Most goals in youth and amateur football do not come from one-on-ones or crosses. They come from shots: a strike from the edge of the box, a low drive through a crowd of legs, a bouncing ball on a wet pitch. Shot-stopping is the job everyone expects from a goalkeeper, yet many sessions spend only a few minutes on it, usually as a line of players blasting balls at the keeper from the penalty spot.
In this guide we share eight goalkeeper shot-stopping drills that build the real skills behind a good save: getting set at the right moment, reading the shooter, choosing to catch or parry, finding a ball that is hidden by bodies, and recovering for the next action. Each drill has coaching points, a regression to make it easier and a progression to make it harder, so you can use the same ideas with young keepers and with senior players.
Why shot-stopping needs its own training
A save is the last moment of a long chain. Before the ball is struck, the keeper has to be in a good position, be balanced, and be still. When the shooter’s foot comes back, the keeper needs a small, quick set so they can push off in any direction. Only then do handling, diving and footwork come into play. If any part of that chain is missing, the keeper is late, off balance or moving the wrong way, and even an average shot becomes hard to stop.
That is why we like to train shot-stopping as a sequence and not as a single action. The ready stance is explained in detail in our goalkeeper set position guide, and when a shot cannot be held, our goalkeeper parrying drills show how to push the ball wide and safe. The drills below bring these pieces together with real shots.
Safety first
- Warm up fully before any shooting work: mobility, footwork and handling at low intensity, then a few easy shots.
- Do all diving saves on soft grass or mats. Avoid hard, frozen or very muddy ground for repeated diving.
- Teach keepers to land on the side of the body (thigh, hip, shoulder) and never to go head-first.
- Build the pace up step by step. Start with throws and side-foot shots, then add driven shots only when the technique holds.
- Keep shooters disciplined: one ball at a time, and only shoot when the keeper is ready and the coach gives the signal.
- With children, use lighter balls, shorter distances and fewer repetitions, and give plenty of rest and water.
8 goalkeeper shot-stopping drills
1. Set on the touch
The server stands about 16 metres from goal with a ball. The keeper starts two metres off the line in the ready position. The server dribbles slowly towards goal, and every time the ball is touched away from the server’s foot, the keeper takes a small step forward. As soon as the server’s shooting leg swings back, the keeper makes a short, light set and stays still. The server then shoots to a catchable height. This teaches the most important timing in shot-stopping: move while the ball is moving, be still when it is struck.
- Coaching points: small steps forward on the touch, a quick and light set (not a big jump), weight on the front of the feet, hands in front and ready.
- Regression: the server only walks the ball and shoots softly at the keeper’s body.
- Progression: let the server shoot at any moment, including early shots, and aim for the corners.
2. Catch or parry decision
The server shoots from 18 to 22 metres with a mix of shots: some at the body, some at hip height to the side, and some hard and low into the corners. The keeper must decide each time: hold the ball if it can be caught cleanly, or parry it wide of the post if it cannot. The coach gives a point for every correct decision, not only for every save. This helps keepers stop trying to catch every ball and giving away rebounds in front of goal.
- Coaching points: catch what you can hold, parry what you cannot, push the ball wide and away from the centre, never back into the middle.
- Regression: use throws instead of kicks so the keeper has more time to decide.
- Progression: add an attacker who follows in for rebounds (no contact with the keeper), so a poor parry is punished.
3. Screened shots
Place two mannequins or two tall cones about five metres in front of the keeper, slightly apart. The server stands behind them, around 20 metres from goal, and shoots between or around the screen. The keeper cannot see the ball the whole time, so they must move their head and body slightly to find the ball early and react late. This is a common match situation when shots come through a crowded box.
- Coaching points: stay set and balanced, move the head to see past the screen, do not guess early, and keep the hands ready close to the body.
- Regression: put the mannequins further apart and shoot at the keeper’s body only.
- Progression: bring the screen closer, add a third mannequin, or let the server shoot with either foot from different angles.
4. Low driven shots to the corners
Low shots into the corners are some of the hardest saves. The server shoots or passes firmly along the ground from about 14 metres to the left and right corners. The keeper takes one quick step towards the ball with the near foot, goes down low and to the side, and either holds the ball with one hand behind and one on top, or pushes it wide. Do this on soft grass only, and start at half pace.
- Coaching points: first step with the near foot to the side, stay low and travel across the ground rather than jumping up, hands lead, land on the side.
- Regression: start from kneeling or a low crouch and roll the ball by hand.
- Progression: increase the pace, mix left and right without warning, or ask the keeper to get up quickly and set for a second shot.
5. Move, set, save
Place a cone one metre to each side of the keeper. The coach points to one cone, the keeper shuffles to touch it with the foot, then returns to the centre and sets. As the keeper sets, the server shoots. This copies the moment in a match when the ball is moved across the box and the keeper has to adjust before the shot. Our goalkeeper footwork drills give more ideas for this kind of movement.
- Coaching points: side steps without crossing the feet, shoulders square to the ball, set before the shot, not during it.
- Regression: walk the movement and only shoot once the keeper is clearly still.
- Progression: shoot while the keeper is still arriving in the centre, or move the server to a new angle so the keeper must adjust their position too.
6. Bouncing and skidding shots
On wet days, and on uneven pitches, the ball often bounces just before the keeper or skids faster than expected. The server throws or shoots so that the ball bounces one to three metres in front of the keeper. The keeper moves forward to meet the ball, gets the body behind it and smothers it into the chest, or parries it wide if it rises quickly.
- Coaching points: attack the ball rather than waiting for it, keep the body behind the hands, and smother the ball into the chest after the bounce.
- Regression: use soft throws with a high, slow bounce.
- Progression: use driven shots onto a wet surface, or vary the bounce point so the keeper has to judge each ball.
7. Shot and rebound
The first server shoots from the edge of the box. A second server stands to the side with another ball. As soon as the keeper saves the first shot, the second server plays a quick shot or pass towards the other side of the goal. The keeper must get up fast, reset and save again. This links shot-stopping to recovery. For more of this work, see our goalkeeper rebound drills.
- Coaching points: get up quickly using the hands and the top leg, set again before the second ball, and keep the eyes on the next server.
- Regression: the second ball is a slow roll by hand, and the keeper may hold the first save before moving.
- Progression: the second server shoots earlier, or the keeper must parry the first shot wide before recovering.
8. Shooting gallery
Three shooters stand around the edge of the box, each with a ball and a number. The coach calls a number, and only that player shoots. The keeper has to set quickly, adjust to the new angle and make the save. After each shot the keeper resets in the centre. Play rounds of nine shots and count the saves. Because the keeper does not know where the next shot is coming from, they must read the situation every time.
- Coaching points: adjust the position to each shooter, be set before the strike, and decide catch or parry on every ball.
- Regression: call the number earlier so the keeper has more time, or use only two shooters.
- Progression: call the number later, allow the shooter one touch before shooting, or let shooters pass to each other before one shoots.
How to build a shot-stopping session
We suggest a 60 to 75 minute session. After a thorough warm-up, start with set on the touch to get the timing right. Then choose two or three main drills, for example the catch or parry decision, low driven shots and move, set, save. Add screened shots or bouncing shots if they match problems you saw in your last match. Finish with the shooting gallery so the keeper puts everything together under game-like pressure. Keep the number of dives sensible, watch for tiredness, and stop the drill when the quality drops. For a full template, see our goalkeeper session plan guide.
Plan your session with KEEPIX
We built KEEPIX so goalkeeper coaches can plan clear sessions in minutes. Use the KEEPIX session designer to draw these shot-stopping drills with keepers, shooters, mannequins and shot arrows, add your coaching points, and share the plan with your keepers or staff. 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
- Shot-stopping is a chain: position, balance, a small set at the moment of the strike, then the save.
- Move while the ball is moving and be still when it is struck.
- Catch what you can hold and parry wide what you cannot. Never push the ball back into the middle.
- Train the match problems too: screened shots, low corners, bouncing balls and second saves.
- Dive only on soft surfaces, land on the side of the body and never go head-first.
- Finish with a game like the shooting gallery so the keeper reads new angles under pressure.
Frequently asked questions
How can a goalkeeper improve at shot-stopping?
Work on the whole chain, not only the dive. Get in a good position, stay balanced, make a small set as the shooter strikes the ball, and then choose to catch or parry. Drills where the server dribbles and shoots at different moments help keepers learn this timing.
When should a goalkeeper catch and when should they parry?
Catch the ball when it can be held cleanly, usually shots at the body or at a comfortable height. Parry when the shot is too hard, too far away or awkward to hold, and push it wide of the post, never back into the middle of the goal.
How many shots should a goalkeeper face in a training session?
There is no fixed number. Quality matters more than quantity: give the keeper enough rest between shots to be set and sharp, limit the number of dives, and stop the drill when the technique starts to break down, especially with young keepers.
50 Essential Goalkeeper Drills — free PDF
A complete drill library from warm-up to game situations. 64 pages, 6 chapters, U-8 to senior level. Coaching points, progressions and regressions for every drill.
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