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Goalkeepers are different from outfield players, in many respects. The position is prone, more than any other, to attracting players with the odd loose screw: Bruce Grobelaar’s “spaghetti legs”; Sepp Maier hunting a duck during a game; Bert Trautmann playing on with a broken neck… there is a long list of madness before even considering Latin America and the likes of ‘El Scorpion’ Rene Higuita. Why would somebody choose to be a goalkeeper? Stuck in the 18 yard box all game, deprived of the ability to take people on and score, diving in the mud in the first minute and shivering in the cold for the following 89…? To re-state the obvious: the goalkeeping position, as it exists today, is distinct from other playing positions on the field in a number of respects. For instance only the goalkeeper may handle the ball while it is in play, the goalkeeper has a distinctive kit which differentiates his position from others, and in general the goalkeeper is regarded as the very last line of defence, so it is rare to find a goalkeeper venturing into attacking positions (though there are occasional exceptions). Such differences often attract those who want to be a bit different… The nature of the goalkeeping position – both in terms of the laws of goalkeeping and goalkeeping technique – has slowly evolved and developed over one and a half centuries with the game of football itself. Furthermore, it continues to change – it was not long ago that goalkeepers could pick up passes from their defenders – and the techniques goalkeepers use to defend their goals change too. |
The origins of the madness
The origins of football goalkeeping as we know it today should probably be traced back to the 1870s. The Football Association was established in 1863 with the aim of establishing a unifying code and set of rules for football; prior to this date, specific rules varied greatly depending upon location and the institution within which the game was taking place (commonly public schools, universities or local football clubs). At a meeting in November of the same year, a draft of 23 rules was drawn up based on the amalgamation of different rules from the varieties of football being played. As remains the case today, the rules were constantly being contested and modified (initially there was a great deal of debate regarding whether ‘hacking’ should be allowed) and these changes became crucial over the following decade. A change to the rules in 1872 stated that no player on the field may handle the ball, with the exception of the goalkeeper. This clearly demarcated the goalkeeper from the other players on the field and thus the goalkeeping position was born. |
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Changes continued over the following years. In 1882 the FA ruled that it was compulsory for all clubs to provide crossbars between the posts (tape being formerly used) and nets became compulsory ten years later, the idea being that these rules would reduce disputes. However goalkeeping in the 19th century was still very different from the rules of the position today. Though ‘hacking’ was eventually banned in the 1870s, shoulder charging remained legal and indeed was an important part of the game, particularly against goalkeepers: until 1894 if a goalkeeper caught the ball it was legal for the attackers to barge him over the goal line - a far cry from the “car-alarm” system of goalkeeper protection enforced by referees in the professional game today. Naturally, back in the 1890s punching was often a more popular option than catching. With the introduction of the rule of 1894, goalkeepers could only be charged when playing the ball or obstructing an opponent. This by no means eliminated charging altogether though: Manchester United’s Ray Wood was famously shoulder-charged – legally - by Villa’s Peter McParland in the 1957 FA Cup final, leaving him unconscious and with a broken jaw. |
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Rules on handling were also originally very different. Though goalkeepers could not carry the ball, they could handle and catch it anywhere inside their own half – a very useful skill – hence it was less uncommon for goalkeepers to be involved with more attacking play. This came to an end in 1912, when the FA ruled that goalkeepers’ handling of the ball would be restricted to within the penalty area. Since this ruling in 1912, changes to the rules of what a goalkeeper may or may not do have tended to be small. Aside from the change to the Back-pass Rule in 1992, which stated that a goalkeeper cannot handle a ball intentionally passed or thrown back to him by a team mate, other more subtle changes have taken place. For instance, officials tend to take a protective attitude to goalkeepers when making decisions, particularly when a goalkeeper and attacker are challenging for the same ball. Certainly goalkeepers are far better protected against opposition players than at the turn of the century. |
| Technique, tactics, technology: changes and pioneers Aside from developments in terms of what a goalkeeper legally can and cannot do, a great deal has developed in terms of goalkeeper techniques and tactics. In the early 20th century goalkeepers tended to play with limited mobility, but throughout the course of the century many goalkeepers pioneered a more active style of play. Goalkeepers such as the great Rogerio of Brazil – the world record holder for goals scored by a keeper – and Amedo Carrizo, Rene Higuita, Jose Chilavert and Jorge Campos developed more attacking techniques, and were capable of using their feet as well as many outfield players (Jorge Campos scored 35 goals in his career, and Chilavert 62). The goalkeeper’s ability to control the ball and to use his feet has become increasingly important in the modern game, particularly since the introduction of the amended Back-pass Rule. |
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The 20th century also saw a key development to goalkeeping technique – the use of goalkeeper gloves. An essential part of any goalkeeper’s kit today, goalkeeper gloves are designed to increase the goalkeeper’s ability to catch the ball and to protect his hands. However, it was rare to see goalkeepers wear gloves prior to the 1960s unless weather conditions were particularly poor, when they were worn for warmth more than anything else. It was only really into the 1980s that the use of gloves designed for grip became more popular, particularly among professional players. The 1980s and 1990s saw the further development of gloves, with the development of a variety of latex foams to cater for a variety of weather conditions and ball surfaces, increased diversity of glove cuts and a proliferation of detailed options for goalkeepers concerning things such as palm thickness and materials. Recent years have seen the huge growth in popularity of gloves offering finger protection against hyperextension of the fingers. Very recent developments have seen goalkeepers begin to use other forms of kit to improve performance, particularly thermal regulating tops and shorts worn underneath the team kit. Increasingly developing technology and pioneering new players mean that the idea of ‘goalkeeping’ is never static, but rather something that is always changing and evolving as goalkeepers attempt to find the best way to protect their goal. |
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