Communication is a key for every player on the soccer field, and especially so for the goalkeeper. Once the keeper has made a decision, the defenders need to know what it is. The goalkeeper also must be a organizer and leader on the field - they are the only player who faces the field the whole time and are the best positioned to see the development of the play.

How do you make your job as a keeper easier on as well as off the field?  The answer is to communicate effectively.  On the field the keeper is the most important person with the vision to see the offensive attack and most importantly on defense, the counter attack. A goalkeeper is like a chess player.  With each strategic move of his players through communication he puts his team on the offensive or prepares defensively.  By communicating effectively a keeper can improve defensive organization of the entire team and initiate the attack thus handling fewer shots and resulting in less goals.

The role of the keeper is that of a leader.  A leaders voice and language must be firm, spoken with conviction, and specific; never wavering or panicky.  A keeper that speaks softly sends a message that he or she is unsure or lacks confidence.  A keeper that screams and yells with a panic stricken voice sends a message of weakness to the apposing team and sends chaos through the defending team.

Communication can be two forms: verbal and non verbal.  Verbal communication should take the form of simple and very specific phrases.  Anything more than three words is missed by the defenders. One word instructions are most effective.  Non verbal is simply hand gestures.  Non verbal could be in the form of a point to open player, a point to the location to drop a back pass, the number of players needed in a wall shown by fingers, or the wave of the hand to push players up when distributing the ball.

Common Commands:

 Keeper -  You need that second syllable. This the most important word in the keeper dictionary.  It must be said with confidence and loud enough for the stands to hear you.  This tells the team that the keeper is committed to the ball.  This tells the attacker that the keeper is coming and he is in for it.  The keeper call must be shouted prior to leaving the line.  Again it is a warning and it will also tell the closest defender off the ball that they need to get back and cover the net.

Mark -  Whether it is a middle fielder running down the wing, a stopper pushing up into the attack, or a set piece such as a corner the keeper has to dictate responsibility.  The keeper should say with conviction “James, 10, left”; “Miguel stay middle”;  “Jorge front post”;  “Mike back post”; “John, step, 8”.

Back -  Is used to indicate that the keeper is an option.  The proper instruction is "Keeper Back".  The keeper should also point to the area outside the goal mouth were the ball should be played.  Yelling back to a defender for a marking instruction creates confusion when it is also used in another manner.

Drop -  I use drop when also communicating with my defenders.  “  Arturo drop” This would tell Arturo that he is up too far.  To be more specific give a distance.  “Drop Left”  “Drop 2 Steps”

Step Up - When trying to move your defense up instruct them how far. "Step 2" would indicate the defense would have to step up to steps or "Step to 18"  would mean the defense line is at the top of the 18 yard box.

Out -  Can also be used to catch the lazy striker off sides moving the defense quickly out is effective when the ball is cleared.  Moving the defense quickly allows less space and time for the attacking team to organize anything substantial.  This also helps eliminate a screen by a defender or a poor deflection into the net.  Careful not to call out or push up too soon on corners!  When the ball is cleared out of danger or there isn’t a one time shot threat then release your players off the post by calling out. "Step Out" is also common.

Wall -  In direct or indirect situations the keeper must call “Wall” and the number of people in the wall.  When positioning the wall, again short and sweet:  “Two steps left”

Outside -  Indicates to the defender with the ball to take the ball outside rather than turning it into a player or pressure.  Outside communicates that there is no option inside.

Away - this means the opposite - the keeper is not going after the ball and the defense should pursue it. It is usually used for crosses or corners.

There are terms and commands unique to each keeper.  Make sure you use consistent terms when speaking to your team so there is not any confusion.  The important thing is that the command is spoken with a firm confident voice, concise, specific, and understood.  On the flip side, don’t over do it.  Communicate effectively to organize the field but don’t talk so much that it becomes a ringing in the ears of the field players.  Too much can be counter productive. 

The keeper must yell these commands loudly and repeat them if necessary. There must be no doubt in anyone's mind who's ball it is! This even includes the opposing team - forwards will sometimes back off if they think the keeper is coming hard.

The keeper should also direct traffic and position defenders on the field. Don't expect a lot of this to occur with young keepers, especially those who don't play in goal full time, but with experience a 14 or 15 year old full-time goalkeeper should be able to scan the field and the set the defense as necessary. To do this, the keeper must be a student of the game - they must know:

• The defensive scheme used by the team and how the coach wants the defenders to play
• Tendencies and strengths of the opposing team and opposing players
• The role of first defender, second defender, third defender to make adjustments on the fly
• The role of first, second and third attackers to help anticipate how the attack may develop

In short, they must be a second coach out on the soccer field. This is a tall order for a youth soccer player, but here are a few points that will help develop this.

• Be loud and repetitive. It can be hard to hear out on the field, especially for someone on the ball with their head down. Make sure the message gets through.
• Be specific with commands. Yelling "Mark up!" or "Who's on #23?" often is just not enough - tell specific players what to do ("John, mark #12" or "Jose, Miguel, shift one mark to the right").
• Work from the ball outwards. The keeper should focus on the ball carrier first, and arrange defenders near the ball first. When danger is less imminent, set the defenders who are further away.
• Arrange to get feedback from defenders. It can be eye contact, a wave of the hand, a verbal okay, but have defenders let the goalkeeper know they were heard. The goalkeeper will be able to shift focus knowing the defender is set, and the defender won't have the keeper yelling at them for something they already heard.
• If they keeper does not call, the defenders must take responsibility. The defense should never assume the keeper has a ball unless the keeper calls for it; they should go for the ball unless they hear otherwise. A few collisions with their own defense in practice should quickly teach a quiet keeper the value of calling loudly for the ball!

Communication between the goalkeeper and defenders is a key to making the defense function as a unit.