Gloves Up
All drills

Block Or Smother

1v1. About 9 minutes.

Keepers tonight
KKeeper working SServer or team-mate AAttacker KWaiting
The K block
  1. Close the gap while the ball is out of their feet.
  2. Stop about a yard away, still on your feet.
  3. One knee drops in. The other leg goes out long.
  4. Hands low and wide, chest up. Be a wall.
How it is set up

Setup. Keeper in goal. Attackers 18 metres out with a ball each. A line of cones across the six-yard line.

How it runs. Attacker dribbles in and must shoot before the cone line. The keeper reads the last touch. If the ball is tight to the attacker's feet, stay up and K block. If the touch is heavy and the ball is loose, go down and smother it. After each go the keeper says out loud which one it was and why.

Coaching points

  1. Read the touch. Tight to the foot means block. Loose means it is yours.
  2. Close fast while the ball is out of their feet, and slow down as they get it under control.
  3. If you block, stay big and stay still. If you smother, go hands first with your head behind your hands.
  4. Whatever you choose, do it fully. A half block and a half smother both get beaten.

Make it harder. Attackers may go round the keeper. Then a second attacker follows in for the rebound, so the keeper has to get up and set again.

With 4 keepers. One keeper, three attackers in a queue. Attacker becomes keeper.