How to Read a Soccer Penalty Shot if You're a Goalie
Watch the shooter’s eyes., Watch the kicker’s approach towards the goal., Watch body positioning., Watch the ball., React to the ball., Use your instincts., Use optical illusions to your benefit., Talk to your teammates.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Watch the shooter’s eyes.
Before a shooter makes his penalty kick, he’ll likely size up the situation and decided on a direction in which to take his shot.
Watching the shooter’s eyes can cue you in to where he plans to kick the soccer ball.
If a shooter continually looks at a certain area of the goal, this could be where he intends to kick the ball.A shooter’s eye may also give smaller clues.
For example, if he looks up to the sky, then he is likely going to kick the ball high between the goal posts.Professional players will also use their eyes as a way to fake out a goalie so she or he jumps in the wrong direction.
For this reason, look at other cues like body positioning. -
Step 2: Watch the kicker’s approach towards the goal.
Is it coming directly at you or wide from the side? By watching how a kicker is approaching the goal, you can gather valuable clues about direction in which he will kick.
If a kicker approaches from the side, it often indicates that he will kick towards the opposite corner of the goal.
If the kicker is coming directly at you, however, it is more difficult to read where he will shoot because it is easier for him to pivot and shoot in different directions from this approach., Just like the eyes, how the kicker positions his body will likely cue you in to where he intends to kick.
Since body positioning is more obvious than the eyes, this may be an easier way to read penalty shots for new or less experienced goalies.
Watch the kicker’s plant foot.
The plant foot is the foot with which the player does not kick, but rather “plants” into the ground.
The ball will follow the trajectory towards which the plant foot points.Watch the kicker’s hips.
Since the hips can’t usually go in a different direction than the feet, the ball will also follow the direction of the kicker’s hips.Watch the kicker’s head.
Looking at the kicker’s head can also give you clue about the direction he intends to shoot the ball.
If he drops his head and then pulls back his leg, this usually indicates a cross-body shot.
On the other hand, if the kicker holds his head straight, it may mean he will shoot the ball to the opposite corner., If you’re a goalie with fast reflexes or even want to work on your reaction time, watching where the ball goes after it is kicked is another way to read penalty shots.
This is a riskier and less reliable tactic than reading the player, but sometimes it’s your only option.
Following the ball is called reactionary defending.
It requires that you not only have good reflexes but also confidence in your skills to follow the ball after the shooter kicks it.If you can watch the ball and the player’s body positioning, which will require some practice, you are more likely to save the ball. , Once a kicker has made a shot on goal, you need to react to the play based on the clues you’ve gathered from watching the player’s body positioning and the ball.
How you react depends on where the ball is traveling.
Always commit to the play no matter what happens.
Hesitation will cause you to make mistakes, including letting the ball in to the goal.
If the ball is kicked low, dive in that direction and catch it with your hands.
If the ball goes high, you’ll want to jump instead of diving.
You can also opt to punch the ball outside of the goal area if it is too high to catch.
If there are a lot of the opposite team’s defenders in the goal area and you need to clear the ball quickly, kick it out as far as you can.
Make sure to always keep your eyes on the ball so that you don’t accidentally lose it.
You want to react quickly, but not too quickly.Because penalty kicks are often weaker shots, a goalkeeper can often save the ball if they wait and simply react to the shot., Part of reading penalty shots is inherently instinctive.
As you become a more experienced player, you’ll be able to anticipate where penalty kicks are going more effectively.
But even if you’re a newer player, using your instincts for plays can be beneficial to your team.Don’t discount your instincts when anticipating shots on goal.
Your brain may be catching subliminal and subtle cues and sending them to you as a “gut reaction.”, Recent studies have shown that goalies can use optional illusions to influence the accuracy of penalty shots.This tactic can ease the work of reading a kicker or the ball.
Stand off center.
One study has shown that by standing marginally to one side of the goal will influence the perception of the kicker to kick to the side with more open.
But this allows the goalie to strategically dive to this in order to save the ball.Making yourself larger in the goal will also throw off a penalty kicker.
For example, if you hold your arms up in the air, the kicker will perceive you as larger and the goal smaller, which will plant a kernel of doubt in his mind about the ability to make the goal., There is usually a quick pause before any penalty shots are taken.
Use this time to your benefit by asking your teammates if they’ve noticed any patterns in the kicker’s play that would help you to anticipate where or how he will kick. -
Step 3: Watch body positioning.
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Step 4: Watch the ball.
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Step 5: React to the ball.
-
Step 6: Use your instincts.
-
Step 7: Use optical illusions to your benefit.
-
Step 8: Talk to your teammates.
Detailed Guide
Before a shooter makes his penalty kick, he’ll likely size up the situation and decided on a direction in which to take his shot.
Watching the shooter’s eyes can cue you in to where he plans to kick the soccer ball.
If a shooter continually looks at a certain area of the goal, this could be where he intends to kick the ball.A shooter’s eye may also give smaller clues.
For example, if he looks up to the sky, then he is likely going to kick the ball high between the goal posts.Professional players will also use their eyes as a way to fake out a goalie so she or he jumps in the wrong direction.
For this reason, look at other cues like body positioning.
Is it coming directly at you or wide from the side? By watching how a kicker is approaching the goal, you can gather valuable clues about direction in which he will kick.
If a kicker approaches from the side, it often indicates that he will kick towards the opposite corner of the goal.
If the kicker is coming directly at you, however, it is more difficult to read where he will shoot because it is easier for him to pivot and shoot in different directions from this approach., Just like the eyes, how the kicker positions his body will likely cue you in to where he intends to kick.
Since body positioning is more obvious than the eyes, this may be an easier way to read penalty shots for new or less experienced goalies.
Watch the kicker’s plant foot.
The plant foot is the foot with which the player does not kick, but rather “plants” into the ground.
The ball will follow the trajectory towards which the plant foot points.Watch the kicker’s hips.
Since the hips can’t usually go in a different direction than the feet, the ball will also follow the direction of the kicker’s hips.Watch the kicker’s head.
Looking at the kicker’s head can also give you clue about the direction he intends to shoot the ball.
If he drops his head and then pulls back his leg, this usually indicates a cross-body shot.
On the other hand, if the kicker holds his head straight, it may mean he will shoot the ball to the opposite corner., If you’re a goalie with fast reflexes or even want to work on your reaction time, watching where the ball goes after it is kicked is another way to read penalty shots.
This is a riskier and less reliable tactic than reading the player, but sometimes it’s your only option.
Following the ball is called reactionary defending.
It requires that you not only have good reflexes but also confidence in your skills to follow the ball after the shooter kicks it.If you can watch the ball and the player’s body positioning, which will require some practice, you are more likely to save the ball. , Once a kicker has made a shot on goal, you need to react to the play based on the clues you’ve gathered from watching the player’s body positioning and the ball.
How you react depends on where the ball is traveling.
Always commit to the play no matter what happens.
Hesitation will cause you to make mistakes, including letting the ball in to the goal.
If the ball is kicked low, dive in that direction and catch it with your hands.
If the ball goes high, you’ll want to jump instead of diving.
You can also opt to punch the ball outside of the goal area if it is too high to catch.
If there are a lot of the opposite team’s defenders in the goal area and you need to clear the ball quickly, kick it out as far as you can.
Make sure to always keep your eyes on the ball so that you don’t accidentally lose it.
You want to react quickly, but not too quickly.Because penalty kicks are often weaker shots, a goalkeeper can often save the ball if they wait and simply react to the shot., Part of reading penalty shots is inherently instinctive.
As you become a more experienced player, you’ll be able to anticipate where penalty kicks are going more effectively.
But even if you’re a newer player, using your instincts for plays can be beneficial to your team.Don’t discount your instincts when anticipating shots on goal.
Your brain may be catching subliminal and subtle cues and sending them to you as a “gut reaction.”, Recent studies have shown that goalies can use optional illusions to influence the accuracy of penalty shots.This tactic can ease the work of reading a kicker or the ball.
Stand off center.
One study has shown that by standing marginally to one side of the goal will influence the perception of the kicker to kick to the side with more open.
But this allows the goalie to strategically dive to this in order to save the ball.Making yourself larger in the goal will also throw off a penalty kicker.
For example, if you hold your arms up in the air, the kicker will perceive you as larger and the goal smaller, which will plant a kernel of doubt in his mind about the ability to make the goal., There is usually a quick pause before any penalty shots are taken.
Use this time to your benefit by asking your teammates if they’ve noticed any patterns in the kicker’s play that would help you to anticipate where or how he will kick.
About the Author
Peter Fox
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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