Why Is One Player on a Soccer Team Dressed Differently?

Soccer--officially known internationally as association football--is played with two teams consisting of eleven players a side. While ten of the players wear a matching uniform, the eleventh player, known as the goalkeeper, must wear a different color jersey. The goalkeeper has different responsibilities than the other field players, as his off colored uniform makes him easily identifiable during games.

  1. Goalkeeper Uniform and Equipment

    • The goalkeeper uniform consists of a long-sleeve jersey, gloves, shorts, socks, shin guards and cleats. The jersey is a different color than the other teammates, allowing him to be spotted and identified during critical moments of a match. The jersey is often padded, unlike a field player's jerseys, as the goalkeeper often has to slide, punch out and fall awkwardly while keeping the ball from entering his goal.

    Role of the Goalkeeper

    • The goalkeeper's duty on the soccer pitch is to prevent the other team from scoring in his goal at all costs. The goalie spends almost the entire game inside the penalty area, an 18-yard box surrounding the goal. While inside his own penalty area, the goalie can use his hands to stop the ball.

    Visibility

    • It is extremely important for field players to see the different colored shirt and to recognize the goalkeeper at all times. For an attacking player, identifying the goalkeeper affects the way you would handle the ball on a breakaway. Knowing the goalkeeper can use hands inside the area, it is more effective to shoot early or to dribble extremely wide, due to the expanded reach of the goalie. On a breakaway against a field player (defender), you can hold the ball longer and dribble more tightly, as the defender cannot use his hands and is easier to get past.

    Safety

    • Being able to recognize the goalie also contributes to the safety of a soccer game. For example, when the ball is played in the air, the goalkeeper often reaches his arms upward and punches it away with his closed fists. A team mate or opposing team player in close proximity, spotting the different colored shirt of the goal keeper, usually will not attempt to head the ball, knowing that the keeper's reach is too great. This reduces collisions and players getting punched in the face by a keeper desperate to clear the ball.