the coach shouts “Ready!” they stop in the ready position and freeze like a statue. The coach checks feet, knees and hands.

Coaching points: feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, weight on the front of the feet, hands up in front of the body.

2. Catching shapes

The coach throws gently at three heights. Chest height: a “basket” catch with the ball scooped into the chest. Head height: a “W” shape with thumbs almost touching behind the ball. Ground balls: scoop with hands together, little fingers close.

Make it a game: the coach calls the shape name before throwing. Correct shape and clean catch = one point.

3. Mirror footwork

Two goalkeepers face each other between two cones. One leads with side steps, the other mirrors. On the coach’s whistle, the leader throws the ball to the follower, who catches it in the ready position.

Coaching points: side steps, not crossing the feet, and stay low. Swap roles every 30 seconds.

4. Kneeling low saves

The goalkeeper kneels on both knees. The coach rolls the ball to one side, just out of reach. The goalkeeper falls sideways onto the hip and shoulder, not the elbow, and holds the ball with one hand behind and one on top.

This is the safest way to start diving. Only move to a standing start once the landing is soft and controlled on both sides.

5. Gate goalkeeper

Set up four or five small gates with cones across a grid. Outfield players dribble through any gate to score. The goalkeeper moves between gates to stop them by smothering the ball with the hands.

This teaches reading the attacker and getting set before the ball arrives, in a fun and fast format.

6. Colour cones reaction

Place cones of different colours around the goalkeeper. The coach calls a colour, the goalkeeper touches that cone and returns to the ready position to catch a throw.

Coaching points: quick feet, then stop and get set before the catch. The stop matters more than the speed.

7. Throw-out targets

Place hoops or cones at different distances. The goalkeeper practises rolling, then overarm throwing, to hit the targets. Young goalkeepers often start attacks, so distribution belongs in every session.

8. Shootout game

Finish with a shooting game. Outfield players shoot from a fair distance; every save is a point for the goalkeeper. Rotate goalkeepers often so everyone gets the hero moment.

How to plan a youth GK session

For a 45-minute youth session, pick three or four of these drills and go from easy to game-like: drills 1–2 to start, one technical drill (3, 4 or 6), then a game (5 or 8). We design these sessions in the KEEPIX session designer and share them as a picture parents and assistant coaches can understand at a glance.

For more ideas sorted by age group, download our free 50 Essential Goalkeeper Drills PDF. It includes a full chapter for U-8 to U-12.

Key takeaways

• Lots of touches, lots of success, soft balls.
• Teach the ready position and catching shapes before diving.
• Start every dive from the knees.
• Finish with a game so young goalkeepers leave wanting more.