Strength and Conditioning

Soccer Keeper

Evaluation of the Sport

Soccer is an Olympic sport performed by both men and women. The sport is also known for its famous FIFA World Cup’s. Soccer, also known as football, is ranked the most common sport across the world. The sport has many of different positions, rules, and content. Players must combine many skills such as kicking, sprinting, dribbling, passing, throwing, and jumping/diving, and deflecting.

Movement Analysis

A major movement for soccer keepers would be jumping and/or diving. This movement is important because majority of shots deflected by the keeper, are from them jumping and diving.

• Joint Movement

• Jumping/Diving: The hips are bilaterally contracting from extension to flexion. The knees are bilaterally flexing. Also, there is dorsiflexion of the ankles.

• Muscular Action

• Jumping/Diving: Jumping uses a variety of large muscle groups. The quadriceps and the hip flexors are the primary muscles for flexion of the hips. The quadriceps also help with flexion of the knee. Ankle plantar flexors help dorsiflex the ankle.

Kicking is another movement that plays a key roll in soccer. Soccer keepers sometimes use kicking to put the ball back into play.

• Joint Movement

• Kicking: For the kicking leg, there is unilateral flexion in the hips. Active knee extension. With dorsiflexion in the ankle. For the stance leg, there is extension of the hip, knee, and ankle. The triple extension in the stance leg is used for power transfer.

• Muscular Action

• Kicking: For the kicking leg, the quadriceps and the hip flexors flex the hip. The quadriceps also help extend the knee. The tibialis anterior dorsiflex the ankle. For the stance leg, the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings extend the hip. The quadriceps extend the knee. The gastrocnemius and soleus plantar flex the ankle.

Blocking/Deflecting is a skill that the soccer keeper performs every time he or she tries to defend the ball for going into the net.

• Joint Movement

• Blocking/Deflecting: Shoulders are in flexion. Elbows and wrist are extended. The trunk is in a neutral position, as well are the hips. The knees will be extended. The ankles are in plantar flexion.

• Muscular Action:

• Most of the muscles that are contracting in this movement are in an isometric contraction. The anterior deltoid is flexing the shoulders. The triceps are extending the elbow. The abdomnis muscles are keeping the trunk neutral. The hips are co-contracting by the hip flexors and extensors to keep the hips neutral. The quadriceps hold the knees in extension.

Physiological Demands/Metabolic Demands

A typical soccer match has two 45-minute haves, with a 15-minute break in between each half. When players stop for injuries and other barriers the time continues to run. (4) Once the two 45-minute halves are up, the referee can add time for the lost time from all the stoppages. Typically, about 3-5 minutes is added, but it can be shorter or a longer length of time. (4) Keepers are not allowed to hold the ball for more than six seconds.(4) Also, when keepers attempt to block shots, it normally lasts a matter of seconds. According to authors Ziv and Lidor, soccer keepers only cover about 5,611 ± 613 meters during a game. (6) Majority of meters were covered by walking and jogging, and with a small amount of running at high intensity or sprinting.

• Unlike all the other players, soccer keepers mainly rely on the ATP-PC energy system. Since higher intensity movements don’t last longer than 30 seconds and are separated between walking and jogging periods, this allows for more recovery time. The long separated periods help restore the ATP-PC energy system so the keeper is ready for high intensity movements when the time comes.

Injury Analysis

Soccer is becoming an extremely intense sport, that has a lot of body contact and tough tackles. These intense collisions and tackles can lead to numerous of injuries. According to a research done by FIFA.com, 73% of injuries occur during matches. (1) This is because most practices soccer keepers are not tackled or strictly challenged.

• Ankle sprains are the most common ankle injury for soccer keepers. The goalkeeper often has to jump and block the ball in the air. Keepers can often land awkwardly on the ground or on another player’s foot and twist the ankle causing mild to serve ankle sprains. (1)
• Fractures are another big injury for keepers. Soccer keepers do whatever it takes to block a shot on the goal, and often pay the price for their actions. Fractures can be caused by a high collision with other players, direct impacts to the ground, and also colliding with the goalposts. (1)

The Assessment of the Athlete

Anthropometric Measures

• The average Soccer players that play in the FIFA World Cup is about 5foot ,9 inches(181.1cm) and the height for soccer players ranges from 5foot, 3 inches to 6foot, 6 inches(162cm-202cm). According to author Wong, goalkeepers are 5-9cm taller than the average FIFA player.(5)
• The weight varies from athlete to athlete. In 2006 the mean for FIFA soccer keepers weight was 167 pounds(76.1kg). Also, the FIFA keepers weighted ranged from 125 pounds to 220 pounds(57kg-100kg). According to author Wong, goalkeepers ranged from 13-19(6-9kg) pounds heavier than the average FIFA player. (5)
• The age for most FIFA World Cup keepers are 23 years old and can range all the way up to 40 years old. The age differs mainly because of the older the defenders are, the more experience of the position they have. Also, because there is a lighter aerobic demand than other field players, allowing keepers to play longer. (5)

Physiological Measurements

In a study done by Gal Ziv and Ronnie Lidor they analyzed the physiological measurements for goalkeepers.