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Spatial Awareness
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How to know where you are on the field at all times

At first glance this might be a silly topic. We know that we are in ….. city and we are at …. soccer field. Yes, that is a start, but what I am talking about is being able to orient yourself after having made a diving save. After such a save, and especially if there is a rebound, you may have gotten yourself turned around or disoriented in relationship to the goal. Only by knowing where your goal is can you reposition yourself correctly to make the next save. Not only do we want you to know where the goal is, but on top of that we want you to keep track of where your defenders are and most importantly where the attackers are. Tall order, huh?

Well, let's see if we can make it a little easier. A general principle is that you want to keep your shoulders squared to the shooter at all times while you are maintaining the correct position in the goal area. [We will have an article on positioning and angle play later] Imagine that you are looking at a diagram of the penalty area with the penalty arc, the goal area, the penalty spot ant the goal all drawn in. To help you stay oriented in the goal area we can make ourselves some tool. If you are playing on a Cushion Turf or Cintrex* field you start by dragging a line with your foot from the middle of the goal through the penalty spot all the way to the edge of the penalty area. [Some goalkeepers make the line all the way to the center of the penalty arc] You then drag another line from each goalpost to the Six yard box. If you are playing on a grass field you want to keep marks to a minimum. Make an imaginary line from the middle of the goal out to the penalty area and where the line meets the Six-yard box make a slight mark. Groundskeepers will get offended if you do more.

The penalty spot, the 6 yard box and the top of the penalty area markings are your best indicators of where you are. The goal itself is the best of all. Take a quick glance to your right and left post to adjust your position.

Ok, so what do we do on grass or Artificial turf fields? There we use other objects around the field to help us out. The corner flags and the opposing goal are good tools as well as flag poles, seating areas and other permanent structures. Field markings on Artificial Turf fields and sometimes on grass may be so faint that they do not offer much help. Be inventive. Look for aids to help you stay oriented.

Play Hard, Play Fair.

* We seldom encounter dirt or Cintrex fields any more