The goalie’s knee: protecting himself or endangering opponents
Bending the knee forward as a goalie when coming out of the goal is a very common technique.
A special football website for coaches says: “When retrieving balls in the air, it is a good idea for the goalie to jump with one knee pulled up in front of him. This discourages players from running into him and protects the goalie simultaneously.”
And a website for goalie describes the technique of grabbing a ball out of the air as goalkeeper: “The whole body should now be turned and facing the flight of the ball. Leg facing the field of play is bent and held at a 90′ angle. When the leg is bent and held this way it prevents opponents from getting in and jostling the arms and hands.”
You might think: why questioning this technique? The video below shows why. A referee comes forward with his knee and it smashes an opponent in the face. That guy swallowed his tongue and almost choked – luckily one of the opponents could get it out of his throat.
How would you deal in this situation? Is the goalie making an offence? Please comment!
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