Why do goalkeepers always kick the ball long?
Question
In football, why do goalkeepers kick the ball downfield, seeing it always goes to the other team? Why don't they do the short pass and give the ball to their own team?
Ben, Woodford
Answer
** Definitive **
Name: Karen, Mortimer
Qualification: I'm a qualified football coach (and yes, James, a woman!)
Answer: It's common sense. Why would you want to keep the ball in your own half and put yourself under pressure, rather than belting it further up the field, towards the goal you're trying to score in. It's not true that you're giving the ball to someone else. One of your players has the chance to win the ball from the goal kick. Territory is worth more than possession - it's probability.