The goalkeeper as playmaker: how the position changed

Goalkeepers used to keep goal. At most clubs today they are also the starting point of attacking play - and that is not a fashion, it is a rule.

The back-pass ban

Defenders once passed back freely for the goalkeeper to pick up. This encouraged time-wasting and made the closing stages dull. When the practice was outlawed, goalkeepers suddenly had to solve situations with their feet, which changed the demands of the position fundamentally.

What is expected today

Short and long passing, composure under pressure, good positioning behind the defence and well-timed one-on-one interventions. At teams defending high, the goalkeeper effectively acts as a sweeper outside his box.

What should not be forgotten

The foundation of the position is still shot-stopping. A superb passer is of little use if he errs between the posts, which is why post-shot expected goals is measured separately: it compares how many goals a keeper should have conceded, given the quality of the shots, with how many he actually did.

Penalties are different too

The goalkeeper must keep at least one foot on the goal line at the moment the penalty is struck. Since the arrival of video review this detail is enforced far more strictly, making legal but deceptive movement a technique in its own right.