C i e ia o he selec ion and
de elopmen o academy socce
goalkeepe s: Expe s opinion
Ma kel Pe ez-A oniz
1
, Julio Calleja-González
1
,
Ja ie Fe nández-Na a o
2
, and Asie Zubillaga-Zubiaga
1
Abs ac
Objec i e: The main aim o his s udy was o p o ide a comp ehensi e iew o e ec i e s a egies, o e ing he socce
communi y in o med ools ha will op imize he p ocess o de eloping he nex gene a ion o goalkeepe s h ough he
expe iences and pe spec i es o expe ienced goalkeepe coaches.
Me hod: The opinion o 14 p o essional goalkeepe coaches was ga he ed using a semi-s uc u ed in e iew. Following
ansc ip ion, a hema ic con en analysis was conduc ed o iden i y and analyse pa e ns wi hin he da a.
Resul s: F om all he da a ob ained au ho s s uc u ed he esul s in he ollowing sec ions: mos impo an a ibu es o
he goalkeepe , alen iden ifica ion, specific goalkeepe aining, indi idualisa ion, condi ioning aining, psychology, pe i-
odisa ion and e olu ion o he goalkeepe posi ion.
Conclusions: The e is no single way o de elop goalkeepe s, howe e , ce ain pa e ns can be obse ed in bo h selec-
ion and aining p ocesses. 1) Iden i y p omising young playe s wi h s ong an h opome ic, coo dina ion and emo ional
p ofiles, 2) Coach mus s uc u e he lea ning p ocess by pe iodising he acquisi ion o a ious echniques and si ua ional
awa eness based on he demands o he compe i ion, 3) Con inuously adap o he indi idual de elopmen o each playe .
Keywo ds
Associa ion oo ball, pe iodisa ion, physical condi ioning, playe de elopmen , psychology, alen iden ifica ion
In oduc ion
The ole o he goalkeepe (GK) in socce is cha ac e ised
by i s high deg ee o specialisa ion. Gi en he significan
influence a GK´s ac ions –whe he success ul o
unsuccess ul- can ha e on he ou come o a ma ch, his
playing posi ion is pa icula ly ele an o he eam.
1
Mo eo e , GKs possess he exclusi e p i ilege o using
hei hands wi hin a designa ed a ea, adding a unique
dynamic o his ole wi hin he game.
2
This pa icula
aspec no only equi es excep ional manual dex e i y bu
also demands ad anced oo wo k skills, he eby needing a
aining p og am ha is subs an ially di e en om ha
o ou field playe s, due o he di e en physical, echnical
and ac ical demands in compa ison wi h o he playing
posi ions.
3
This is acili a ed by specialized GK coaches,
who adap aining o he posi ion specific game demands.
4
P e ious s udies ha e explo ed he p ofile o he GK
om di e en pe spec i es,
3
including an h opome ic
ac o s,
5–7
analysing di e ences in he physical a ibu es
be ween GKs and ou field playe s,
8
e iewing key
demands o GKs,
9
and e en iden i ying he mos
common inju ies specific o GKs.
2,10–12
Recen ly, he e
has been a g owing body o esea ch documen ing he ain-
ing p ac ices o p o essional GKs om a scien ific s and-
poin . Fo ins ance, O e e al.,
4
p esen insigh s om eli e
coaches ega ding he mos c i ical a ibu es o GKs,
alongside he s uc u e o hei aining sessions. The s uc-
u e used in he ci ed s udy is he one we ha e used in he
p esen one, di iding echnical- ac ical, psychological,
physical and decision-making as he mos c i ical a ibu es.
Re iewe : Julia Wes (Uni e si y o Wo ces e , UK)
1
Depa men o Physical Educa ion and Spo s, Facul y o Educa ion and
Spo s, Uni e si y o he Basque Coun y, UPV/EHU, Vi o ia-Gas eiz,
Spain
2
Resea ch Ins i u e o Spo and Exe cise Sciences, Li e pool John
Moo es Uni e si y, Li e pool, UK
Co esponding au ho :
Ma kel Pe ez-A oniz, Depa men o Physical Educa ion and Spo s,
Facul y o Educa ion and Spo s, Uni e si y o he Basque Coun y, UPV/
EHU, Vi o ia-Gas eiz, Spain.
Email: mpe [email protected]
O iginal esea ch a icle
In e na ional Jou nal o Spo s Science
& Coaching
1–12
© The Au ho (s) 2025
A icle euse guidelines:
sagepub.com/jou nals-pe missions
DOI: 10.1177/17479541251370186
jou nals.sagepub.com/home/spo
Simila ly, Bas ial e al.
13
ocused on imp o ing GK ac ions
analyzing 13 di e en aining asks du ing 57 p eseason
days.
In ecen yea s, se e al s udies ha e deal wi h he use o
nonlinea pedagogy as a me hod o eaching spo s.
14–17
Deuke e al.
18
analysed he imp o emen in passing and
ball handling o young socce playe s by compa ing ad-
i ional eaching, whe e exe cises decon ex ualized om
he game a e used o epea echnical ges u es, and non-
linea me hodology, whe e he aim is o c ea e a ee en i -
onmen whe e pa icipan s mus sol e he p oblems
gene a ed by he game. Along he same lines, O e e al.
19
demons a es a nonlinea educa ional p oposal aimed a
socce goalkeepe s, whe e hey show how o design a
season using his me hod.
Howe e , o he bes o he au ho 's knowledge, he e a e
no p e ious s udies ha show which me hods a e used in
p o essional academies wi h young GKs. The e o e, he
main objec i e o his s udy is o explo e he specific s a -
egies used by p o essional GK coaches in he con ex o
academy-le el playe de elopmen . By conduc ing semi-
s uc u ed in e iews wi h op coaches wi h ex ensi e
expe ience in p o essional academies, his s udy seeks o
p o ide in o ma ion on he echniques employed in he
selec ion, ec ui men and de elopmen o young GKs, in
o de o iden i y bes p ac ices and he main challenges
aced by bo h coaches and playe s.
Addi ionally, his s udy aims o con ibu e significan ly
o he exis ing body o knowledge on socce playe de el-
opmen , pa icula ly, on he ea ly de elopmen o GKs.
Th ough he expe iences and pe spec i es o expe ienced
GK coaches, i is hoped ha his analysis will p o ide a
comp ehensi e iew o e ec i e s a egies, o e ing he
socce communi y in o med ools ha will op imise he
p ocess o de eloping he nex gene a ion o GKs.
Me hods
Pa icipan s
Socce GK coaches (N =14) we e in e iewed based on he
ollowing inclusion c i e ia: (1) ha ing coached academy
age GKs a p o essional clubs om he fi e majo
Eu opean leagues (i.e., Spanish La Liga, English P emie
League, I alian Se ie A, Ge man Bundesliga, and F ench
Ligue 1) o ede a ions o a minimum o h ee seasons
and (2) being ac i ely employed as a GK coach a he
ime o he in e iew o wi hin he p e ious season. Nine
o he GK coaches ha e also held he ole o academy
GK coo dina o (Table 1) in a p o essional academy a
some poin in hei ca ee , aking on he highes le el o
esponsibili y o he de elopmen and aining o GKs
wi hin hei clubsacademy sys em. All he coaches a e
Spanish (male) anging in age om 28–69 yea s
(M =47.4 ±10.1 yea s) and expe ience 6–17 in academy
coaching (m =8.5).
Ins umen s
A semi-s uc u ed in e iew was used o ga he he opinions
o he coaches. This app oach allowed he coaches o
p o ide di e se pe spec i es on a common amewo k
while ensu ing a sys ema ic da a collec ion p ocess wi h
each coach.
20
The ini ial e sion o he in e iew sc ip
was c ea ed by M.P-A and A.Z-Z, ollowed by h ee pilo
in e iews conduc ed wi h goalkeeping coaches om p o-
essional academies ( hese in e iews we e no included
in he s udy). The pilo in e iews ensu ed ha he esea ch
objec i es we e me and p o ided an oppo uni y o efine
he in e iew sc ip , and minimal changes whe e needed.
The sc ip was comple ed by 9 ques ions, which can be
di ided in o 4 pa s, hose ha p o ide basic in o ma ion
abou he pa icipan , hose ha p o ide in o ma ion abou
he iden ifica ion o alen , hose ha gi e ise o alk
abou he aining o di e en capabili ies and hose ha
ask abou pe iodiza ion.
P ocedu e
Coaches we e con ac ed h ough he clubs hey wo ked o
o di ec ly ia pe sonal email i hei con ac in o ma ion
was a ailable. The email included he ollowing de ails:
he s udýs objec i e, me hodology, benefi s, pa icipan
isks, and in o ma ion abou he pe missions ob ained.
Following his p ocess, 18 coaches we e app oached, o
whom 14 ag eed o pa icipa e. Once esponses we e
ecei ed, no u he coaches we e con ac ed, as pe he
guidelines o Rolle and La akas,
21
which sugges ha a
sample o 6 o 12 pa icipan s is su ficien gi en he
limi ed accessibili y o he a ge popula ion. A e confi m-
ing hei pa icipa ion, he coaches we e o e ed wo op ions
o in e iew: (1) a a p i a e loca ion o hei own choice
whe e he in e iewe would a el o mee hem, o (2)
ia ideo-call a a ime con enien o he in e iewee.
All in e iews we e conduc ed and eco ded be ween June
2023 and Janua y 2024 (6 we e made by ideo call). On
a e age, he in e iews las ed 37 min, wi h he longes
being 48 min and he sho es 26 min.
Table 1. Pa icipan s ´accumula ed expe ience.
Posi ion Clubs Seasons
GK Coach in La Liga clubs academies 11 40
GK Coach in P emie League clubs academies 2 6
GK Coach in na ional ede a ions 2 7
GK coo dina o in La Liga 11 41
GK coo dina o in P emie League 4 18
GK coo dina o in in e na ional ede a ions 1 7
2In e na ional Jou nal o Spo s Science & Coaching 0(0)
Da a analysis and eliabili y
Following ansc ip ion, a hema ic con en analysis was con-
duc ed o iden i y and analyse pa e ns wi hin he da a.
22
The
p ocess in ol ed six key s eps: (1) amilia isa ion, (2) gene -
a ing ini ial codes, (3) sea ching o hemes, (4) e iewing
hemes, (5) defining and naming hemes, and (6) p oducing
he final epo . Quali a i e da a analysis was ca ied ou
using N i o so wa e (QSR In e na ional, Melbou ne,
Aus alia). To ensu e he alidi y o he da a, wo o he
au ho s (M.P-A and A.Z-Z) independen ly coded he
hemes and collabo a ed o each a consensus on hei o gan-
isa ion.
23
A high le el o ag eemen was achie ed be ween
he esea che s, wi h only mino adjus men s equi ed he
eo ganisa ion p ocess. Finally, an independen collabo a o
wi h ex ensi e expe ience in quali a i e esea ch e iewed
he da a collec ion p ocess, analysis, and heme iden ifica ion
o ensu e he igo o he me hodology employed.
24
Resul s
To acili a e eadabili y, he esul s a e s uc u ed in o
di e en sec ions (Figu e 1).
Mos impo an a ibu es o he goalkeepe
When asking o he mos c i ical a ibu e o GKs
( echnical- ac ical, psychological, physical o decision-
making), all pa icipan s ag eed ha e e y aspec is essen-
ial o each a p o essional le el.
“I couldn' ell you which is he mos impo an . In he end,
you a e limi ed by he weakes link. I you ha e a low le el
in any a ibu e, you can' become a p o essional, and in
ul ima ely, some goalkeepe s succeed wi h ce ain
s eng hs and o he wi h di e en ones.”Coach 1
Following his esponse, coaches we e asked o imagine
a scena io whe e hey would need o choose an a ibu e
supposing ha a GK possessed good abili ies in all a eas.
This ime, six coaches emphasised he impo ance o psy-
chological quali ies, o e ing se e al easons o hei
choice. Fi s , he coaches a gued ha psychological a i-
bu es a e he mos challenging o de elop. While physical
and echnical- ac ical skills can be imp o ed significan ly
h ough aining, psychological imp o emen s a e o en
less p onounced. Secondly, hey highligh ed he in ense
p essu e GKs ace, bo h du ing compe i ion and h oughou
hei p og ession in academy sys ems, unde sco ing he
impo ance o a GK´s abili y o emain calm unde p essu e.
Decision-making is add essed in his sec ion, as i was
iden ified by six pa icipan s as he mos impo an
quali y. Howe e , i also gene a ed he mos deba e
du ing he in e iews. Coaches o e ed wo main a gumen s
o suppo hei iew. Fi s , decision-making was seen as
c ucial om a eam pe spec i e. GKs mus p o ide solu-
ions o he challenges hei eam aces, and hese solu ions
should align wi h he collec i e game plan. Second, s ong
decision-making skills inc ease he likelihood o success in
he GK´s ac ions. The be e a GK unde s ands he eam´s
needs a any gi en momen , he be e hei posi ioning and
he quicke hei eac ion, he highe he chances o achie ing
a success ul ou come. Con e sely, wo pa icipan s chal-
lenged he con en ional unde s anding o decision-making.
They a gued ha i ul ima ely boils down o ehea sed pa -
e ns, which, h ough epe i ion and eedback, become
almos au oma ic in execu ion.
Finally, single coach highligh ed he impo ance o ech-
nique, p omp ing eflec ion wi h he ollowing s a emen :
“Le 's conside he same si ua ion execu ed in wo di e en
ways. In he fi s , he GK makes a good decision bu lacks
he echnique, esul ing in a d opped ball. In he second, he
decision is no he bes , and hei posi ioning is poo , bu
hey manage o sa e he sho . Which do you hink is he
be e op ion?”Coach 8 (quo e mo ed)
Talen iden ifica ion
Mos coaches ag eed on wo c i e ia when selec ing playe s
o a p o essional academy (Figu e 2). The fi s is he GK's
an h opome ic p ofile, which included heigh , wingspan
and physical s uc u e an icipa ed a e physical ma u i y.
The second is he playe s cu en le el o coo dina i e
abili y. Se en pa icipan s explici ly s a ed hei p e e ence
o a minimum heigh exceeding 186 cm, jus i ying his
equi emen wi h da a om p o essional GKs in op
leagues, whe e he a e age heigh among GKs is o e
190 cm. The decision o se he limi a 186 cm comes
om he need o selec all goalkeepe s, bu aking in o
accoun he sca ce popula ion ha eaches 190 cm o
mo e. Howe e , h ee o he pa icipan s acknowledged
he impo ance o heigh bu did no conside i a defini i e
ac o . They a gued ha alen and pe o mance can s ill be
ound in sho e GKs, ci ing examples o success playe s,
such as Ike Casillas, who, despi e no mee ing he
minimum heigh equi emen s o some academies,
became a p ominen figu e in majo leagues and achie ed
significan success. Since GKs unde conside a ion a e yp-
ically young and no ye physically ma u e, coaches o en
e alua e he heigh and build o close amily membe s o
ensu e hei equi emen s will likely be me . Addi ionally,
ou coaches epo ed using hand and w is X- ays o accu -
a ely p edic he u u e heigh o goalkeepe s be o e b ing-
ing hem in o he academy. Rega ding coo dina i e abili y,
he consensus among coaches was unanimous. A young
a hle e mus demons a e e o less and fluid mo emen ,
as his is essen ial o op imally lea ning he specific mo e-
men pa e ns equi ed o he posi ion.
Pe ez-A oniz e al. 3
Figu e 1. Visual summa y o he sec ions used on esul .
Figu e 2. Visual summa y o he numbe o esponses ecei ed on alen iden ifica ion.
4In e na ional Jou nal o Spo s Science & Coaching 0(0)
“We gi e a lo o impo ance o he po en ial size he goal-
keepe may each in he u u e, o which we look a he
pa en s’physical ai and whe he he playe is coo di-
na ed, meaning hey possess good quali ies o lea ning
mo emen s”Coach 7
Con inuing wi h physical-mo o cha ac e is ics sough in
GKs, wo coaches emphasised he impo ance o speed,
highligh ing he need o GKs o possess a high p opo ion
o as - wi ch muscle fibe s, as hese a e c i ical o imp o -
ing explosi eness. I was no explained how he p opo ion
o as fibe s was measu ed in he in e iews.
Ano he ecu ing heme among pa icipan s was he
psychological cha ac e is ics o GKs and hei playing
s yle. Coaches look o playe s wi h s ong pe sonali ies,
p oac i i y, leade ship quali ies, and he men al esilience
o handle mis akes and p essu e. Rega ding hei playing
s yle, coaches ocus on GK´s ease o mo emen , in e ac ion
wi h eamma es, and game- eading abili y. They assess
whe he he playe s ands ou om hei pee s and wo
coaches specifically emphasised he impo ance o he
a hle e enjoying he GK posi ion.
“We pay close a en ion o whe he he child enjoys playing
as a GK, because, al hough less common now, i s ill
happens ha young playe s abandon he posi ion ea ly
on because hey find he low le el o in ol emen
bo ing.”Coach 3
Age is ano he impo an conside a ion in he selec ion
p ocess. As he po en ial ec ui ´s age inc ease, so does
he expec a ion o a highe le el o posi ional mas e y.
This means ha olde playe s a e equi ed o demons a e
g ea e echnical and ac ical p oficiency o be conside ed
o academy inclusion. In con as , younge playe s a e
e alua ed o hei gene al po en ial and na u al quali ies,
wi h he aim o shaping hei de elopmen o e ime.
Pa icipan 7 highligh ed he impo ance o unde s anding
he playe s“spo ing age”, o he amoun o ime hey
ha e spen aining o he posi ion, as his p o ides
insigh in o hei p og ession.
Only one coach men ioned selec ing playe s based on
he club's s yle o play, emphasising he impo ance o
being skilled wi h hei ee and ha ing s ong ae ial
abili y. Addi ionally, wo o he coaches s essed he
impo ance o possessing solid goalkeeping undamen als,
such as he abili y o block sho s, make good deflec ions,
ha e a good di e echnique, possess good iming in ae ial
play and mas e he di e en 1 1 si ua ions.
Finally, fi e coaches ag eed on he impo ance o
obse ing he GK li e compe i ion. They emphasised he
alue o isi ing fields whe e he playe compe es o
ensu e no c i ical de ails a e o e looked, which migh o he -
wise be missed h ough indi ec obse a ion me hods.
Specific goalkeepe aining
When discussing specific aining me hods o GKs, wo
opposing me hodological app oaches eme ged. The fi s
app oach, suppo ed by 11 o he pa icipan s, emphasised
s a ing wi h a high olume o analy ical aining, whe e
mo e use is made o simplified asks as compa ed o game
si ua ions. This me hod ocuses on p o iding GKs wi h
nume ous epe i ions o specific ac ions o imp o e ech-
nique. As GKs in e nalise hese ac ions, he complexi y
and unce ain y o d ills a e g adually inc eased, ansi ion-
ing o mo e game-con ex aining. These coaches high-
ligh ed ha while echnique alone is no su ficien ,
decision-making is p ima ily add essed when GKs ain
wi h he eam. In he ea ly s ages, GKs ypically engage in
a significan olume o analy ical wo k ( echnique) du ing
indi idual session wi h he GK coach (no exclusi ely),
and ac ical and decision-making aspec s a e de eloped
du ing g oup aining sessions, bu he asks g adually
become mo e complica ed as he GKs’ echnical abili y
inc eases. Con e sely, h ee pa icipan s exp essed conce n
ha analy ical aining has been declining in ecen yea s
o has been un ai ly c i icised. They a gued ha o
younge playe s, equen epe i ion o ac ions is c ucial, as
i p o ides a ounda ion o confidence ha will benefi hem.
“I belie e ha du ing de elopmen al s ages i is essen ial o
es ablish ce ain echnical- ac ical guidelines, so e en i we
in oduce d ills wi h a connec ion o he collec i e game, I
hink solidi ying indi idual echnique is undamen al.”
Coach 11
Two coaches suppo ed he second app oach, which
emphasised inco po a ing decision-making aining om
he ea ly s ages o a GK´s de elopmen . They explain
ha unce ain y in d ills can be adjus ed based on he
GK's skill le el, bu ha i is e y impo an o GKs o
ge used o making decisions du ing aining. This way,
hei ac ions in compe i ion become mo e in ui i e.
“I seems o me ha we o en unde es ima e child en
s abili y o
unde s and. I hink ha by adap ing he language, he spaces
and he physical load we can each hem om a young age o
sol e si ua ions h ough he game i sel , because ul ima ely,
echnique should se e he game.”Coach 13
One o he coaches add essed bo h app oaches, explain-
ing ha his me hod inco po a es elemen s o bo h depend-
ing on he GK´s s ess le el a he ime. When GKs
expe ience high le els o s ess –whe he due o
spo - ela ed o ex e nal ac o s (e.g., s udies, amily) - he
p e e s o use he simplified ask me hod o main ain a
low cogni i e load. Con e sely, when GKs a e men ally
esh, he inc eased he cogni i e demands by in oducing
mo e complex and unce ain d ills.
Pe ez-A oniz e al. 5
Indi idualisa ion
F om he ime child en s a playing un il a ound he age o
10, wo pa icipan s sugges ed ha he e should be no indi-
idualisa ion o specifici y in GKs aining. Ins ead, hey
belie e i is mo e beneficial o child en o play as ou field
playe s, imp o ing hei oo wo k echnique and pa icipa -
ing in o he spo s o de elop a b oade ange o mo emen
pa e ns, especially conside ing he demands o mode n
socce , whe e GKs mus eel com o able wi h he ball a
hei ee and playing a a conside able dis ance om he
goal, and knowing ha u u e goalkeepe s wi h good
mo o skills will ha e ime o lea n he specific echniques
o goalkeeping.
The fi s ca ego y whe e coaches show di e en opinions
ega ding indi idualisa ion is a he U-12 le el. By his age,
all coaches ag eed on he impo ance o aining o he spe-
cific ole o he GK, bu hei app oaches a ied. Six o he
pa icipan s a gued ha his is he age o begin indi idualised
aining, c ea ing pe sonalised de elopmen plans based on
he ac ions GKs a e expec ed o mas e a hei age. They
emphasised ocusing on a eas whe e he playe demons a es
weaknesses. In con as , ou coaches belie ed ha , a his
s age, mos GKs possess only a limi ed echnical- ac ical oun-
da ion, meaning hei aining should la gely be uni o m.
Thei goal is o expose GKs o a wide a ie y o si ua ions
du ing aining. Howe e , hey also cla ified ha i a GK
shows significan deficiencies in a specific a ea, hey in oduce
ailo ed exe cises o add ess and imp o e ha weakness.
“You ha e o indi idualize om he momen you s a ain-
ing wi h hem, gi en ha e e y child is di e en , and you
need o p epa e hem o use he same echniques wi hin
he same sys em o play.”Coach 4
“I p e e a mo e holis ic eaching app oach because you
ne e know how a child will de elop.”Coach 9
Whe e all coaches ag eed was ha once GK´s each he
U-16 le el, he deg ee o indi idualisa ion inc eases signifi-
can ly. A his s age, GKs a e only a ew seasons away om
po en ially joining he ese e eam o e en he fi s eam,
and hey gene ally ha e he physical de elopmen neces-
sa y o handle a highe le el o demand, bu he biological
ma u a ion o he goalkeepe is always aken in o accoun ,
and he inc ease o he load is dependen on i .
When i comes o indi idualisa ion me hods, wo
app oaches we e mos equen ly men ioned by pa ici-
pan s. The fi s and mos used is indi idualisa ion h ough
co ec ions. In his app oach, all GKs ain in a simila
manne , bu he GK coach iden ifies he specific a eas
whe e each GK s uggles and p o ides a ge ed co ec ions.
This means ha in he same exe cise, wo o mo e GKs
migh ecei e en i ely di e en eedback based on hei
indi idual needs. The o he me hod is o indi idualise
h ough echnical d ills. In his me hod, he GK coach
se s aside ime and space o wo k one-on-one (o in small
g oups) wi h GKs, ocusing specifically on he skills o
echniques hey find mos challenging. These sessions can
ake place du ing o a e egula aining. Howe e , his
me hod equi es mo e esou ces and in es men , as in
many cases, a single GK coach may be esponsible o mul-
iple eams.
Condi ioning aining
One o he mos ecu en ideas in his sec ion is ha he
academýs physical p epa a ion eam is esponsible o
designing and guiding playe s in hei physical condi ion-
ing. Howe e , pa icipan s emphasised he impo ance o
c ea ing a wo king g oup wi h he physical aine s
whe eby combining expe ise in physical condi ioning
and unde s anding o he demands o he GK posi ion.
This app oach aims o be e suppo he a hle es. In e ms
o how hey wo k, we di ide i by age.
Fo playe s up o he U-14 ca ego y, he p ima y ocus is
on coo dina ion, agili y and flexibili y. In e ms o coo din-
a ion and agili y, he emphasis is on imp o ing la e ali y
(ensu ing p ecision wi h bo h hands and ee ), pe o ming
di e en ypes o mo emen s ( on al, la e al, changes o
di ec ion, e c), and s a ing o jump and land wi h he
p ope echnique. These skills a e p ac iced bo h gene ally
and specifically o he GK posi ion, aiming o fluid mo e-
men s and g adually inc easing execu ion speed. Flexibili y
is also a key ocus du ing his s age o wo easons. Fi s ,
ce ain echnical ac ions specific o he posi ion, such as
educing space in one-on-one si ua ions using he sp ead
echnique, equi e significan flexibili y. Second, his p e-
pube al s age o e s an ideal oppo uni y o wo k on flexi-
bili y, as i is na u ally be e han i will be in he u u e i
le un ained. Two addi ional conside a ions a e high-
ligh ed o his age g oup. Fi s , ca e ul a en ion mus be
paid o he olume o aining, gi en he young age o he
playe s. Second, as no ed by wo coaches, he final yea
in his ca ego y is used o in oduce playe s o he echnical
mo emen s hey will need o pe o m in he gym in la e
s ages.
“In he ea ly s ages, we ocus hea ily on psychomo o skills,
and coo dina ion asks h ough he game. We aim o GKs
o de elop p ope mo emen coo dina ion, spa ial awa e-
ness, and lay he ounda ions o he physical g ow h ha
we will seek in he u u e.”Coach 2
In he nex s age, he U-16 ca ego y, he ocus emains
on he p e iously men ioned aspec s, bu he e is an
inc ease in aining load. Mos coaches ag eed ha his is
he s age when GKs begin a ending he gym. Ini ially,
he goal is o lea n p ope echnique o a ious exe cises
using gym equipmen . As playe s mas e hese mo emen s,
6In e na ional Jou nal o Spo s Science & Coaching 0(0)
ex e nal esis ance is g adually in oduced, including
weigh s, esis ance bands, o weigh ed es s. Ano he new
elemen a his s age is he inco po a ion o co e ou ines
and inju y p e en ion exe cises. Addi ionally, wo coaches
men ioned ha hey begin in oducing spo -specific s eng h
aining on he field du ing his s age.
“A he beginning, hey wo k wi h e y ligh weigh s o e en
no weigh a all, using polys y ene ba s. As hei echnique
imp o es, we inc ease he load. Once hey can handle he
weigh p ope ly we ake he nex s ep, mo ing om
gene al exe cises o spo -specific ones.”Coach 10
Finally, in he U-19 s age, he aining load inc eases sig-
nifican ly, and he ocus shi s owa d s uc u al imp o e-
men and enhancing speed in specific mo emen s. A his
s age, i is common o GKs o ha e wo o h ee weekly
gym sessions a ge ing bo h uppe and lowe body s eng h,
supplemen ed by an addi ional on-field session dedica ed o
spo -specific s eng h. T aining becomes highly indi idua-
lised a his le el.
Psychology
Wi hin he psychological wo k ca ied ou wi h young
playe s, pa o i is handled by p o essionals such as psy-
chologis s o coaches, while ano he pa is managed by
he di e en coaches wi hin he club. The majo i y o his
esponsibili y alls on he GK coaches due o he amoun
o ime hey spend wi h he playe s.
The wo k o hese p o essionals in academy s ages is
ypically a second-line ole, whe e hey o e see he psycho-
logical e o s wi h he playe s and conduc g oup dynamics
wi h specific objec i es. Two coaches no ed ha o a
psychologis o coach o mee indi idually wi h he GK,
he e mus be a e y clea need. O en, psychologis s in e -
ene indi ec ly by ad ising coaches, p o iding hem wi h
s a egies and guidance o apply wi h playe s who may
equi e addi ional suppo .
“P o essionals in his field can assis in many si ua ions
beyond ou expe ise. We can y o educa e ou sel es by
eading books, a ending cou ses, and d awing on pe sonal
expe iences, bu we should always ely on hose who ha e
dedica ed hei ca ee s o add essing hese challenges”.
Coach 4
Acco ding o se en pa icipan s, he suppo o he GK
coach is undamen al in his p ocess. All o hem high-
ligh ed he close ela ionship ha de elops be ween
coaches and GKs and emphasised he impo ance o le e -
aging his bond. They s essed he alue o unde s anding
each GK on a pe sonal le el—knowing hei backg ound,
mo i a ions, ea s, and, mos impo an ly, hei needs.
Communica ion be ween he GK coach and he playe is
seen as c i ical, including p o iding e ec i e eedback,
demanding he bes om he GK, and os e ing hei
g ow h. To achie e his, h ee pa icipan s unde sco ed
he impo ance o he coach being a esou ce ul indi idual.
Two key hemes eme ged consis en ly ac oss he in e -
iews: helping GKs manage mis akes and egula e hei
emo ions. Pa icipan s no ed ha lea ning o handle mis akes
in ol es wo key s a egies. Fi s , de-d ama ize mis akes o
educe hei emo ional impac . Second, GKs mus ake
esponsibili y o hei mis akes, unde s anding ha e o s
a e an ine i able pa o he game and pe missible, bu also
ecognizing he consequences o hei ac ions. To do his,
coaches egula ly discuss mis akes wi h GKs, encou aging
hem o lea n om hese expe iences. As GKs ma u e,
coaches also in oduce mo e s ess in o aining exe cises
o be e p epa e hem o compe i i e en i onmen s.
“In bo h, compe i ion and aining, he GKs will ine i ably
ace mis akes. I ´s pa o he posi ion. This gi es us he
oppo uni y o add ess i , demanding ha GKs s ay
ocused, helping hem unde s and ha mis akes ha e conse-
quences, and ha ing equen indi idual con e sa ions o
e iew e o s and lea n how o ac in di e en si ua ions.”
Coach 1
Rega ding emo ional egula ion, his is some hing
coaches wo k on om he momen GKs join he academy.
The ocus is placed on managing us a ion, ea , joy, and
ela ionships wi h eamma es, wi h he aim o de eloping
emo ionally s able GKs in he u u e. Emo ional s abili y is
seen as indispensable in playe de elopmen . The mos com-
monly used s a egy is o ain GKs o ga he in o ma ion
om he game and adjus hei ocus (b oad o na ow)
depending on he si ua ion. Pa icipan 13 explained ha i
a GK can consis en ly ga he in o ma ion om he game,
hey a e less likely o become dis ac ed o en e ain unhelp-
ul hough s. This abili y o p ocess game- ela ed in o ma-
ion should s a wi h simple asks and p og essi ely
inc ease in complexi y as he GK ma u es.
Pe iodisa ion
The mos commonly sha ed idea among coaches ega ding
pe iodisa ion in academies is he impo ance o ensu ing
ha young GKs ha e he oppo uni y o ain and de elop
all he echnical- ac ical skills equi ed o he posi ion
(Figu e 3). To achie e his, coaches ollow h ee p inciples:
1) T aining should s a wi h simple asks and g adually
inc ease in complexi y based on he GK's imp o emen .
To each highly complex ac ions o scena ios, hese mus
fi s be b oken down in o smalle phases, which a e p ac-
iced indi idually wi h he aim o in eg a ing hem la e ,
2) Pe iodisa ion mus be ailo ed o he demands o each
age ca ego y, ecognizing ha he na u e o he game
di e s significan ly be ween U-14, U-16, and U-19 le els,
Pe ez-A oniz e al. 7
3) Pe iodisa ion should se e as a ool o help GK coaches
o ganize hei con en o e he cou se o a season bu
should no be igid. Con inuous assessmen o he GKs
lea ning and de elopmen is essen ial, allowing coaches
o alloca e mo e o less ime o ce ain concep s as needed.
Ano he poin o consensus among coaches is he use o
concep g ouping, o “block aining”as he p e e ed
me hod o s uc u ing sessions. This app oach in ol es
ca ego izing he a ious demands o he game in o blocks,
such as sho s, which include echniques, angles, su aces,
and dis ances, o c osses, which ollow a simila pa e n.
Howe e , he e is a ia ion among pa icipan s ega ding
he numbe o blocks hey use. Some ocus on ou
blocks (sho s, c osses, 1 1 si ua ions, and oo wo k),
o he s include a fi h block (physical aining), and some
add a six h (psychological aining). The app oaches o
using blocks also di e . Some coaches dedica e an en i e
block exclusi ely o one ocus a ea, while o he s combine
wo blocks, o e en in eg a e all blocks simul aneously.
Simila ly, he e is no consensus on block du a ion, wi h
esponses anging om wo o six weeks pe block.
“A he beginning we made he mis ake o ocusing on one
block pe day. A e a yea , we ealized i was be e o
ex end he block o e an en i e week o consolida e lea n-
ing. And he hi d yea , we saw ha his app oach
wo ked, bu ha we could achie e e en mo e. Wi h U-14
GKs, we ex ended blocks o wo weeks, and wi h U-12 s,
we s e ched hem o h ee weeks.”Coach 6
F om he in o ma ion p e iously p o ided, each coach
sha ed de ails abou specific elemen s hey like o in oduce
in hei pe iodisa ion plans. Among he mos equen ly
men ioned p ac ices a e acking each GK´s p og ession
o ailo exe cises o hei indi idual le el; sho ening he
du a ion o blocks as GKs g ow olde and hei echnical-
ac ical p oficiency imp o es; in oducing a week wi hin a
block o ocus on a di e en concep , allowing coaches o
e isi he o iginal block he ollowing week o ein o ce
lea ning; ensu ing con inui y in exe cises so GKs become
accus omed o ansi ioning be ween o ensi e and de en-
si e phases; and in eg a ing communica ion in o aining
sessions o help GKs de elop p ope communica ion
pa e ns
E olu ion o he goalkeepe posi ion
Acco ding o fi e pa icipan s, he e olu ion o he GK pos-
i ion will depend on he changes ha may occu in he laws
o he game. They no ed ha , his o ically, egula o y
changes (such as he back-pass ule in oduced in 1992)
ha e had he mos significan impac on he ole o he
GK. They belie e u u e changes will simila ly be d i en
by adjus men s o he ules. One pa icipan sha ed he ol-
lowing pe spec i e:
“I hink GKs a e en e ing a pe iod o s abili y. I would be
su p ised i he e a e u he changes, because, ul ima ely,
all he ecen changes ha e al eady significan ly a ec ed
GKs.”Coach 11
Th ee o he equen ly men ioned ac o s (highligh ed by
h ee pa icipan s each) ha could shape he u u e o he
posi ion a e physical p epa a ion, game unde s anding and oo -
wo k. Rega ding physical condi ioning, pa icipan s empha-
sized ha aining is becoming inc easingly specificand
Figu e 3. Visual summa y o he numbe o esponses ecei ed on pe iodiza ion.
8In e na ional Jou nal o Spo s Science & Coaching 0(0)
indi idualised, which will lead o an imp o emen in GKs
o e all capabili ies. As o he game unde s anding, hey
no ed ha GKs a e playing a p og essi ely la ge ole in
eam dynamic, and mas e ing his knowledge will ele a e
hei pe o mance o he nex le el. And in he case o oo wo k,
he h ee coaches who add essed his ag eed ha i will soon
become a manda o y skill o GKs o pe o m a a high le el.
“The GK is now almos like an addi ional ou field playe
wi hin he eam's s uc u e. We a e inc easingly asking
hem o de end mo e space, and play u he o wa d. In
he pas , we ocused on maximizing echnical and condi-
ional pe spec i es, bu now he emphasis is shi ing
owa d op imizing si ua ional awa eness and game unde -
s anding.”Coach 14
Ano he change GKs will need o adap o, acco ding o
he pa icipan s, is he inc easing speed o he game.
25
They
no ed ha socce is e ol ing in his aspec , which will
equi e imp o emen s in mo emen , p e-sho ac i a ion,
and bo h de ensi e and o ensi e decision-making.
Fou coaches highligh ed he po en ial impac o ad ance-
men s in oo ball echnology, sugges ing ha hese inno a-
ions could al e aining me hods. They emphasised ha
echnology should be di ec ed owa d enhancing he unde -
s anding o he si ua ions GKs ace du ing compe i ion.
Finally, h ee coaches ag eed ha GKs a e being asked
wi h an inc easing numbe o esponsibili ies. They mus
no only unde s and he game well bu also se e as key
con ibu o s o o ensi e play. Howe e , hey s essed ha
a GK's p ima y ole emains p e en ing goals, and his
co e esponsibili y mus no be o e shadowed by addi ional
du ies. A ou h pa icipan added ha g ea e emphasis
should be placed on ca ching he ball, a guing ha his un-
damen al skill is being neglec ed.
Discussion
By conduc ing, ansc ibing, and analysing he 14 in e -
iews, he objec i e o his s udy is o make a meaning ul
con ibu ion o he exis ing body o knowledge on he
de elopmen o you h oo ball GKs h ough he expe iences
and pe spec i es o he pa icipa ing coaches.
As highligh ed in he s udy by O e e al.,
4
in e iewed
coaches emphasised he impo ance o GKs mas e ing
bo h he de ensi e and o ensi e phases o he game. This
includes s ong skills in goal de ense, co e ing he space
behind he de ensi e line, and e ec i e oo wo k.
Simila ly, Obe ko e al.
26
concluded ha he demands on
GKs ha e inc eased, equi ing hem o handle de ensi e
si ua ions while also p o iding op ions in o ensi e play.
I becomes e iden ha he e is no single way o de elop
GKs, as each in e iewed coach has hei me hodology, and
all ha e ained GKs who ha e eached he eli e le el.
Howe e , ce ain pa e ns can be obse ed in bo h selec ion
and aining p ocesses. The one poin on which all he
coaches ag eed was in esponse o he ques ion o which
abili y is mos impo an o GK. All pa icipan s s a ed
ha , o each he highes le el, a GK mus excel in e e y
aspec . They mus be physically and men ally s ong, ech-
nically skilled, and possess excep ional decision-making
abili ies. This aligned wi h he findings by Sa men o
e al.,
27
who concluded ha he mos alen ed socce
playe s a e ypically hea ie , alle , and achie e be e
sco es in physical ap i ude es s such as s eng h, speed,
and coo dina ion. Psychologically, hey exhibi highe
le els o mo i a ion, confidence, concen a ion, discipline,
and esilience. Fu he mo e, bo h he pa icipan s in his
s udy, and he coaches in e iewed in O e e al.
4
empha-
sized ha psychological quali ies and decision-making abil-
i ies a e wha di e en ia e good GKs om he bes . On he
o he hand, as Spielmann e al.
28
conclude, he e alua ion o
pe sonali y p ofiles should no be used as a (de)selec ion
c i e ion, bu i s use ulness should be di ec ed o find he
mos app op ia e se ings and p o ide a basis o spo psy-
chological counseling. I should e en be aken in o accoun
ha in his s udy hey oppose he exis ence o an idealized
emo ional p ofile o p o essional pe o mance.
Heigh and wingspan appea o be c i ical cha ac e is ics
o conside when aining GKs, as 10 coaches men ioned
hei impo ance du ing he in e iews. The objec i e o
p o essional academies is o de elop a hle es capable o
compe ing a he highes le el, and se e al s udies align
wi h ou findings, emphasising ha GKs a e gene ally he
alles playe s on hei eams.
29–33
Some coaches high-
ligh ed he use o x- ay examina ions o de e mine he
bone age o young a hle es as pa o he selec ion
p ocess. This me hod is highly accu a e, as de ailed by
Thodbe g e al.,
34
who concluded ha he G eulich-Pyle
me hod, bo h manual and au oma ic, p o ides mo e consis -
en da a han he Tanne -Whi ehouse me hod 3. As O e
e al.
35
s a ed, heigh should no be a exclusi e c i e ia o
GK selec ion.
In e ms o aining, 11 coaches ag eed on he impo ance
o de eloping and efining specific mo emen pa e ns in
young GKs h ough analy ical exe cises wi h low unce ain y.
This me hod, ensu es a high olume o epe i ions du ing each
session, g adually in oducing scena ios wi h g ea e unce -
ain y GKs in e nalize echnical mo emen s. Con a y o
hese 11 coaches, he s udy by Deuke e al.
18
sugges s ha
he use o nonlinea pedagogy, which a emp s o c ea e a
dynamic lea ning en i onmen whe e he e is a la ge scale
o a iabili y, is mo e help ul o lea ning echnique and
skill acquisi ion han he use o asks whe e impo ance is
gi en o epea ing ac ions in educed deg ees o eedom,
e en when pa icipan s in he second me hod epea 2.4
imes mo e ac ions o wo k on. Ca los e al.
36
emphasised
ha con inuously measu ing pa icipan ´s imp o emen and
Pe ez-A oniz e al. 9
