Can a goalkeeper use their hands anywhere?

No. Only inside their own penalty area. Outside it, the goalkeeper follows the same rules as every other player.

Can a goalkeeper pick up a back pass?

Not if a teammate kicked it to them on purpose, and not straight from a teammate’s throw-in. The keeper has to play those with the feet. A header or a chest pass back may be picked up.

Why does the goalkeeper wear a different color?

So the referee and the players can tell who is allowed to handle the ball. The Laws of the Game say the keeper’s colors must be different from the other players and the officials.

Should young children play goalkeeper all the time?

Most coaches rotate the job at young ages. Every keeper needs good feet, and every outfield player learns from a turn in goal.

Goalkeeper in soccer

The goalkeeper is the one soccer player who may use their hands, and the job is to keep the ball out of the goal and to start the team’s attacks.

It suits brave players who talk a lot, stay calm after a mistake and like to see the whole field in front of them.

Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.

Where the goalkeeper stands

Diagram of the goalkeeper position in a 4-3-3 formation on a 11v11 soccer field, seen from above, with 11 players attacking up the picture. Goalkeeper: GK (1). Defenders: LB (3), LCB (5), RCB (4) and RB (2). Midfielders: LCM (8), DM (6) and RCM (10). Forwards: LW (11), ST (9) and RW (7). The goalkeeper is marked in gold. Open this diagram as a picture.

In front of their own goal, inside the penalty area. The keeper steps forward when the ball is far away, to be a passing option behind the defenders, and moves back toward the goal line when a shot may come.

With the ball

Starts the attack. Looks for a safe pass, roll or throw to a nearby teammate.
Is the spare player behind the defenders. When a defender is pressed, a pass back to the keeper lets the team start again.
Chooses a longer pass only when the space and the pressure make it the better option.

Without the ball

Stops shots with the hands, the feet or any part of the body.
Comes out to catch or punch crosses, and to reach a through ball before the attacker.
Organises the defenders. The keeper can see everything, so the keeper tells teammates who to mark.

Three habits to practise

Set your feet before the shot
Stand on the balls of your feet, hands ready, a moment before the player shoots. A keeper who is still moving cannot dive well.
Catch, then look
After every catch, lift your head and find a free teammate. A fast, safe pass starts an attack.
Play with your feet
Join passing games with your team. A ball that a teammate deliberately kicks back to the keeper must be played with the feet, not picked up.

Shirt number: 1

The goalkeeper is number 1 in the old 1 to 11 system. The numbers are a coaching custom from the days when starters wore 1 to 11. Players today can wear any number.

In 7v7, 9v9 and futsal

In 7v7 under the U.S. Soccer standards the keeper does not punt or drop-kick. The keeper rolls, throws or passes, and the other team waits behind the build-out line. In futsal the keeper is one of only five players, so the keeper often acts as an extra passer.

Formations with a goalkeeper

Questions about the goalkeeper

Can a goalkeeper use their hands anywhere?
No. Only inside their own penalty area. Outside it, the goalkeeper follows the same rules as every other player.
Can a goalkeeper pick up a back pass?
Not if a teammate kicked it to them on purpose, and not straight from a teammate’s throw-in. The keeper has to play those with the feet. A header or a chest pass back may be picked up.
Why does the goalkeeper wear a different color?
So the referee and the players can tell who is allowed to handle the ball. The Laws of the Game say the keeper’s colors must be different from the other players and the officials.
Should young children play goalkeeper all the time?
Most coaches rotate the job at young ages. Every keeper needs good feet, and every outfield player learns from a turn in goal.

Lessons for this position

Player cards

Goalkeepers in the Futbol Island card binder.

Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.

Play it on the island