Goalkeeper Rebound Drills: 8 Drills for Fast Second Saves

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A goalkeeper makes a good first save, the ball drops loose in the six-yard box, and a striker taps it in. The first save is only half the job. What the keeper does in the next two seconds decides whether the save actually counts.

In this guide we share eight goalkeeper rebound drills that train fast second saves: getting up quickly, parrying the ball to safe areas, holding shots when possible and reacting to a striker who follows in. Each drill comes with coaching points, a regression and a progression, so you can use it with young keepers or senior squads.

Why rebound training matters

In a real game, shots are often deflected, spill off wet gloves or come too hard to hold. Attackers are taught to follow in on every shot, so the keeper who stays on the ground or pushes the ball back into the middle gives them a free chance.

Rebound training teaches three habits. First, hold the ball when you can, because a held ball has no rebound. Second, when you cannot hold it, push it wide and away from danger. Third, get back up and set as fast as possible, ready for the next action. These habits link directly to goalkeeper parrying drills and to safe diving technique.

Safety first

• Warm up fully with mobility, footwork and easy handling before any diving or rebound work.
• Train diving and recovery on grass or soft surfaces, never on hard or frozen ground.
• Build intensity step by step: start with throws, then gentle volleys, then match-speed shots.
• Keepers must never dive head first towards a post, a player or a striker’s feet. Lead with the hands and keep the head protected behind the arms.
• In drills with a follow-in attacker, the attacker stays passive at first and must never kick at a ball the keeper is holding or slide in.
• Rebound drills are tiring because the keeper goes down and up many times. Keep rounds short and give real rest, especially with children.

8 goalkeeper rebound drills

1. Up-and-set race

The keeper lies on their side on the ground, as if they have just made a low save. On the coach’s call, the keeper gets up as quickly as possible and gets into the set position. As soon as they are set, the coach throws or volleys a ball at a catchable height. Repeat on both sides.

• Coaching points: push up with the bottom hand and the top knee, do not roll onto the back, eyes on the ball while getting up, feet set before the ball arrives.
• Regression: let the keeper start kneeling instead of lying down, and serve only soft throws.
• Progression: the coach moves to a new position while the keeper is getting up, so the keeper must find the ball and adjust before setting.

2. Double low ball

The coach has two balls. The first is a low shot or roll to one side; the keeper makes a collapse save and holds it, puts the ball down, gets up and sets. The coach then sends the second ball low to the other side.

• Coaching points: secure the first ball before moving, get up through the side, quick small steps to recentre, set before the second ball.
• Regression: roll both balls gently and allow a short pause between them.
• Progression: shorten the gap between the balls, or let the second ball be a higher shot so the keeper must judge height too.

3. Parry to the safe zones

Mark two safe zones with cones, one wide of each post. The coach shoots firmly at a height that is hard to hold, between knee and shoulder, slightly to one side. The keeper’s job is to parry the ball into the safe zone on that side, wide of the goal, and never back into the middle. A parry into a safe zone scores a point; a parry into the middle loses one.

• Coaching points: strong, firm hands behind and slightly outside the ball, push the ball wide rather than just blocking it, use the hand nearest the post for low balls.
• Regression: serve by hand from a shorter distance so the keeper can focus on the direction of the parry.
• Progression: add a server standing in the middle who plays any ball that lands there back at goal straight away.

4. Parry and recover

Two servers stand on the edge of the box. The first shoots at the keeper, who parries wide or holds it. As soon as the first action is over, the second server, standing on the other side, shoots at the near post. The keeper must get up, step across and set again before the second shot.

• Coaching points: parry wide, not out in front, get up facing the ball, use small shuffle steps to get across, set before the strike.
• Regression: make the second ball a throw and let the second server wait until the keeper is set.
• Progression: let the second server choose when to shoot, so the keeper cannot predict the timing.

5. Follow-in attacker

The coach shoots from the edge of the box. An attacker starts beside a cone a few yards to the side and runs in as soon as the shot is struck. If the keeper holds the ball, the attacker stops and the round is over. If the ball spills, the attacker tries to score the rebound and the keeper must recover to make a second save or smother the loose ball safely.

• Coaching points: hold anything you can, if you parry then push it away from the attacker’s side, get up or spread to block rather than diving at the attacker’s feet.
• Regression: the attacker walks in and only touches the loose ball towards goal, with no shot.
• Progression: add a second attacker on the other side, or let the coach shoot from different angles.

6. Wall rebound reactions

This drill works with one server or even with a keeper training alone. The keeper stands about four to five metres from a solid wall or rebound board, facing it. The server throws or kicks the ball against the wall at different heights so it comes back fast and unpredictably. The keeper must react, catch or parry, then reset for the next ball.

• Coaching points: start in a low, balanced set position, keep the hands in front of the body, small reset steps after every ball.
• Regression: stand further from the wall and use a softer, slower ball.
• Progression: move closer to the wall, or turn the keeper around so they face away and turn on the server’s call.

7. Three-ball scramble

Place three balls at different spots around the six-yard box. The coach shoots the first ball from the penalty spot. Straight after the keeper deals with it, the coach calls a number and the keeper must attack that loose ball and gather it before a second player, starting from the edge of the area, gets there.

• Coaching points: listen for the call, move quickly but under control, go down sideways with the body behind the ball, hands first.
• Regression: let the second player walk, or remove them so the keeper only races the clock.
• Progression: the second player may run, and the coach can call two balls one after the other.

8. Rebound game in the box

Finish with a game. Play three attackers against two defenders plus a keeper in and around the penalty area. Attackers score one point for a normal goal and two for a goal from a rebound. The keeper earns a point for every shot held cleanly and for every save followed by a second save. The scoring keeps everyone focused on what happens after the first shot.

• Coaching points: hold or parry wide, communicate early with defenders, get up immediately after every save, organise the defence for the second ball.
• Regression: play two against one with a coach serving shots, so there are fewer players around the keeper.
• Progression: add a wide player who can cross any rebound pushed out to the side, so the keeper must recover and deal with the cross.

How to use these drills in a session

We suggest a simple flow for a 60 to 75-minute rebound session. Start with a warm-up and the up-and-set race, then move to the double low ball to groove the get-up habit. Use the parry and safe zone drills as the main technical block, then add opponents with the follow-in attacker and the three-ball scramble. Finish with the rebound game. If your keepers still need to work on the basic dive before this kind of session, start with our guide to goalkeeper diving drills.

Plan your session with KEEPIX

We built KEEPIX to help goalkeeper coaches plan clear sessions in minutes. Use the KEEPIX session designer to draw each rebound drill with servers, attackers, safe zones and ball paths, add your coaching points, and share the plan with your staff or your keepers. For more ideas, download our 50 Essential Goalkeeper Drills free PDF, follow our daily GK drills on Instagram, and record how each session went in KEEPIX Diary. You can find all our guides on the goalkeeper drills hub.

Key takeaways

• The first save is only half the job; rebound drills train what happens next.
• Hold the ball whenever you can, because a held ball gives no rebound.
• When you cannot hold it, parry wide into safe areas, never back into the middle.
• Get up through the side and get set as fast as possible after every save.
• Add a follow-in attacker to make rebound work match-like, but keep it safe and controlled.
• Train on soft surfaces, build intensity step by step and keep rounds short.

Frequently asked questions

What is a rebound save in goalkeeping?

A rebound save, or second save, is the save a goalkeeper makes after a first shot has been parried, spilled or deflected. It needs a fast recovery to the feet, a quick set position and a good reaction to the loose ball.

Where should a goalkeeper parry the ball?

Wide of the goal and away from attackers, ideally out of the danger area beside the posts. A goalkeeper should avoid parrying the ball back into the middle of the box, where opponents are most likely to follow in.

How can goalkeepers get up faster after a save?

Practise getting up through the side of the body, pushing with the bottom hand and top knee while keeping the eyes on the ball. Short up-and-set drills repeated in every session make the movement quick and automatic.