Goalie Instruction
A guide to playing and coaching
“the most important position on the
field”
Introduction
• A survey of the top 50 NCAA coaches in the country
asked what the most important position on the field of
lacrosse is: 48 out of 50 answered that it is the goalie*
• There is no other player on the field that can single
handedly change the course of the game. If a goalie
has a perfect game, the worst case scenario is a 0-0 tie
• Coaches, choose your goalies wisely. You want an
athlete, a personality and a leader to mind the net
*two answered the face-off guy but we think it’s because they were face off guys themselves
Hand Positions
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Hands should be positioned
comfortably no more than shoulder
width apart
The top hand should grip a portion of
the plastic on the head for maximum
control and hand-eye accuracy
Arms should extend away from the
body comfortably to allow area to
rotate the stick 360 degrees without
hitting the body or helmet
The bottom hand is slightly further
away from the body than the top
hand
Make note of the thumb protection
on this goalie’s top hand. This is the
most common point of injury for any
lacrosse goalie – protect your thumbs
Body Position - Stance
• The more time a goalie is in
the proper stance, the
better chance he has of
making the save
• Hands away from your
body
• Feet are shoulder width
apart
• Knees Partially Bent
• Slightly up on your toes and
balanced but ready to
move forward
Body Position in Goal – Moving on the Arc
• A 5 point arc – pipe left, top left, top
center, top right and pipe right
• Some goalies play with very little arc
(flat movement across the goal line),
or a very high arc (standing further
away from the goal - not
recommended), while a few simplify to
a 3 point arc of left, center and right.
• We will evaluate your style and body
type and make a recommendation on
arc
Body Position in Goal – Moving Pipe to pipe
For advanced players
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A pipe to pipe move occurs when the ball is fed from one
side of the goal to the other which is very common on fast
breaks or from behind the goal to the opposite side of the
field which is common in extra man and set play situations
The challenge is that the goalie must move the greatest
distance (6 feet) in one controlled motion to maximize speed
and maximize their potential to save the ball without being
fully set
Many times this is simply an athletic reaction that results in
unorthodox saves, however, there is one popular method
that the diagram on this page illustrates.
This move should be practiced often, and completed in one
fluid motion. From the pipe, the up field foot leads the body
turn landing directly in the middle of the goal line. The
goalie, without ever touching the trailing foot to the ground,
hops to the opposite pipe landing on both feet. Right foot on
the pipe and left foot in parallel
Often called a “jump step” the goalie glides across the goal
mouth, he has his stick in the ready position, his body is
square to the shooter and can react to the oncoming shot
throughout the transition
This is an advanced technique for older goalies
Path of ball left to right
Step
Hop
ste
Reverse move going right to left begins
with left foot first and left foot hop
Making the Save – Focus on the ball
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You won’t find many goalies who wear glasses.
The ability to see the ball clearly is the most
important part of being able to make a save
Top hand to the ball – Your hand eye
coordination allows you to use natural athletic
movement when saving the ball. The top hand
ALWAYS leads and everything else including
your head, your body you bottom hand and
your feet will follow
You’re priority will always be on the man with
the ball. Don’t watch his eyes or his body as
much as watch the ball inside the stick. Eyes can
fake, bodies can fake and sticks can fake, but the
ball will never lie
Follow the ball all the way into the stick until it
has settled in your pocket. Take one strong
cradle as you look up to find a breaking
midfielder
Making the Save – The Step
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Where the top hand goes your body should
follow … that’s why we step to the ball
Starting from a set and still position the
goalie reacts to the ball leaving a shooter’s
stick
Step towards the shot with the ball side foot
immediately bringing the trailing foot
forward to a balanced finishing position
Steps are meant to improve the angle from
which a goalie is defending the net, not
jeopardize their position with a twisted
body or an unbalanced reaction
Don’t drop to your knees. While on low
shots it may seem to make sense, once
you’re on the ground, you cannot react to
rebounds. You also have no way to protect
the top of the net from a ricochet or a low
fake followed by a high shot.
Making the Save - Rebounds
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The good news is the ball isn’t in the goal …
yet.
Great attackers love to pick up “junk” goals
when a ball rebounds off a goalie or a
defender
The key is to always be balanced in your
recovery from a first save and to communicate
to your defense that the ball is still in play
When a goalie yells, “REBOUND!!!” it signals
your defenders to take the body on the crease
and to scour the area for a ground ball. Good
defenders will rake or shovel the ball to the
goalie inside the crease and often place the
ball behind the mouth of the goal.
Some techniques will teach you to be more
prepared for a low shot than a high shot when
the ball is on the ground in front of the goal. It
will depend on your preference and each
unique situation
Control the ball and limit rebounds
• Using the crease to control
the ball ultimately limits
the amount of saves you
have to make
• Loose ball on the ground:
Clamp down on the ball
with your stick and ‘rake’ it
into the pocket being
careful to always rake away
from the open net if you
don’t scoop the ball up
cleanly the first time
Making the Save – Importance of
Extending your arms
• When a goalie catches the
lacrosse ball he wants to give
with his top hand and pull it
towards his body as the ball
enters his stick. This strategy is
used by goalies to lengthen the
amount of time the impact
occurs and reduce the force on
the lacrosse ball. Goalies do this
to keep the ball from rebounding
out of their stick and back in
front of the crease where an
offender can pick up the ball and
take another shot.
Making the Save – 1 on 1
• Stay in the goal, coming out is a last
resort
• Step to the ball, not the shooter
• Be patient, save your reaction for after
the fakes
• Reduce the angle. If you’re on the pipe,
stay on the pipe until the last possible
second
• Mirror the attacker’s stick. On a shot
from distance, we instruct to cushion
the ball into your stick. One on one,
the stick more often is moving forward
or on a plane trying to repel the ball
away from the goal
• Baiting is a risky proposition but can
work at times. Try it in practice first.
Position – Hugging the Pipe
• Lock your heal into the pipe and
remain in a ready position
• When an attacker is ready to shoot
from a wing with a limited angle,
there are two ways to play the shot
– With no angle, stand tall and hug the
pipe and let your body make the save
– With a limited angle, remain on the
pipe in the ready position and avoid
stepping off of the pipe to take away
being beat on the inside. Make the
save normally with little or no step
Communicating
• The goalie is the “Field General” of
the defense
• Defenders should always have their
“head on a swivel” to see their man
and the ball but it is crucial for a
goalie to tell them what they can’t see
• Calling ball position, Calling “Check”
on a feed, Calling “Rebound” off a
shot, Calling “Slide” when a defender
is beat, and Calling “Break” after a
save
• The more you talk, the more efficient
your defense becomes awarding you
with fewer and easier shots to save
Playing the Field
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Following the save, the goalie becomes the first
point of offense on the field.
The goalie has the most central point (the crease)
and the widest view of all offensive options
available
The crease also affords the goalie time to make
the right decision and to pass the ball without
interference from a riding attacker’s stick
Be great with your stick (including your off hand).
Be accurate, be in control, be protective of the
ball when clearing … and be on offense.
Most fast breaks start with an pinpoint outlet pass
from the goalie giving an extra man advantage to
the offensive end of the field
Know that when you leave the crease, the goalie
is a favorite target for riding attackers. Move the
ball and play to their over aggressiveness to gain
the advantage in clearing.
The Warm-up: Basics
• 1 Coach Warm up
• 8 basic shots : Stick Side High, Stick Side Hip, Stick
Side Foot, Between the Legs, Off-Side Foot, OffSide Hip, Off-Side High and Bounce Shots
• 10 shots minimum at each position – 100% save
percentage should be the goal
• Prior to setting up in the net for a live warm-up, a
goalie should refine his technique by practicing
the seven save positions against an imaginary
shooter.
Standard Warm-Up
10 Shots – 8 Spots
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10
10
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10
The Warm-Up: Intermediate
• Two coach warm up
– Side to side passing up top with alternating shot
positions
– Feeds from behind with alternating shot positions.
Inside and outside shots off a feed.
– Focus on Pipe to Pipe movement (see jump step
and other techniques), following the ball and set
feet before the shot is taken
Two Coach Warm Up
Coaches pass back and forth rotating who takes the shot
C1
C2
10 Yard Minimum
The object is for the goalie to
move along his arc, from one
coaches angle to the next and
then set his position before
making the save
Two Coach Warm Up
Coach 2 up top moves back and forth on a line taking feeds and shooting on goal
C2
C2
C2
10 Yard Minimum
With occasional
sneak to 1 on1
The object is for the goalie
to pivot from center goal
to either pipe or top
center, top right or top left
positions, set feet and
make the save
C1
C1
C1
Coach 1 at “X” moves back and forth on an arc pressing each pipe and feeding the ball up top
The Warm-Up: Advanced
Goalie specific drills and fitness
• Short stick warm-up
• No stick warm-up
• Quick stick warm-up
• Outlet passing after every save
• Communication – Calling ball position, Calling
“Check”, Calling “Rebound”, Calling “Break”
Sticks & Maintenance
• The goalie stick endures the most wear and tear of any piece of
equipment on the field.
• Each goalie must maintain the integrity of their pocket to ensure
there is no weaknesses that could result in a allowing a goal.
• Tighten all bottom strings, make sure side walls and top strings are
in tact and not frayed.
• Check to make sure there are no large gaps that a ball could ever fit
through
• Make sure all throwing strings are helping to channel the ball into
the deepest middle portion of the pocket and guide the ball when
throwing.
• The ball should NEVER hit the plastic at the top of a stick when
throwing
• Keep your pocket deep enough to absorb almost any shot but still
shallow enough for an easy throwing motion that gives both
distance and accuracy to an outlet pass
Equipment
Trust us … barring injury, this is all
you’ll ever need:
• A great stick and a great back up
stick are mandatory
• Helmet and Throat Protector
• Goalie Gloves with added thumb
protection
• Chest Protector
• Mouth Guard
• Athletic Supporter and Cup for
boys
Fitness & Pre-Season Workouts
• Jump Rope for quickness
• Distance running for stamina and short burst
training like ladders for aerobic recovery
• Strengthen your lower back and large leg
muscles – wall sits for quads are great
• Hit the wall – stick skills set good goalies apart
from great goalies. Left and right hand passing
and catching first … then work on making
saves off the wall in a 1 man warm-up
Good Luck and Play well
Contact us with questions
• Scott Giardina (654-9066, sgiardina@mountkellet.com)
• Kevin McGurn (789-3135, kevin.mcgurn@hulu.com)
Some Great Stuff – Check it out!!!
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ8svu8A
Nl4
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkQn6kyx
SjE&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EezsWXm
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