How positioning and technique shape modern goalkeeping

“Mats and I have known each other for many years; we played together in Ystad when I was 16, 17 years old. Over the years, we have always exchanged ideas and led training courses for goalkeeper coaches together, whether in Norway, Germany, or for the EHF,” says Mattias Andersson, who, like Olsson, is continuing a tradition.

“In Sweden, we traditionally do not have only good goalkeepers, but also many who have studied training intensively and thought a lot about how we, but also other goalkeepers, can improve.”

The 47-year-old Andersson knows exactly what goalkeepers need. From his own experience, gained in 150 international matches for Sweden and in 20 years as a goalkeeper in top clubs such as Barça, THW Kiel, and SG Flensburg-Handewitt.

After retiring in 2018, the two-time EHF Champions League winner (in 2007 with Kiel, in 2014 with Flensburg), European champion, and Olympic silver medallist began passing on his knowledge as a goalkeeper coach. Initially, he worked simultaneously at Kiel, Ystad, and the Austria men’s national team. In 2020, he became goalkeeper coach for the German Handball Federation, where he is not only responsible for training goalkeepers from the youth to the senior national teams, but also for training and educating goalkeeper coaches.

So, what distinguishes successful goalkeepers at the top level?

“The most important thing is correct positioning, tailored to the respective game situation. There are many techniques for stopping a ball, but incorrect positioning makes it more difficult. And this has to be worked out individually for each goalkeeper,” Andersson says.

“When I work with Andy Wolff and David Späth in the national team, they are completely different in terms of their physique and abilities. And it’s not about showing how I used to play, but about improving each goalkeeper individually in terms of technique and positioning and what is best for him or her.”

In recent years, the boundaries between the different ‘old schools’ in goalkeeping have become increasingly blurred, even though the Balkan school and the Scandinavian school still exist.

“It’s about teaching the best of both schools, training goalkeepers not only in techniques but also in tactical understanding,” says the Swede. It is also important to communicate with the rest of the coaching team, including athletic trainers and physiotherapists, in order to address any deficits in the goalkeepers: “The question that always stands above everything else is: What does the individual goalkeeper need to improve?”

In general, goalkeeping has changed significantly in recent years because the entire game of handball has changed with more speed and breakthroughs.

“Classic back-court shooters are becoming increasingly rare, and goalkeepers are now much more often challenged in one-on-one situations from a close range. This has also changed goalkeeper training in terms of positioning and techniques,” Andersson says.

That is why he prefers to integrate his work into team training. Situations in which a goalkeeper coach works individually with a goalkeeper are rare for him. “It is always about game situations, such as breakthroughs or cooperation with the defence, which you can’t train on your own.”

The 7-on-6 game, which also depends on the speed of the goalkeepers when running back, has little influence for Andersson: “The goalkeepers are all fit, fast, and athletically well-trained, so it doesn’t bother them.”

Due to changes in the game system and the greater importance of the goalkeeper, Andersson believes that the role of the goalkeeper coaches has become increasingly important in recent years.

“This is also reflected in the rule change that allows a fifth official on the bench — and in many teams, that is the goalkeeper coach. But we are not as far along as soccer, for example, there is still room for improvement in handball.”

For Andersson, it is therefore important to look beyond the horizon and see how goalkeeper training is done in other sports. He has already visited the football team of FC Bayern Munich and trained with world champion Manuel Neuer, among others, but at the same time he also exchanged ideas with their goalkeeper coach, Michael Rechner, about what handball can learn from football.

“At our goalkeeper training courses in Germany, experts from hockey, ice hockey, and football always present their concepts and exercises. We analyse what we can adopt and use from them,” says Andersson, who mentions goalkeepers dealing with pressure as an example: “Mental strength is extremely important and is always part of the training.”

For him, this also includes intensive preparation and follow-up work before and after games. During his playing career, Andersson was known for his detailed video preparation of all opposing players and throwing patterns.

And this is what convinced Andreas Wolff: “At first, I wasn’t a fan of video preparation; I preferred to rely on my feelings and intuition. But since I have been working with Mattias Andersson in the national team and at THW Kiel, that has completely changed. He is a master and perfectionist when it comes to video analysis,” Wolff says.

However, Andersson explains that the amount of video analysis a goalkeeper uses must be tailored to the individual: “It’s about how much information the goalkeeper needs or wants. It’s not about the goalkeeper coach on the bench knowing everything, but the goalkeeper. And every goalkeeper is different, so that has to be worked out together.”

Just as important is the post-match analysis: “I always compile lots of scenes on video and ask the goalkeepers questions: What was good, what didn’t work,” Andersson says.

The Swede is always keen to improve himself and broaden his horizons. For example, he is currently completing his B-license coaching certificate: “I learn a lot myself, especially from holding courses with goalkeeper coaches. In addition to imparting knowledge, it’s always about the exchange between colleagues, which helps everyone to progress.”

Andersson is looking forward to the two-day EHF Goalkeeper Summit 2025 in Vienna on 2/3 October, together with Mats Olsson and fellow lecturers Bobby White — English goalkeeper coach in both handball and football — and Amandine Leynaud, the French great who won EHF Champions League, EHF EURO, Olympic and world titles, and who has been working as the goalkeeper coach for the France women's national team since 2022.

The summit agenda includes positioning, coordination, reading shot directions, decision-making in offensive transition, but also cooperation with the defence and strategies to increase the effectiveness of goalkeepers. The summit provides targeted skills for active goalkeeper coaches, such as the analysis and coaching of basic techniques and situation-specific positioning, the development of game-oriented exercises, and the importance of video for analysing game performance. Mental routines and cooperation with the defence are also highlighted as key competencies. There are still a few places available. Registrations can be made here until September 10.

As part of the summit, coaches who already have a B license or EHF Level 2 certificate and participate in the preceding e-learning course can obtain the EHF Goalkeeper Specialisation A certificate.

Photos: kolektiff images