Dominate the Box
What is “controlling the box”?
Picture this: The through pass beats the defense. The speedy winger is running onto the ball, a shot is imminent. Then, out of nowhere, the goalkeeper courageously slides through and intercepts the ball just as the winger is reaching it.
Statistically, is it a save? No. Was a shot even taken? No. But was it possibly a game-saving play? You bet!
Or: A winger dribbles past his defender and curls a dangerous cross into the penalty area. The center forward approaches the ball to head it into the goal. The goalkeeper steps in and, using the privilege of the position, snatches the ball just before the forward can get his head to it. No save! No shot! Is this keeper dominating the box? You bet!
That is dominating the box.
The box refers to the penalty area (18 yards x 44 yards). “Dominating the box” is an asset possessed by most top goalkeepers which enables them to intercept or extinguish a potentially dangerous situation before it materializes. Top goalkeepers who do not dominate the penalty area have the ability to dominate the smaller box, the goal box.
A goalkeeper who dominates the box should see fewer shots and, hopefully, allow fewer goals than one who does not dominate the box. However, other ramifications exist too. Teams playing with a box-dominating goalie will have a tendency to cross less, or cross to the top of the area. They’ll overlook the through pass, and push the ball wide instead. They’ll shoot from further out and, when they finally penetrate into the penalty area, they will always feel the pressure of the dominating keeper. All this helps the goalkeeper’s defenders, too. The box belongs to the keeper and opponents will sense this and, consciously or unconsciously, will alter their game.
As a goalkeeper, you should strive to become more dominant in the area. As a coach, you want to assist your goalkeeper in developing this ability. But how? First, does the goalkeeper have the qualities necessary to dominate the box? The dominating goalkeeper must be courageous, often diving at the feet of onrushing opponents. This dive has to be technically sound, creating the “body barrier” for safety as well as success.
The keeper must possess two types of quickness: perceptual quickness (to see the play developing and be able to anticipate the pass) and reaction quickness (so that once the move is initiated it is done with a burst of speed and conviction that can neutralize a seemingly dangerous situation). Certainly, the goalkeeper has to be able to make correct decisions, not just decisions. The keeper who goes for the through pass, but misjudges the speed of the winger and gets to the ball second, will suffer many goals.
The dominant keeper sees the situation an instant before it actually takes shape and has initiated movement before the ball is delivered. This is anticipation. It comes from inborn qualities, to some degree, but also from a goalkeeper learning how to read the game, to understand the alternatives an opponent with the ball has, and then to determine which reaction he will choose.
What can the goalkeeper and coach do to help the goalkeeper reach this ability to dominate the box? Match condition challenges are paramount. In practice, offer 4 vs. 4 drills, with two goalkeepers in full goals over a 40-yard field. Let the goalkeeper see crossed balls daily—sometimes with no pressure, sometimes with congestion and challenges. Train the goalkeeper technically. Have him create a “body barrier” when going for the ball in different situations (where he or she may get to the ball slightly ahead, at the same time, or even slightly after the opponent). With this type of training, the body reacts well under the pressure of a match, just as it was conditioned to react in practice.
All this training, over the course of a season, develops the confidence a keeper needs to dominate the box.
Courtesy Dan Gaspar - Star Goalkeeping Academy.
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