SpEcIAL SITUATIONs AND GOALkEEpING - Wellington Floorball

Special Situations and GoalkeepingInternational Floorball FederationReaction speedGame situations occur fast. Therefore the goalkeepermust have good reactions. The closer the ballis, the faster the goalkeeper has to react, both to theball and to the players. The reaction speed is referredto as 1) saving reactions, as well as 2) game reactions;the speed needed to react in different game situations.Saving reactionsThe agility and neurological control is essential whenthinking about the goalkeepers reactions. The rate of thestimulus delivered from the brain to the performing musclecan be trained to minimize the time of the reaction.With certain type of training the neurological path can bemade shorter and the reactions can be made automatic. Thegoalkeeper can train independently by for example throwingthe ball against a wall, but usually the best way is tohave somebody shooting. There should also be an automaticreaction to reach for the ball in case of a rebound.FeetFeet reactions are important when low shots occur. Feetshould also be used when blocking passing lanes and interceptingpasses. The weight should be on knees sothe feet are able to make a saving reaction to both sides.Drill 8.Objective:• To practice saving reactionsOrganisation:• The goalkeeper positioned backwards facingthe net• Coach in front of the net approximately in5-7 meters distance with ballsExecution:• Coach gives a sign (a whistle or a word)after which the goalkeeper turns around andreacts to the coaches shot• Repeated several timesKey points:• The turn should be as fast and economical aspossible• Attention should be paid to the movementof the feet• Hands should be ready to make a save so theweight should mostly be on feetModifications:• The coach can also shoot from behind anobstacle (1,5 x 1,5 meters) so that the goalkeepercannot predict from where the shot iscomingHandsHands are used to catch the ball just as well as makea save. Hands should be slightly in front of the bodyso that the hands are able to move to all directions. Thegoalkeeper should be able to catch the ball with onehand. Only if the shot is coming towards the goalkeeper,both hands should be used to catch the ball.HeadHead should follow the movement of the handsand the goalkeeper should not be afraid of the ball.Hand and head combinationAll reactions should be coordinated so that if thesave is made on the left side, left side’s hand and feetshould react simultaneously with head also bendingto the left. This is called hand and head combination.►25