What actions allow a goalkeeper to increase his probability of saving penalties according to science?

One of the most appreciated characteristics for a goalkeeper is his ability to save penalties. This ability has led teams to win World Cups and clubs to win continental competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.

Geir Jordet, a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, is a researcher who has spent several years of his life studying the on-field behaviors that drive performance in soccer matches. This has led him to investigate everything about football, including the penalty kick..

In September 2021, Jordet published a twitter thread in which he listed five techniques that goalkeepers use to prevent players from hitting the target when shooting at the goal at the eleven-meter point.

1. Visual distraction technique

The first technique is eye distraction, described by the expert as the tendency of goalkeepers to get involved in “erratic movements to disturb the shooter’s field of vision, attract attention and create disorder”. According to a study, players are 10% less likely to score when faced with a distraction.

This distraction can take a number of forms, such as goalkeepers wobbling their legs, jumping continuously, walking around the area before the penalty is taken, or turning on their backs. “The key is to be asymmetric or unpredictable,” says Jordet.

An example of this was what José Francisco Cevallos did during the penalty shootout of the 2008 Copa Libertadores final between Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito and Fluminense. Before each penalty kicked by the Flo players, Cevallos got down on his knees and on his back. Cevallos would end up saving three shots, thus helping Liga win its first international tournament.

2. Physical confrontation technique

The physical confrontation used by goalkeepers consists of approaching the kicker moments before he executes the penalty. “It’s direct, it’s meant to intimidate and it’s hard to ignore”Jordan says. It can be emotionally destabilizing and cognitively distracting.

Diego Alves, known for his ability to save penalties, has used this technique. The Brazilian goalkeeper, remembered in Spanish football for covering this type of shot at Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, confronted Antoine Griezmann in a match between Atlético Madrid and Valencia in 2016. He stood in front of him for several seconds at the penalty spot, moving his arms, until the referee told him to return to his goal. Moments later, he stopped the penalty.

3. Verbal confrontation

Some archers resort to words to distract their rivals. Through taunts, challenges or insults, they try to intimidate the penalty shooter. That is what Emiliano Martínez, goalkeeper of Argentina, did during the penalty shootout against Colombia for the semifinal of the Copa América 2021.

When Yerry Mina was about to shoot, Martínez began his strategy: “Look, the ball is a little ahead, eh; the ball is ahead, huh,” he said. Mina replied that “no, he is in the white point”, and immediately the goalkeeper replied: “Yes, yes, play dumb, I already know you. You like to play the canchero. Yes look. She looks that if you cross me, I’ll cut it for you, huh. Look how I eat you, brother! Look how I eat you, brother!”. Martinez dove to the left of him, thus stopping the penalty.

4. Delay Technique

“A more subtle and indirect technique (to make the opponent miss a penalty) is to simply take some time to prepare,” says Jordet. According to a study carried out by him, if the shooter is forced to wait for the referee’s signal (because the goalkeeper is late), the chance of scoring is reduced by 20-30%.

Edwin Van der Sar thus delayed his rivals in such instances. In the 2007 Community Shield final, Manchester United drew 1-1 against Chelsea, so the champion had to be decided on penalties. Every time it was Chelsea’s turn, Van der Sar would walk slowly towards the goal, thus forcing the shooter to wait for him and to “marine in his anxiety”.describes Jordet in an interview with The Telegraph.

Van der Sar saved the first three penalties, and Manchester scored them all, thus leaving a score of 3-0.

5. Social manipulation technique

“A truly Machiavellian stratagem”, says the researcher when referring to this technique. In this case, the goalkeeper does not address directly the player who will take the shot, but rather his teammates. Emiliano Martínez, serving as goalkeeper for Aston Villa in the Premier League, used this strategy against Manchester United this season, in a game that his team was winning 1-0 until the 90th minute, when the Red Devils got a penal.

Seeing that Bruno Fernandes was aiming to collect the foul, Martínez approached and pointed at Cristiano Ronaldo saying that he, as a United star player, should collect the penalty. Fernandes executed it anyway, but sent the ball over the crossbar, and Martinez immediately celebrated with a dance.