The Effect of Rebound Ball Exercises on Motor Response Speed and Some Saving Skills of Football Goalkeepers

The research aimed to: Preparing rebound ball exercises to develop motor response speed and some saving skills for football goalkeepers. Identifying the effect of rebound ball exercises on the motor response speed of football goalkeepers.

The researchers used the experimental method with one experimental group employing pre- and post-tests, due to its suitability to the nature of the problem to be solved. The experimental method is considered one of the closest scientific research approaches to solving problems scientifically. The research population consisted of goalkeepers from clubs in Salah Al-Din Governorate participating in the Iraqi qualifying league for the third division during the 2025/2026 sports season, totaling (24) goalkeepers. The research sample included the goalkeepers of Al-Dour Youth Sports Club, consisting of (4) goalkeepers, representing (16.666%) of the original population. In light of the results obtained through the pre- and post-tests and according to the exercises used, the researchers reached the following conclusions: The exercises used contributed effectively to the development of motor response speed and some saving skills of the goalkeepers. The use of modern training tools (rebound devices that return balls unpredictably) had a clear role in improving the studied variables. Based on the conclusions, the researchers recommend the following: Adopting the exercises used in this study when training goalkeepers because of their positive effect on physical variables and saving skills.