Why do goalkeepers dive the wrong way?

[Nick Bateman]

It's a rhetorical question really but I agree with "Big Ron" who said you will save more penalties if one waited for them.  Far too often I see top-quality keepers diving out of the way almost as is they believe it's a lottery.

Penalties is not a lottery!  One can practise as Harry Kane obviously has, and the goalkeepers can work out their tactics. 

They say keepers should study which way a likely penalty taker normally goes - I feel this is baloney.

If one goes where the ball goes one has far more chance of saving a shot and therefore also a penalty.  It seems they decide to goal-keep differently on penalties.

Bad news for England but the Croats do not strike anyone with worry.

[nose returns]

I do not know if this is true but it seems to me less penalties are scored now than in years gone by.
Less players blast and hence the goalkeeper has more  chance.

If you aim top corner or at least high and wide and blast then the goalkeeper will not get it. If you practice then you will get 90+% success....

This if course does not apply to berba who was a genius or blake who just knew how to score penalties.

As for the goalkeepers, beasant was interesting on the subject, he was a brilliant penalty saver.  He said the hardest ones to play against were players taking a longer run up on a diagonal. he said a straight run up was easiest, and of course doing homwrk on the taker.

Greaves said when taking a penalty,when everyone was sttled, put the ball on the spot, turn round and do not ever look at the keeper, make up your mind on the walk away where you are going to put it and never change your mind, especially on the run up.

[SWSixer]

Yes, some of the penalties in the Croatia v Denmark game were really quite ordinary.

I'm not sure if players are trying to second guess the keepers movements. I tend to agree with Nose. Pick your spot and hit it firmly.... and don't change your mind!

[Holders]

They dive early because they think that's the only way they'll get to the (50%) bottom corner on time, by which time the penalty-taker has seen which way they've gone, and put it the other side. Thus, they've dived the "wrong way". If they waited they still wouldn't get to the best kicks but I reckon they'd get more of the poor ones.   

[RoyTund]

Thought both keepers were impressive in the Denmark Croatia shootout.

[grandad]

I thought keepers had to stand on the line & keep their feet planted until the ball was struck. So many of them now jump up & down & advance a yard before the kick is taken. I also feel that the taker should not be allowed to stutter his run up.

[Nero]

I thought keepers had to stand on the line & keep their feet planted until the ball was struck. So many of them now jump up & down & advance a yard before the kick is . I also feel that the taker should not be allowed to stutter his run up.

They changed the rules a few years ago the keeper can move along the line and the penalty taker cant stop he can slow down(stutter) but not come to a complete halt

[Syd Cupp]

This is a good article and starts off with our very own Betts.

As a kid I remember Paul Cooper who was a goalkeeping hero of mine saving the most pens in a season.

Its a good read though hope you like...
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/9-footballs-best-penalty-saving-goalkeepers

[cookieg]

There are a few pointers goalkeepers can look for to try and help them. Obviously if the taker is left footed or right footed, the angle of the run up, which direction the planted foot is pointing and a bit of luck!!

[Carborundum]

This is a good article and starts off with our very own Betts.

As a kid I remember Paul Cooper who was a goalkeeping hero of mine saving the most pens in a season.

Its a good read though hope you like...
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/9-footballs-best-penalty-saving-goalkeepers

Me too.  He went to the same school as me.  Whilst we weren't contemporaries, I got his hand-me-down geometry textbook (temporary owners had to write their names on the inside cover).  Sadly I didn't show his aptitude for dealing with the angles that matter most.

[filham]

A clever ploy against us the other season was for the keeper to stand well towards one side of the goal forcing the penalty taker to kick towards the open side. Of course the keeper new which way the kick was going and was able to move in the right direction well before contact was made.

Surprised the tactic has not been repeated.

[gang]

I thought keepers had to stand on the line & keep their feet planted until the ball was struck. So many of them now jump up & down & advance a yard before the kick is . I also feel that the taker should not be allowed to stutter his run up.

.

They changed the rules a few years ago the keeper can move along the line and the penalty taker cant stop he can slow down(stutter) but not come to a complete halt

True but although they can move about along the line, I have noticed that they often move forward before they dive, this is still against the rules.

[Whitesideup]

I thought keepers had to stand on the line & keep their feet planted until the ball was struck. So many of them now jump up & down & advance a yard before the kick is taken. I also feel that the taker should not be allowed to stutter his run up.

Agree entirely, but then the "not moving off the line" should be enforced - should not be a problem with a linesman on the line. I believe recently in an U17 tournament the English keeper was sent off for doing this in a penalty shoot-out, and an outfield player had to take his place in goal

[cmg]

Agree entirely, but then the "not moving off the line" should be enforced - should not be a problem with a linesman on the line. I believe recently in an U17 tournament the English keeper was sent off for doing this in a penalty shoot-out, and an outfield player had to take his place in goal

...Irish keeper actually. He got a yellow for moving off his line, it was his second one so off he went.
The English u17 keeper is Taye Ashby-Hammond who was training with the 1st team today. He scores penalties. Although, unfortunately, he didn't save any in the recent match v Germany.

[F(f)CUK]

I remember Peter Shilton standing his ground and being beaten by the German penalty takers. He did not save any.

[General]

To be honest the thing that suprises me the most when it comes to penalties is the fact the goalkeepers always stand on their line or try and come off their line before a kick is taken.

Surely it makes more sense to stand a bit off the line and further into the goal itself to give you more time to react?

[Woolly Mammoth]

The penalty taker is always in the driving seat. If he places the ball high in the top corner, or down low in the bottom corner at pace. The keeper has no chance. If the penalty taker has the coolness and confidence and ability to wait for the keeper to make the first move, then place the ball where the keeper previous was, it's a goal.
On the other hand, the keeper has nothing to lose, the pressure is all on the penalty taker.
We often see the frozen look on some players faces as they step up to take a spot kick, and our instinct tells us that there is a likelihood he will miss.
Its pure drama and theatre, try to imagine what's its like to take a penalty in front of thousands at the ground, and millions on the TV.
But some keepers are better at saving penalties than others, but the human factor will generally determine if a penalty is scored or not.

[toshes mate]

The goalkeeper can only really influence the kick taker if the latter is not brimful of confidence.  Penalties are scored by players who just know that ninety percent plus of the time they'll hit the target and the goalkeeper will not even have a chance of saving it. 

[Syd Cupp]

I think that in today's modern game where the penalty taker runs up and stats to stutter his run (something that is wrong IMO),
This causes the keeper to start making a dive as hes not anticipating the taker to do so.

Is it clever tactics and trickery by the taker or plain gamesmanship.?

[mccscratch]

This has been maddening the entire tournament... on both sides.

Kickers... stop stuttering or trying to outsmart the Gk... put the ball very low and 1 ft from the post or high and hard into the left or right quadrant. The worst pens are ones at a reachable height. Andy Brehme rolled the ball inches from the corner to win a World Cup in 90' and it was untouchable.

Keepers... STOP GUESSING... Especially in spots kicks to decide the winner. These guys are dog tired make them beat you with a great penalty and easily parry away the crap ones.