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CrossesAnalyticTechnique

Deflection over the bar (u14)

Teach deflecting over the bar the ball you can’t catch — the tip over the bar was under-trained and is the safe alternative to a risky catch under the crossbar.

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Load

minutes
9
dives/set
3
Sets and reps
2 × 6
Intensity
Medium

dives per set, per goalkeeper

Microcycle days it fits

MD-4, MD-3

Each bar’s height is that day’s dive ceiling.

Setup

Goalkeepers
1
server
1
outfield player
0

Space: 12 × 8 m

Equipment: Balls, Full goal

The coach serves and manages the breaks.

1 steps

A high ball dropping near the bar. The goalkeeper chooses between catching and deflecting, and when deflecting, guides the ball over with the palm or fingertips, keeping it out of the goal.

Exercise sequence

Coaching points

  • Deflect, don’t hit: follow the ball over the bar with a guiding hand, not a punch.
  • Use the hand farther from the ball for reach, with the body stretching up.
  • The ball always goes over and out — when in doubt, overdo the height, never risk leaving it under the bar.
  • Land balanced and find the goal again, because the play may continue at the corner.

Progressions

  1. Ball dropping fast near the bar.
  2. Vary the side of the trajectory.

Regressions

  1. Predictable, slow high ball.
  2. Bring the server closer.

Sources · 2

  1. BookAndy Elleray, «Goalkeeping in Football»
  2. BookLeonhard Zeilinger e Franz Gruber, «The Ultimate Guide to Goalkeeper Training: Develop Motor Skills, Technique, Tactics, and Mindset» (Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2025), ISBN 9781782552918