4 Balls. 2 Shooters. 1 Goalkeeper.
The 4-2-1 Drill.
Objective: Provide a fast-paced and mentally-demanding drill for goalkeepers.
Set Up:
- Arrange two ball piles at 45-degree angles from the goal and about 3-5 yards inside of the circle edge.
Set up a shooter on each ball pile — utilize two shooters or a shooter and a second goalkeeper.
Place two cones on the edge of the circle as a target for goalkeepers to clear below.
The Drill:
- There are four balls total in each repetition — shooters alternate and get to choose whether they shoot or pass for the other player to take a shot.
Coaches discretion whether to play rebounds or not.
For example: ball 1, shooter A takes a shot; ball 2, shooter B passes the ball to shooter A, shooter A takes a shot; ball 3 shooter A passes to shooter B, shooter B takes a shot; ball 4 shooter B takes a shot.
Points of Emphasis:
- Encourage your goalkeepers to be set and balanced for each shot.
- Emphasize good footwork to change angle and be set quickly if the ball is passed.
- Work on one-time clears to the least dangerous areas of the circle (below the cone targets).
Recommendations:
- For more advanced goalkeepers, play out rebounds.
- For beginner goalkeepers, give them time to adjust and get set before each ball and between passes.
- For intermediate or advanced goalkeepers, shorten the time between balls, try one-time shots from passes passes.
- Vary your shots, both in type and distance from the goalkeeper.