The goalkeeper

Anticipation before reflexes

A landmark biomechanics study (Rojas et al., 2011, Journal of Sports Sciences) measured expert keepers starting their movement about 193 ms before ball release with a 67% interception rate — versus 209 ms and just 24% for novices. The expert waits longer, reads the throwing arm, then commits. Coaching conclusion: train cue-reading (arm, shoulder, shooter's feet), not just speed.

The base stance

• Weight even on both legs, shoulder-width apart, heels slightly off the ground.
• Legs bent, trunk straight, head high.
• Arms open, hands at shoulder height in line with the arms. Self-check: the keeper should see both hands while watching the ball.

Classic young-keeper faults: straight arms above the head, arms too low (can't save high), straight legs (delayed reaction), feet too wide.

Positioning and angles

The keeper stands on the bisector of the angle formed by the ball and the two posts, 1 to 1.5 m off the line — never glued to it. Always move during the pass, toward the ball, so you're never screened. Stepping out toward the shooter meaningfully shrinks the visible goal and closes the angle.

Saves by shot type

• Long-range (9 m): two-hand saves first; the "star" on high close-range shots, sit-splits on low ones; leg saves start knee-first. Don't guess early, don't hide "in the shadow" of the block.
• Wing shots: close the near post with the leg, hip and trunk against the post, both hands high; advance toward the ball step by step. Faults: lifting the far leg too early, abandoning the near post.
• Breakthroughs (1-on-1): come out early to shrink the goal, then set; patience — the save happens at the moment of release; vary your choices so you can't be read.
• 7-metre throws: watch the throwing hand, knees bent, don't bite on feints. You can "offer" a corner by dropping an arm to steer the shooter. At the top level a save rate around 30% is already a success (Rojas et al.) — tell your young keepers.

Distribution: first attacker

The keeper is "the first attacker and the last defender". Straight after the save: a flat outlet into the channel in front of or behind a defender, over the first line, or the full-court throw at an empty goal against a 7v6. Avoid the slow lob that lets the defense reset. Train distribution inside the same drill as the save — see the fast break.

The mental game

Courage, concentration, confidence — and an unfair asymmetry: a keeper's mistakes show more than anyone else's. Install a reset ritual after every conceded goal: one breath, one gesture (touch the posts), one line ("analyze, adjust, move on"). Worth knowing: a Slovenian study (Kajtna et al., 2012) found no anxiety difference between more and less successful keepers — the position doesn't "create" anxious players.

Developing keepers by age

• U9–U11: foam balls, no fear of the ball, mobility, fun. Don't teach face-protection technique ("educated defense") too early: shooters are inaccurate at this age and the keeper would take repeated hits to the head.
• U11–U13: the semicircular movement arc, lateral footwork, first outlets, short-distance shots.
• U13 and up: decisions under pressure, communication with the defense, cue-reading, video. The EHF dedicated its 2025 Goalkeeper Summit (Vienna) to positioning, coordination, reading shot directions and the keeper's offensive role. Great keepers often peak around thirty — it's a long track; tell the parents.

Sources

Rojas, Gutiérrez-Dávila, Ortega, Campos & Párraga (2011), Journal of Sports Sciences 29(12) · federation goalkeeper manuals (Nowiński; Papić / Pavlič, EHF Master Coaches) · Kajtna et al. (2012) · EHF Goalkeeper Summit 2025. The reset ritual transfers conceptually from soccer-GK psychology. Verified July 2026.