Abstract

In comparison with the interest that analysis of the game of football arouses, until very recently scientific papers on the specific performance of goalkeepers and, to a lesser extent, goalkeepers in youth football have been noticeable by their absence. This research uses observational methodology to analyze the effectiveness of the technical-tactical behavior of under-16 football goalkeepers, specifically the teams in a tournament played by 1st division reserve teams. An ad hoc observation instrument has been designed which has been entered into Lince software, registering the sequences in which the goalkeeper intervenes in the game. After studying the technical actions carried out and their results by means of analysis looking for associative relationships between categorical variables, the next stage was to identify hidden time patterns using Theme software which has enabled us to describe effective and ineffective defensive and offensive technical-tactical actions. The conclusions lead to practical recommendations for the design of specific training tasks for defensive technical actions (blocking in positioning and claiming the ball, and the aerial game and diving) and offensive technical actions (start or continuation of the offensive phase through kicking a stationary ball, kicking the ball when it is moving and control plus passing).