Playing Tips – Page 8

Contact

qna
Question:

Is the keeper allowed to kick the ball off an opposing player’s stick (kicker-stick contact)? Is the keeper allowed to hit the ball off another player’s stick with his/her goalie stick?

Answer:

Any contact by a keeper, whether kicker or stick must be to the ball first. If after contacting the ball, the keeper’s kicker or stick contacts the opposing player’s stick then the play should be legal. However, if the umpire deems that the keeper contacted the opponent’s stick first and then got ball the penalty is either a corner or possibly a stroke. Unfortunately, umpires often make this call based on sound (especially with stick tackles) as they are usually positioned on the endline behind the keeper in an attempt to stay ahead of the play. This can leave the umpire with an obstructed view of the play. If you’ve made a tackle where you feel you’ve got ball first and the call has gone against you, the best you can do is ask the umpire to ask for help from their partner.

good luck,

Jon

Does kit colour make a difference?

qna
Question:

Does the colour of a goalie’s kit make a difference to the opposition. i.e. does the striker get distracted by bright colours?

Answer:

The studies I’m aware of in regards to colour have been done with football and ice hockey. There are two different schools of thought, one is to blend in and the second is to distract. Blue and green are good blending colours. On the distracting front, red, orange and yellow are good distracting colours. I recently heard mention of a study done by a Canadian university that was done with ice hockey goalkeepers. The study centered on many keepers wearing white equipment to blend in with the white ice. They also did a study as to what colour made pads (all the same size, just different colours) appear to be the “biggest” and yellow coloured equipment was deemed to be the “biggest.” You can make a case for blending in or distracting. If a striker is distracted by your colours they’re not focusing on the goal. If you’re blending in, the striker may not see you. At the end of the day it’s not so much about what the striker sees, but what colours make you feel strongest in goal.

good luck,

Jon

Keeping warm

Just another quick article on keeping warm during/between halves at a match.

If you are playing on a strong team and face few shots, or share starts (such as playing international test matches for example), then you will tend to get cold, since your muscles are inactive. You will also be at a psychological disadvantage (but this will be explored in another article!). The shots you are likely to face tend to be of higher quality goal scoring opportunities, as the chances are limited. In these situations, you are likely to have to stretch to reach the ball, or be more athletic, which can result in injuring a muscle.

These tips can be applied if you are up against a game where you are not seeing much action, but need to keep alert:

Rebound drill

A simple, but effective way to get warmed up in a short period of time is to have a free player shoot at you quickly, parrying the rebounds back at you so you have to continuously stop them. This is often used to warm the keeper up just before the match restarts (after the break), between halves (to keep warm and build up your reactions) or just before the game starts, to check on the reflexes. It works best when there are multiple players, so that you have to react to changes in angles.

Stretching

To avoid injury, you need to keep warm. You will often see goalkeepers stretching in times of inactivity, in order to keep their muscles warm. As well as keeping mentally active (focusing on ‘getting in the game’ or right mindset), it is a good idea to do this, as you will warm up your muscles. The worst thing to do is pull a muscle making a great save against a rare opportunity, or at the start of the march, when you are not properly warmed up.

warming_up_stretch — With the ball at the other end of the pitch, this goalkeeper wisely goes about stretching to warm up.

‘Bouncing’

Just a quick article on the technique of ‘bouncing’.

Guus Vogels, the prominent goalkeeper for Holland (who recently a little while ago) was a ‘bouncer’ i.e. he would bounce in his stance before facing the shot! Martijn Drijver coached him and has coached his replacement, who also uses the technique. ‘Bouncing’ is essentially ‘popping up’ off the tips of your feet; preparing for the shot by readying for an explosive movement.

‘Popping up’

‘Popping up’ is simply a way of readying for the shot by popping up in the ready stance, as has been said. As the shooter prepares to strike or flick the ball at goal, the goalkeeper ‘pops up’ off the tips of the feet. The following videos show a rough idea of the technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt8Eep46xEw (ignore the stance, but rough idea of technique)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybG_VzJ7KU0 (better idea, but feet may leave the floor at times)

This video gives a better idea of the Dutch method (as coached by Drijver); watch the goalkeeper’s kickers closely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3unyWIenyI

Why?

There is always theory behind everything and as with ‘bouncing’ there is technical knowledge. The idea is that by bouncing around with explosive energy it makes you explosive and gives extra drive for lunges or diving (up or down).

Tips:

try to keep it minimal i.e. don’t over do it to the point where your feet literally leave the floor!
keep your balance by keeping your head forward

When to bounce:

at penalty corners or when the ball is just outside the D (and being brought in) when you have time to get ready for the shot

When not to:

against shots at close range: you can easily wrong foot yourself and not have enough time to bounce and then react properly to the shot/flick
when moving side to side – you obviously won’t be able to side step and bounce without a lot of difficulty

To bounce or not to bounce?

To bounce or not to bounce? That is the question. Or at least one of the many questions that face us goalkeepers (who to be fair are very analytical and like to pick up on the technical aspects of our position)! Believe it or not, I didn’t come across the technique until recently and don’t know where I stand on the matter. Drijver is a well known and knowledgable goalkeeping coach, so there must be some reason for doing it!

Don’t?!

However, I was always told to ‘sit still’ in my stance and prepare for the shot before the ball was released, but others believe it has its benefits, so here’s a look into it. When I was training with a top level goalkeeper (National Premier league and junior international), I was told that when readying for a shot popping up or tilting away is the worst thing you can do as you are moving away from the ball. I would therefore be against it generally, but it’s something to consider to add to your repetoire, or disgard if it doesn’t work for you. It may work wonders at lower levels, but when faced with national league and higher shooters you may be undone by attacking players.

Baselayers

Sorry for not writing more this past year; been more busy than I’d hoped with studying. Here’s a very quick article to point you in the direction of baselayers if you didn’t know about them before!

You will now see a lot of goalkeepers wearing ‘baselayers’; a special type of top worn by sportspeople to keep themselves free from sweat. Rugby players, footballers and other types of athletes all wear them, and they are now becoming popular in hockey. The clothing is used to keep the goalkeeper cool and dry; reducing humidity and wicking away sweat from the body. Canterbury is one of the most famous brands. Baselayers are simply worn under the chest pad. Instead of wearing a t-shirt, you just wear the baselayer. Baselayers are long-sleeved and will keep your arms warm in the cold weather. Baselayers are easy to get hold of. Sports stores stock them, as do some camping outlet stores (they do a different type designed to keep you warm as well as sweat free, which is useful for the winter months!).

Simply put, they are a good way of keeping cool when you are working up a sweat, although that’s not to say your muscles won’t keep optimally warm!

What kit to buy

qna
Question:
I’ve been playing the position goalie since I was eight. In 2005 my parents managed to buy me the OBO Cloud 9 Goal keeper kit.

I’m currently playing club hockey and have represented my Province as well as Zimbabwe Schools Hockey a number of times and played for the Zimbabwe U21 National Team. I’m currently training in the national squad for the All Africa Games later on this year.

I’m looking at getting new kit but can’t decide between the ROBO High Control or the ROBO High Rebound! Personally I’m looking at the High Control kickers and legguards mainly because I feel the rebound off any OBO kit is very good. For the hand protectors I’m thinking of going for the High Rebound Hand Protectors because the surface area is larger for the hand protector that holds the stick.

I would like to hear your opinion on which range do you recommend me buying?

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Answer:
Between the High Rebound and High Control pieces of the ROBO range, you can’t go wrong. Personally, I use the High Control kickers with the High Rebound leg guards and the High Control Hand Protectors but what’s best for you depends on your style of play. I like the additional surface area offered by the High Rebound legguards and the rebound qualities of the inner leg channel. I use a more active style of kicking and find I get plenty of rebound out of the High Control kickers while keepers who use a more deflective style of save/clearing prefer the High Rebound kickers. Lastly, hand protectors will also depend on your style of play. I tend to play with my hands and stick more forward so I want a lot of rotation with my wrist on my right hand so I prefer the High Control Hand Protectors. Keepers who play with their hand more out and back love the High Rebound Hand Protectors specifically for that larger surface area. As I mentioned, both lines are great it’s just a matter of thinking how you play and what’s best for you,

good luck,

Jon

Watch and learn off other goalkeepers

Been pretty busy lately and will be this year, so unfortunately can’t post as much as I’d like. Nothing spectacular, but a basic concept about how to learn by watching other goalkeepers (generally of the higher levels!).

Ever wondered what the best way to learn about how to play in goal is, without being coached or learning by game experience? Well, the simplest answer, is to watch someone else! You can learn a great deal simply by watching another game after your match has ended or watching game highlights over the Internet.

Don’t just be an observer!

Firstly, you need to ‘participate’ in the game. If you just watch what happens and don’t absorb the reason for the goals and a team conceding and losing, then you won’t learn how to prevent that happening in your own games. You don’t want to be a passive passenger to the game, but actively think about and mentally remember what the causes for the goals were. It may sound sad, but taking notes of the game and the goalkeepers (especially easier if you’re watching highlights over the Internet because you can make notes on your computer/laptop!) will help you to keep track of the things you have learnt.

Act like a scout

The best way to watch a game is to watch it as if you were scouting for the best goalkeeper there (out of the two playing). The mindset to have is to think like a scout. Imagine you’re the goalkeeping coach for the international team and you’re looking to add depth to the squad or want to decide on who your first choice will be for an upcoming tournament. I have actually been at a game two years ago where there was a scout doing exactly that and noticed what they were looking at (even if I failed to politely ask a few questions!!). Note: I wasn’t the one being scouted!! I was just watching!

Don’t just scout just watch the goalkeeper you follow or are rooting for, but also the opposition goalkeeper at the other end. You may miss out on exciting battles in the midfield, but your focus is after on the keeper and how they work with their defenders. When watching any game, try to keep track of both goalkeepers and evaluate who was the best. Goalkeeping duels are always fun to watch!

What to look for

When watching any game, there are certain things you want to look for. Focus mainly on the successes and failures to isolate what is good about their ‘game’ and what is bad about it:

What the goalkeeper does well – if they make significant saves to turn the game around and when they make the save e.g. an important, timely save to keep the game tied
The goals the goalkeeper allows (if they do!) and why – think about the reasons i.e. over active in their D and straying too far from their starting line…

What to listen for

Watching is not the only thing you can be doing. You can also listen in on the action and work out what the goalkeeper is saying to his team mates; what changes they are calling for etc. Knowing how a goalkeeper interacts with their defence will help you improve on your own skills in organising your team.

What to analyse

You can also analyse more deeply the things they are doing. In terms of technical skills try to apply what you’ve been taught (or what you know from experience if you don’t have a coach) and see how the goalkeepers are acting in relation to that. Sound technical goalkeepers should make few mistakes.

Here are some ideas:

How the goalkeeper controls rebounds
When the goalkeeper takes command of the situation instead of letting his defence deal with it (such as coming off the post to tackle)
How the goalkeeper positions themselves in their ready stance
How quickly the goalkeeper recovers after a low save

Where to watch games

The best action is obviously going to be watching it in person, so if you are lucky enough to live close to top division national league hockey, then go and watch a game at the weekend (in England most national league games are played or have been played on a Sunday, with everyone else mainly playing Saturdays, so there’s no excuse!)! When I wasn’t playing, I would go down and watch East Grinstead or my home club Oxted. If possible, try and make it to international games (some nations will also play friendlies, such as England’s series of friendlies last year) to really get a feel for the highest level of the game.

The Internet

If you can’t get to high level games because you aren’t local, then the Internet is your friend. Here’s a few links to some prominent websites that have highlight footage of games:

Hockey TV – http://fieldhockeytv.com/
NOS Sport – http://nos.nl/video/184491-hockey-hdmbloemendaal.html

YouTube

YouTube is another great place to look for hockey highlights to watch and learn from. Hockey nations like Holland, where matches are televised, will consistently upload videos. Do a search for a team you know, like HGC of the hoofdklasse and you should be able to find some matches.

For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvAgM3hYekQ

Handling nerves

I tend to hype myself up too much for a match and then I end up getting so nervous of letting the team down that I usually end up making a crucial mistake. Tomorrow the womens team I joined have our first match….against the womens team from the club I played for, for 7 years. I really want to perform well because I not only want to prove a point to my old club but also I don’t want my new club to think that I’m not 100% commited to them.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Communication

qna
Question:
I’ve been playing for three years and all my skills have developed, all but my communication. Every team I play for has said that they look for a keeper with strong communication skills and I feel that if I can improve my communication I’ll improve my shot of making the teams I tryout for. I ask all the coaches I ever have what they want me to say, but I never get a clear answer. I was wondering what things I should be saying. I will yell at my players when I need them to mark someone or to call a ball “MINE” but other then that I’m lost.

I’m hoping to get into the Junior National Program and eventually represent Canada at the Junior Worlds in 2013 and if I can improve my communication skills it’ll help a lot.

Thanks,
Madeleine

Answer:
Hi Madeline,

I wrote a tip about Team Defense that has a section on Commuincation. Below is the link:

http://blog.obo.co.nz/2004/01/13/decision-making-and-team-defense/

In addition, there is a recent article in the Keeper’s Resources section that also covers a little on the topic, here is that link:

http://blog.obo.co.nz/2010/07/22/acting-analysing-deciding-and-decision-making/

Communication is essentially organizing your defense. It’s recognizing the position of your opponents in relationship to the ball and your goal and communicating to your teammates where you want them to be and what you want them to do. In my mind, that’s Team Defense and Decision-Making.

I’d start with reading the articles and please feel free to e-mail me if you have additional questions. I’ll add that I’ve played with a number of teams over the years and my experience has taught me that there is no one style of communication. I’ve played with teams where defenders do a lot of talking around the ball and my job is basically to keep them aware of upfield forwards or what I’m doing and then I’ve played with teams where I have to take charge and organize who is on ball and who is marking who. It will all depend on your team. Communication is about results and if players aren’t doing what you ask them, then it’s time to rethink how you’re saying things.

As you work on communication, conversations about situations on the field are very useful. Walk throughs where you place a ball on the field and move opponents and have to organize where you want people to go and what you want them to do are useful. It’s good to have common terms so that your teammates are all on the same page.

As I said, there is no one style of communication. The key is recognizing danger as an attack is developing and taking that away through positioning your help,

good luck,

Jon

Acting, Analysing, Deciding and Decision Making

Decision Making, Analyzing, Deciding and Acting are key concepts in hockey goalkeeping. You may have the right attitude, speed, concentration, agility, power, reflexes and yet goals still go in that should not go in due to many different reasons! Goalkeepers must have the ability to correctly analyse, decide and act in crucial situations. Lack of this or incorrect analyzing, deciding and acting will most likely lead to goals being scored. The Fact of the matter is that even if the goal was not your fault you always feel a sense of responsibilty, which isn’ t a bad thing as it shows determination, passion and the desire to suceed!

Good goalkeepers must have the ability to learn from their mistakes by watching the play leading up to a goal being scored and decide were they made the wrong decision. Making one wrong decision or making one mistake in the goal can change the entire outcome of the match, (but that’s what also makes this one of the best positions on the pitch) If an outfielder makes one mistake or one wrong decision in a match it would most likely not cost the match as they have the time to redeem themselves and make up for the mistake straight after, while the next chance for the goalkeeper to redeem or make up for their mistake is during the next scoring opportunity making analyzing a crucial part of a goalkeepers game! It is important not to over analyse the goal during the match as it will distract you and your concentration will not be on the next shot which is were it needs to be. It is important to get the balance of how much to analyse during the match and how much after the match! This will usually come with experience! Simply acknowledge to yourself that a goal has been scored but the match is not over, you must then forget about the goal and focus on the next shot!

Calling is a very important skill and is used when the goalkeeper has realized what the opposition are going to do. Calling should not be under estimated. Call the defenders name first and then the action you require them to make; e.g. Ailbhe, move right, player leading behind, or mark player leading in front etc. Calling and talking in matches is a very useful skill that could also get you more match time as it encourages, gives direction and supports the defenders! Often goalkeepers will come off the pitch after only touching the ball a few times but without good communication the rate would be much higher and although you may have preferred to get more action the less action you get the less goal opportunities there are!

It is important for goalkeepers to build up their knowledge about how team mates play, where their strengths lie, watching where and how they distribute the ball, identifying how they tackle and approach players, how they manage pressure and how they react to calls. This is very important to the goalkeeper’s game! It helps goalkeepers to make the correct calls to different players and to know when the players might make mistakes and be ready at all times to make up for their mistake and be able to react to it. Do not always assume that the defender will get the ball or that they will make the tackle as they might not and you will then have to make the decision to step up!

The goalkeeper should also watch the opposition, watch the strikers, know how and where they lead, the types of shots taken and from where, one on one maneuverer, short corner set plays. All of this will help in the goalkeepers game and also help the goalkeeper to make calls to defenders and prevent mistakes from happening which may lead to a goal scoring opportunity.

The goalkeeper should also build their knowledge about other goalkeepers, their weaknesses, strengths and skills they may have that they can learn from to improve their own game. This will help a goalkeeper to learn new skills and techniques, if a goalkeeper watches and learns from other goalkeepers mistakes it will help to improve their game as they’re most likely not to make the same mistakes as they may have made! It is also important to learn from your own mistakes and to use the skills and techniques that come naturally to you as you are more likely to use them and remember them as opposed to skills or techniques other people try to teach you! Although it is also important to take the advice and coaching that other people give you as it will help to improve your game!