Difficulty Level: 1→(2)→(3)
Common football vocabulary is defined at the bottom of the page.
Background:The Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech gives some goalkeeping advice.
Think about this question when you watch the video for the first time:
Goalkeeping isn’t only about stopping goals as Petr Čech says at the beginning of this video. What else does a goalkeeper need to be good at?
[afterwards read the text to check your understanding. Watching before reading to answer the question above will help you to develop your listening skills]
Hello, I’m Petr Čech, and welcome to the UEFA training ground.
Goalkeeping is all about stopping goals. Some say it’s the most important position on the pitch… you decide.
How do you get this good? Plenty of practice. But it can be fun. Here are some drills for you to become a great shot-stopper… having great reflexes can help you achieve this. Start by facing your goal with your back to the coach. On command, turn you around [turn around] and make your save. This is a good one to improve your reactions, and awareness and really speed up your feet.
Here’s a few tips… when the ball is kicked stay alert, keep your head steady and focus your eyes on the ball.
Next up, it’s all about ball distribution. Getting the ball out to your teammates quickly and accurately will help your team score a goal. This can be done by throwing or kicking. Start by rolling the ball out at another ball. Get some zip into the ball, [so] that your [team]mate can collect the pass easily. Also try the overarm throw for the longer distances.
A drill: an exercise, repeated many times, to practice a particular skill.
A shot-stopper: a goalkeeper who is good at saving shots (but maybe not so good at catching crosses or kicking/throwing the ball)
Awareness: the ability to know the location of other players and the directions in which they are moving, even though you cannot always see these players. Here, also the ability of the goalkeeper to know where he is in relation to his goal.
Ball distribution: how the goalkeeper kicks/throws the ball to his teammates.
Zip: speed [not very common]