Handball

Goal Tending

When playing goalie in team handball, the most important thing to do is make yourself as big as possible. This can be done can be done in a few ways. One way to make yourself bigger is to get your arms up in the air and stand tall. Your arms should be in the air at about 45 degree angles with your palms facing out and fingers spread wide. Your legs should be positioned in a stance wider than shoulder width. This way you are able to kick away low shots and are already in a good position to move side to side.

The second way a goalie can make themselves bigger is to cut down the angle that the offensive player has to shoot. They can do this be moving toward the shooter while they are approaching or winding up. But, you have to be careful that you do not come up to far because then they can shoot a lob shot over you. When the goalie is moving around the goal face according to where the ball is being passed by the offensive team, the goalie should shuffle their feet along an imaginary arc across the goal. The top of the arc is about one meter from the goal line. The reason for the arc goes with the cutting down the angle theory, be doing this the goalie has a better chance of reaching just to the corners. Another important rule that the goal keeper must follow is that they have to defend the near post when there is a chance of a shot from the wing. To do this they actually can wrap their arm around the post to make it impossible for a shot to get through. This also makes it easier for the defender to channel the shot if they know the post is shut-off.

If an offensive player takes a shot and the goalie touches the ball then it goes over then end line it becomes a goalie throw. This rule in team handball is a great advantage to handball goalies to goalies in many other sports. This does not make it necessary for the goalie to catch every shot. That is why it is important for a goalie to always