The goalkeeper’s technique in beach handball is similar to that on the court, with certain particularities. The main particularity is that we must get the goalkeepers used to “dirtying ” themselves with sand, which seems trivial, but no. Not everyone likes to look like a croquette, nor are they comfortable. When is it necessary? The spagat type gestures often end up with the goalkeepers on the ground, and the sliding saves also have that particularity. And also in gestures in which we arrive late to the save, such as direct shots from goal to goal. In these cases, we have technical gestures that are not usual on the court, such as jumping with two feet together.
The basic gestures are very similar, impulse with the opposite leg and saving with two hands to try to catch the ball. The catch is much more complicated, but it is important that they keep trying to follow the ball with their eyes. If they don’t, they go to the zone and don’t adjust the spot correctly. To stop down, the gesture is somewhere between a drop stop and a normal stop down. By being able to bury the foot in the sand, it allows for deeper downward gestures without as much need for flexibility. As with the sliding save, we can/should work on it by spreading our arms apart to cover more of the goal.
The leg up save is basically the same as in court handball. We can work on it in the same way, on a wall (if there is one), with lifts, etc. The leg raising is complicated by the soft surface under our feet. It is very important to reinforce to the goalkeepers that the two arms stop the ball separately. They do not go to the same area. The one in the stop zone accompanies the leg, while the opposite arm stops on the opposite side (even over the head). A good use for the opposite arm is to keep it at half height.
As we move up through the categories and the throwers are taller, we can include work on stopping by raising the jumping leg. Both vertical jumps and jumps with a horizontal component (more surprising), taking care not to collide with the thrower.
The spagat is more important in beach handball, given that almost all throws are in close proximity and in many of them we can surprise the thrower.We must evaluate the type of jump or turn they make to avoid being surpassed in height or having the ball pass underneath us. We must also consider that once we are jumping, the options for rectifying are much less than when we lift our leg.
Motor dissociation is an aspect that we must also work on.For example, we can propose analytical exercises in which the goalkeeper starts with one foot on a bench or steps. This work is halfway between technique and coordination.
Finally, long passing work is vital. We must reinforce the correct technique, as well as the speed of execution. Whenever we can, we should include long passing or direct throwing tasks. We must include a stress component to the work, as it will also appear during matches. A long pass correctly executed in 10 seconds is of no use to us (except in the lower categories as a basis for future passes).