SUPER SAVER 6 WAYS YOUR KEEPER CAN OUTWIT THE PENALTY TAKER SOCCER COACH WEEKLY Learn • Train • Develop • Enjoy SPECIAL GUIDE

< MESUT OZIL HOW GERMANY’S WORLD CUP TO PENALTY KING WIN PENALTY

SHOOT CREATE YOUR OWN -OUTS 12-YARD MARKSMAN ’S TOP TIPS FOR HOW YOUR PERFECT KEEPER CAN SPOT KICKS EVEN THE ODDS

DEBATE ARE PENALTIES THE RIGHT WAY TO DECIDE YOUTH MATCHES? CONTENTS Plan For The Whole 12 Yards

Penalty shoot-outs might not be the best way to resolve a 120-minute stalemate but short of replays, there is no genuine alternative. Penalties create heroes and villains, sort the wheat from the chaff: Agony, ecstasy and unbearable tension. Going into 2014 there had been 22 shoot-outs in the World Cup since the first one in 1982 - when West Germany beat France in an epic semi-final - and there were only two at the 2010 finals in South Africa.

Soccer Coach Weekly is Few will forget Ghana losing to published by Green Star Uruguay after missing a penalty with Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, the last kick of the match to win it Agony: Ghana went out of the 2010 World Cup on penalties to Uruguay after Guildford GU5 0AB, UK. following Luis Suarez’s deliberate Asamoah Gyan missed a last-minute spot-kick to claim a place in the semi-finals handball to prevent a . that misery to go through this time Lampard about scoring penalties Telephone However, few will remember round - small mercies... as well as how best to prepare your +44 (0)1483 892894 Paraguay beating Japan Italy have also lost keeper to become the hero by reading FOR THE RECORD... Editor 5-4 in the tournament’s three but won when it the kicker’s body language and Chris Hunt WORLD CUP [email protected] other shoot-out so they MOST WINS ON mattered in the 2006 making saves. Head Coach are not all back-page PENALTIES final against France. These great sessions will stand David Clarke news. Germany 4 (from 4) Realistically, you may players in good stead for “regulation” [email protected] Germany have never Argentina 3 (4) never have to coach a spot-kicks as well and give everyone Contributors lost a World Cup match Brazil 2 (3) team in the World Cup a chance to have a big impact on Mike Pattenden, Richard Lee, France 2 (4) Frank Lampard on penalties - four wins MOST DEFEATS or any international the team in fun, yet realistic, training - with Argentina’s only tournament but there is exercises. I hope you enjoy using the Illustrations ON PENALTIES Mike Ronald defeat in four being England 3 (from 3) a good chance you will games as much as we enjoyed putting against the Germans. Italy 3 (4) have at least one shoot- them together. Pictures Mexico 2 (2) Action Images, Nick Webster Both of them have out to contend with so Romania 2 (2) beaten England who you need to give your Production France 2 (4) ATG Media Production have failed on all three players a head start. David Clarke Designer occasions they have faced 12-yard This guide contains tips and advice Jamie Leeson trials. At least England fans won’t have from top professionals like Frank Head of Marketing Paul Mortimer paul.mortimer@greenstarmedia. GET YOUR KEEPER IN net In this issue... 6 SAVING MODE Customer Services Brentford keeper Richard Lee - a 12-YARD TIPS Duncan Heard HOW TO BE A man who knows about winning [email protected] PENALTY KING shoot-outs - offers six tips to 3 get your stopper saving more Managing Director It’s always wise to be prepared Andrew Griffiths in case your team has to take penalties. part in a shoot-out. Whether it’s DEBATE: ARE PENALTY (c) Green Star Media Ltd. goalkeepers or penalty takers, All rights reserved. 7 SHOOT-OUTS FAIR? practice is most definitely the key. At the top level, the drama of a Click here to read the full SAVE IN penalty shoot-out can provide disclaimer. SHOOT OUTS a gripping and exciting finale A4 goalkeeper has nothing to lose in to a match but is it right that a penalty shoot-out but by working youth soccer matches should be Give your keeper an edge on movement and reaction saves concluded this way? 1. Young players often look at the he stands more chance of winning. corner they are going to hit the ball. THE PERFECT PENALTY - 2. A wide approach often indicates the SCORE IN 8 A FRANK PERSPECTIVE shooter is going to the opposite corner. SHOOT-OUTS Should England’s World Cup end 3. The ball often goes where the To subscribe to Use5 this knockout game to improve in penalties, Frank Lampard will be Soccer Coach Weekly plant foot and hips point. call Duncan Heard on the ability of your young players to asked to step up. Here he explains 4. A drop of the head = cross-body +44 (0)1483 892894 score from the spot and cope with how your players can keep their shot. Head up = opposite corner. or subscribe online here the pressure of a penalty shoot-out. cool from the spot.

SoccerCoachWeekly.net how to win penalty shoot-outs 2 HOW TO WIN PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS x Lampard on the spot in the 2008 Champions League Final

How To Be A Penalty King It’s always wise to be prepared in case your team has to take part in a penalty shoot-out. Whether it’s your goalkeepers or your penalty takers, practice is most definitely the key

enalty shoot-outs are now such The key is technique first – a solid place the ball and angle their foot. A Words by: a regular feature of football at all striking of the ball and finding the good keeper should stand up straight Mike Pattenden Plevels, it’s highly likely that this corners of the goal. Try getting players and follow the penalty taker’s run-up, Activities by: summer your team will find themselves to aim for the inside of the side netting watching carefully as right footers will David Clarke in a match at a tournament that will be – 35 per cent of successful penalties are favour the left side of goal because they settled by spot kicks. directed into the bottom corners. Firing have to open up their body, and left Frank Lampard is among the Premier high increases the likelihood of putting footers vice versa. In short, your keeper League’s finest penalty takers and he it over, while waiting for the keeper to should make a decision and dive – the knows the importance of working on move takes self-assurance. It’s important chances of it going down the middle are this skill in training, having won and to make sure your players practise, slim because it takes a lot of nerve on the lost shoot-outs with both Chelsea and that they keep it simple and they don’t part of the penalty taker. England. “I think the regular penalty change their minds. On the following pages we have two takers, or pretty regular ones, will practise For goalkeepers, there is no fear of activities to help you prepare your team regularly to keep them at a level,” he says. penalties. In fact, they love them because for a shoot-out – one session to help Lampard is an expert, having scored in it’s a great opportunity to be a hero. the goalkeepers save and one to make the shoot-outs at two Champions League Notable spot kick stoppers in today’s penalty takers feel more confident. finals. But even an old hand like Frank game include Tim Howard, Gianlugi can miss, most notably when he dragged Buffon, , Petr Cech and one wide in the 2010 FA Cup Final Manuel Neuer. But what’s their secret? “The likes of Frank Lampard will practise against Portsmouth and when he saw his “When it comes to a penalty shoot- taking penalties every day, repeating attempt saved in England’s 2006 World out, a lot is down to confidence, and I Cup shoot-out against Portugal. am a confident person – you want to the behaviour. The ones who generally Other notable penalty takers in the do something special for your team,” miss are the ones who practise just Premier League include West Ham’s says Neuer, who saved penalties from Mark Noble and Southampton’s Rickie both and Kaká last the day before and then when asked Lambert, but it’s not for everyone – year to help Bayern Munich through to will you take a penalty, Wayne Rooney, such a good striker of a the Champions League final. He also they say okay, I’ll do it” ball, actually gave up taking them. Each admitted to studying Ronaldo’s penalty- player has a different technique too: taking style before the game. – Former England keeper David Noble is a blaster, Lambert is a placer, Other than research and practice, James on the need to practise while Lampard has a habit of sending the teach your keepers to watch a kicker’s for a penalty shoot-out keeper the wrong way. body language, observe how they

SoccerCoachWeekly.net how to win penalty shoot-outs 3 HOW TO WIN PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS Save In Shoot-outs A goalkeeper may have nothing to lose in a penalty shoot-out but by working on his movement and his reaction saves he certainly stands more chance of winning

Set up so that the red If you call a colour, the WHY USE IT cone and yellow cone are keeper must dive on the To win more penalty different distances away ball next to that cone and shoot-outs you need to get from the goalkeeper but in then get straight back up your keeper moving and line with each post RED! waiting for the next shot working on reaction saves. This is the best way to get his brain in gear to react to the shot – it’s no good just standing him between the posts and shooting at him.

SET UP Put a red cone in the six-yard area in line with the post and a yellow cone on the other side of the goal on the six-yard line, When you call If “penalty” is called placing a ball on the keeper’s “penalty” the keeper the goalkeeper must must react to a shot retreat to the goal line, side of each of the cones. hit straight at him and so he has to recover must immediately get quickly from diving HOW TO PLAY ready for another call PENALTY! towards the cones When the server shouts “red”, the keeper must dive on the ball next to the red marker, immediately getting up to position himself ready to save the next shot. If the server shouts “penalty”, the next shot is immediately taken from the spot but hit down the centre of the goal. If the server calls “yellow”, the keeper dives on the ball Here the call of “yellow” next to the yellow cone, means the keeper must before getting up ready dive further and must to save the next shot. The recover quickly over the greater distance to get server should vary the order YELLOW! back for the next call of the sequence.

TECHNIQUE This activity gets keepers on their toes and gives them an athletic approach to both saving penalties and reacting to the shot. It is a great physical session to get keepers diving and reaching for the ball.

Player movement Ball movement Run with ball Shot

SoccerCoachWeekly.net how to win penalty shoot-outs 4 HOW TO WIN PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS Score In Shoot-outs Use this knockout scoring game to improve the ability of your young players to score from the spot and cope with the pressure of a penalty shoot-out

Players must use The goalkeeper cannot WHY USE IT good technique move off his line for the In this knockout game with the penalty penalty and must stay in the penalty becomes just to start off their the six-yard box for the another aspect of scoring three chances other two chances goals. The pressure is on the individual but there are three different shots to ensure that the pressure on young shoulders is not as great as it could be.

SET UP You need a goal, a goalkeeper, two servers and plenty of balls for this session. You also need a number of players to make it a worthwhile competition. After taking the penalty, the player The server times a pass must run to the post into the penalty area HOW TO PLAY and touch it before for the returning player Each player has three goes turning to run back to run on to and shoot on the turn to get through to the next round of the competition: a penalty, a turn and shoot technique, and a header. The first shot is the penalty – then the player must run to touch the goalpost before returning to a ball played in by a server and turning and shooting with one touch. He must then follow that shot in to place a header in the net. Start by saying players must score with one of the chances, then after round one make it two – and as players are knocked out, make it all three chances.

TECHNIQUE There are three ways of scoring but because the player has to concentrate on what follows the penalty, the pressure is much less on the actual kick. Players should show good technique and After taking the second shot, the player must a fearless attitude that they direct a simple header can carry with them into a at the goal to try to penalty shoot-out. catch the keeper out

Player movement Ball movement Run with ball Shot

SoccerCoachWeekly.net how to win penalty shoot-outs 5 HOW TO WIN PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS Richard Lee saves to beat Everton in a penalty shootout

6 Get Your Keeper WAYS TO Saving Penalties Brentford keeper Richard Lee is an expert penalty saver, having won more than his fair share of shoot-outs. He also runs training courses for young goalkeepers. Here he offers six tips that will help you to get your stopper saving more penalties

01 MENTALLY PREPARE 02 TIME THE DIVE 03 GAIN CRUCIAL YARDS Interview by: “As obvious as it sounds, you need to get your “When practising penalties in training, try out “Emphasise to your goalkeeper that there is goalkeeper into the mindset that he is going to some new things with your keeper. Get him an advantage to be had by angling your dive save penalties. Talk positively ahead of a match to move a split second earlier than he usually slightly forward when attempting to save Andy Greeves and reinforce the message that your keeper would do when facing a penalty. Timing the a penalty. Show your keeper some clips of can and will save spot kicks. If he believes the dive is crucial in this situation and you can Liverpool and Spain goalkeeper Pepe Reina odds are in the penalty taker’s favour, chances easily go too early or too late. By going ever facing penalties, as he is a master at angling his are he won’t make a save. The keeper should so slightly earlier with the dive, your keeper dives when saving spot kicks. He will end up two be thinking ‘if I go the right way, I am going to may well find his success rate in stopping the or three yards off his line after the penalty has save this’.” ball is increased.” been taken and will narrow the striker’s angle.”

04 JUDGE THE TAKER 05 UNSETTLE OPPONENTS 06 TRUST THE KEEPER “Talk through with your goalkeeper what certain “You should be supportive of techniques your “If you are going into a penalty shootout, opposition players might be likely to do with goalkeeper might use to unsettle the penalty it’s no time for you to be giving your keeper their penalty kicks. It’s a generalisation I know, taker, such as movement on the line or ‘spaghetti technical instruction. Instead give him massive but a centre back might be more likely to hit legs’, so long as he is in a good position to dive encouragement, tell him to enjoy the shootout the ball straight down the middle as hard as he and make a save when the kick is taken. As you and tell him this is his time to make himself a can, rather than place the ball into a corner. If a would advise a penalty kicker to not change their hero. Don’t underestimate the importance of player runs up to the ball at a narrow angle, it’s mind when taking a penalty, tell your goalkeeper your goalkeeper being fit and agile in saving unlikely they will be able to open themselves up to trust his instincts and fully commit to going penalties. Work on his physical training as much enough to get it in a corner.” where he thinks the ball is going.” as you would do with an outfield player.”

> Richard Lee’s company, GK Icon, aims to modernise goalkeeper training. For more information visit www.gkicon.com

SoccerCoachWeekly.net how to win penalty shoot-outs 6 HOWTHE BIG TO DEBATEWIN PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS Are Penalty Shoot-outs A Fair Way To End A Game? THE BIG DEBATE: At the top level, the drama of a penalty shoot-out can provide a gripping and exciting finale to a match, but is it right that youth soccer matches should be concluded this way?

YES, IT’S FAIR NO, IT’S NOT FAIR

Pete Purser Ben Thompson Hucknall Yellows Salisbury Swifts “What’s the alternative? Let “Failure from the spot can have kids go through a full game, a definite effect on confidence. plus extra-time, and then tell “ At least in normal time a player them that neither has won? Kids can redeem himself later in want to see a meaningful end the game. A penalty shoot-out product in everything they do” miss doesn’t even allow that”

I think every feature a meaningful end product I think there’s enough time have a definite effect on of the adult game in everything they do – it’s debate about the merits confidence. Very often a player should be replicated in youth crucial for their development. of penalty shoot-outs concluding will ‘go missing’. At least a miss “soccer, otherwise what are we I appreciate ending with a “matches at the top level to in normal time can allow a player teaching? Kids get into soccer penalty shoot-out can trouble suggest that we shouldn’t be to redeem himself later in the because of what they see in some people because it can thrusting this on our youth game. A penalty shoot-out stadiums and on TV screens, be a bitter way for a match players. We have a responsibility miss doesn’t even allow that. and we should be giving them to be concluded, in particular as coaches to decide what’s Team-mates can also target a the opportunity to sample that for the player who misses the best for our players – and I’m player who missed, particularly if in all its excitement and glory. vital kick. But kids are pretty not sure an arduous penalty the kick has come at the end of I think everyone finds penalty resilient about setbacks such as shoot-out is for the best. a big cup match. Some of these shoot-outs a thrilling part of these – and it’s not only through One of the problems with lads have long memories and the game, players included. As penalty kicks that individual shoot-outs is that they’re not they can be cruel at times. It’s long as each outfield player errors determine matches. inclusive. If it’s ‘best of five kicks’ unfair to pile all that perceived knows that it’s no crime to miss, Losing the ability for a team then some players won’t have ‘blame’ on one player. and providing both keepers to win the game only serves any bearing on the outcome Like it or not, the youth game know that every save they to make it sterile. I know some – they’re having to put the is really about enjoyment before make is a bonus, this can be a coaches who will finish each responsibility solely in the hands results. If both teams can play fantastic way to end a match. training session with a penalty of others. I’m not sure that’s a game and then shake hands What’s the alternative? Let shoot-out. As a quick activity, it what youth soccer is about… it on a draw at the end rather kids go through a full game, rehearses players in a number should be everyone participating. than having a result forced plus extra-time, and then tell of key specialisms, not least As much as kids are said to be through penalties, then surely them at the end that neither dead ball ability, decision- resilient in many ways, I’ve seen everyone leaves in a has won? Kids want to see making and confidence. ” failure from the spot in normal positive frame of mind? ” HAVE YOUR SAY CURRENT VIEW This poll is running in Soccer ARE PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS Coach Weekly. Let us know A FAIR WAY TO END A YOUTH your view. The question: Are penalty shoot-outs a fair GAME? way to end a youth game? currently stands at Vote at www.facebook.com/SoccerCoachWeekly or 58% saying yes Tweet your opinion to @SoccerCoachWeek or email your thoughts to [email protected] 42% saying no

SoccerCoachWeekly.net how to win penalty shoot-outs 7 HOW TO WIN PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS

RoyFrank Hodgson Lampard and has Gordon the perfect Strachan temperament prepare for to battle take penalties at key moments at international level 6 Scoring From TIPS FOR The Penalty Spot Should England’s World Cup end in penalties, Frank Lampard will surely be asked to step up. Here he explains how your players can keep their cool from the spot

1 KEEP COMPOSED 3 FOLLOW THROUGH 5 RESPECT THE KEEPER Coaches should only put forward those Following through on the ball is really It seems a strange thing to say this players who they feel can cope with the pressure important when you take a penalty because but you always need to have respect for an of converting a spot-kick – they must be able it keeps a kick true and ensures that it retains opponent. However good you are, there is to clear their minds of any distractions when its power. I push my foot through every shot absolutely no guarantee that you’ll score from walking up to take a kick. Missing a penalty, and was taught to focus on the area behind a penalty and I was always brought up with even in training, can have an adverse effect on a the ball, and not let my foot stop moving until the idea that success has to be earned. My dad young player’s confidence, so it’s not something it was there. There’s no better feeling in the was always telling me not to get carried away I’d want to rush a lad into. Composure and a cool world than scoring when you are really striking and to keep a level head. Football emotions can head was always a must for me, and you could through the ball. sometimes run away with us, and penalty kicks see the players who didn’t have that. Sometimes are almost a concentration of that. you just knew they were going to miss. 4 ALWAYS BE ACCURATE As a kid, I spent many years staying 6 DON’T CHANGE YOUR MIND VARY YOUR SPOT-KICKS behind after training to improve my accuracy. It’s the oldest adage when stepping up to 2 I know young players can struggle with At times I would be teased about it, particularly take a penalty, but tell players to never change accuracy, but getting them to vary where spot- because I was always with my dad [Frank their minds. From the moment I ground the kicks go is vital, and it has always been a feature Lampard Snr], and other players didn’t like ball, I know which way it’s going and whether of my penalty-taking. I never want a keeper to the fact I did the extra stuff. But there’s still a I’m going to put it along the ground or in the be able to guess where I’ll put the ball, and I lot of lumping it in youth soccer, and finding air. Your run-up is conditioned to the direction am usually comfortable kicking it in any part of that accuracy is a good reaction to that. It also you want the ball to go, so changing your mind the goal. As a kid, a practice I loved was to fire means building the confidence of your players, means you’re not approaching the ball the right shots clockwise around the angles of the goal. I’d and if you can get a group to stay voluntarily, way, physically or mentally, and that’s often recommend getting your players to try that one. that’s really encouraging. when things go wrong. James Evans

Frank Lampard’s series of children’s stories, Frankie’s Magic Football, is published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, priced £4.99 Interview: Interview:

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