How Goal Kicks Are Changing Football

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In the summer of 2019 the rules around the Goal Kick were changed, and in doing so revolutionised the way we played football.
Jordan Campbell explains the rules changes, how they have been interpreted, and how they have influenced how we watch football.
Illustrated by Marco Bevilacqua.
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Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
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#Football #Soccer #PremierLeague

[@KunSway]

Man to think that I watched 20 years of keepers straight launching it, and now coaches try to control every second of the game

[@mftmss7086]

you like to be controlled don't you

[@rccrforeverfrrdfortuneshav9823]

@@mftmss7086😮😅what are you talking about???

[@AbduIIahi]

@@mftmss7086😭😭 Freaky ahh

[@Lucaz99]

@@mftmss7086this comment sounds like projection 😅

[@eastvandb]

@@mftmss7086 I think the drunk text to your ex went awry.

[@negsterarchive7911]

I've also seen an uptick in dumb goals being conceded in the box

[@ScrambledEgg-hs2hl]

Yeah, I’m thinking of lockdown Arsenal 😂

[@danielgyila3662]

Also nowadays its much harder to defend against teams if you have a much vulnarable defensive line that have to fight long balls and fast attacking teams. These 2 themes are the ones we've seen the most since the rule change I would say

[@UberVilla]

yeah, it’s a new thing, so i’m a few years when it’s no longer new, there won’t be those dumb goals conceded and it will pretty much only have the upsides. this happens when you try to teach professionals something new, vs teaching the younger generation that new thing, and having them go into the professional scene with that knowledge and skill already in place. it’s just that these things and tactics start being taught to everyone at the same time. so it’s hard for a 35 year old goalkeeper and centerback to learn it and employ it on the biggest stage, and easier for a 14 year old goalkeeper and centerback to learn it and be allowedddd to mess it up while they are learning

[@danielgyila3662]

@@UberVilla I think the number will decrease, but there will be more compared to when they kicked the ball up like they used to, cause its always gonna be more risky and more risk=more blunders even if you are good at it statistically its gonna happen more than 15 years ago and supossedly less than right now

[@emelynnbg]

Exactly what I've been noticing - watch the Premier League highlights since the start of 24/25 season - in almost every match, there's a passing mistake between defenders/goalkeepers who try to play out from the back and most of the time it leads to an easy goal for the opposition.

[@SuperMech]

Very interesting how such a small rule change makes such a big difference in how the game is played. I thought this became popular due to pep, but was unaware of the rule change that caused it.

[@HC-kn2sq]

Playing short became popular before the rule change. It was why the rule was introduced

[@Kickdoeshit]

It's not even about the rule change imo.. there's just no point in always hanging around and always hoping for that second ball.

[@jdawkins111]

it definitely wasn't the rule change that caused it. you should pay closer attention.

[@Geokinkladze]

@@HC-kn2sq The rule change made playing short easier. It's why the number of long goal kicks almost halved after the rule change.

[@HC-kn2sq]

@@Geokinkladze no one is disagreeing with that

[@EMETRL]

In the season before this rule change, Ter Stegen tried to do a short pass to Pique on the side of the box. But the pass was a little short, and the opposing forward pounced on it. Pique, in a moment of absolute genius, stepped up into the box. He got a foot on it while in the box, which wasn't enough to beat the opposing press, but it was enough to force the referee to call an illegal goal kick, robbing the opponent of a 1v1 with a shot on goal.

[@flasto1094]

inwhatgamethishappen?in icantusespacexauseimonmobile

[@flavivsaetivs5738]

And people say Piqué was overrated 😭😭😭😭 still miss him

[@rikcartman3874]

And if pique was still playing now, he could just stand right beside ter stegen at the goal kicks...eliminating any chance for the attacker to intercept

[@Geokinkladze]

"Defender makes tackle" Pass me the tissues.

[@xxcoolblue8100]

​@@flavivsaetivs5738he was good but he overstayes at barca. He made a crucial mistakes in ucl against inter milan

[@aiden3936]

Why is it so weird hearing JJ narrating one of these lol

[@vibepenguin4459]

Don't hate it though tbh

[@wwanimator]

Not used to hearing him talk in a serious/professional tone because he usually is kinda goofy lol

[@therealking6202]

I think it's awesome how the intention of a rule change and the expected behavior is often misjudged. I love seeing the creative way teams will try to exploit the rules.

[@UnbiasedBayernFan]

Its a little funny to think that pretty much every 'new' GK quirk you can think of has been done by Neuer (obv not this until the rule change) for the last 15 years.

[@miracleman8022]

Jorge campos did all that before neur

[@youngmicrowave127]

You forgot about Valdez (Barcalona)

[@Matt-go7ss]

And barthez

[@wudipest]

Rene Higuita: hold my cerveza

[@jorisoims3085]

Van Der Saar to me was the blueprint for Neuer to copy and enhanced.

[@melvinodoom8977]

Glad the Tifo videos are back. Here first

[@shaunhutchinson4707]

No one cares youre 'first'.

[@paulinejackson5861]

Don't think Southampton are doing this very well at the moment

[@thehearingaid]

Problem is now they're up against better players now, who will force errors.

[@efiraiim]

jj bull commentating on here now?

[@kencube86]

Playing short create more opportunities for playing long when the opponent unexpected. Despite known for playing short under Pep, Ederson now have 4 assists, the second most of a goalkeeper in Premier League. Paul Robinson holds the most assists (5) record, but he had played 375 games, 118 games more than Ederson.

[@brucelee7782]

I guess this is also why keepers who can pass are so prioritized over shot stopping, ie de gea let go for onana. Ramsdale for raya etc

[@bighamster2]

And indeed defenders. There's no way you could do this with John Terry, Sol Campbell etc. And they were relatively good on the ball compared to the generations before them who didn't have to deal with the backpass rule.

[@CityPulseSky]

If you watch Brentford you'll see they use Kick Offs as Set Pieces!

[@martini668]

Sometimes it just like obligatory. Even when everyone is blocked and a shirt pass isn't a good idea, they still do it. Just kick it forward

[@martijn_yt]

So if i understand you correctly, what you are saying is that for all practical purposes, the goalkick is now treated equal to the goalie having the ball ;)

[@hungchoonghow5857]

I grew up watching Ray Clemence just whooped the ball up at a goal kick while the Tottenham fans chanted something. I feel like a dinosaur fossil now.

[@mosiulelahiyasin6804]

Make a video on how to beat arsenal corner tactic 🙏

[@martini668]

5 man around Gabriel would do

[@Tehnooblime]

@@martini668 That would open up other tall players in arsenal like havertz, callafiori, and merino.

[@martytu20]

Step 1- Get more tall boys than Arsenal who are just as technically proficient. Step 2- hire a set piece coach Step 3- ????? Step 4- get sacked

[@malefrancis4383]

they are now on youtube trying to stop Arteta's Dark Art🤣🤣🤣

[@bighamster2]

Have a big goalkeeper who can come claim the ball. Spurs and City don't have that, which is why it was so effective.

[@JosephBananas]

It also helps that you still can't be offside from a goal kick. Pushing the opposition defense further back creating that huge space in midfield.

[@danielgyila3662]

You can be offside if you are past halfline

[@jackkeightley5788]

@@danielgyila3662 You can't directly from a goalkick

[@danielgyila3662]

@@jackkeightley5788 like a striker could be next to the keeper and it wouldnt be offside?

[@jackkeightley5788]

@@danielgyila3662 I believe so. I remember Aguero's goal vs Arsenal in the League cup final 2018 counted for this reason

[@danielgyila3662]

@@jackkeightley5788 totally true Ive looked it up, my bad, contrarily if the ball is already in play (I undestand that if the keeper has the ball in his hands its in play), then there is offside. I think thats the part that got me confused. Eveey day we learn!

[@R.MadridMessi-Cr7Barca]

In 2017, we witnessed a fascinating trend in football, a staggering 80% of goal kicks were long, high passes. Fast forward to today, and that figure has crashed to 47% after a key rule change. This shift has allowed teams to embrace a more strategic approach, opting for short passes from goal kicks before launching the ball long. It’s a remarkable evolution, as the previous method was fraught with risk, often inviting pressure from the opposition. Since the 2019/2020 season, we’ve seen teams innovating further by positioning players at the corners of the 6-yard box, a tactic that was relatively rare before. Now, it’s become quite common for center backs to pass to the goalkeeper for a long kick, a strategy effectively employed back then by Conte's Inter against Juventus. Interestingly, I had expected Sarri’s side to adopt this approach against Conte’s team, yet it was Conte’s tactics with Inter that proved to be more effective.

[@brianlatimer4487]

These are the Tito type videos I love from this channel. Also the question game show was great too.

[@mesharikarkari5640]

A rule that gave small teams a chance to score, when big teams want to keep the ball in their half press them get the ball score the goal . Get back to defending 18662836363 minutes

[@Edd1eP_123]

Why are uploads so infrequent now? They used to be every 3-4 days. Now only one video every 2 weeks or so. Also the art style is nowhere near as good as it used to be. A big part of what made Tifo such a good channel previously

[@OnnumMuttaiyum]

There's just nothing good to even mention about. That's the reason why tifo separates itself from other football channels. They finished all the good stories available as of now.

[@RenegadeShepard69]

I agree with the comment above partially. Game's gone. Simple as. Have to wait till some team starts doing something interesting this season. But more or less it's all been the same.

[@DannyWonder]

No way is that rule only 5 years old! Wow, TIFO with the knowledge as per. Feels like teams have been playing out from the back for a decade

[@HonestTom1892]

Wasn’t like this back in my day.

[@frankunodostres473]

this rule change isn't the only reason but I noticed in the last few years that more emphasis is put into "pressing resistance" especially among midfielders and centre backs. I think in a couple of years this will lead to teams either not pressing at all because when everyone is trained to specifically resist the press, it will be less effective. or a completely new approach is discovered

[@itsonlyjoecollins]

Can we see a video about how brentford are using KO as a set piece and scoring within the first minutes seemingly every week?

[@yaelomannetje]

Ooooh that hurts JJ. N.E.C. Nijmegen, not NEG Nijmegen.

[@nathanngumi8467]

Great innovation in techniques!

[@kelseybloom9702]

brilliant video

[@xFurashux]

It feels like a patch to balance the high press. Nice

[@SamJones-11]

Guardiola used to put a player just outside the box

[@darioabbece3948]

To be fair this is basically the resurrection of the old libero role which disappeared in the 90s

[@kingtchala6832]

I detest this latest version of goal kicks. Your having keepers have more touches than midfielders - this can’t be right. Additionally, seeing every single team do it, no matter their skill level, is simply boring. Besides (and I don’t have the figures for this) but isn’t playing out from the back significantly more dangerous than going long?? Going long, you can retain possession and push up if you forward like is able to hold up the ball or a flick on from the centre forward and a player can be in on goal. Playing out from the back simply takes 1 mistake, one wrong or short pass from the keeper or defender and the opposition are in on goal. Not a fan of this restart.

[@mo1ya938]

As they say, the faster you get rid of the ball, the faster it comes back. Going long, you end up with a duel where 2nd balls aren't even guaranteed to be in your favor. Playing out from the back is a routine/skill that can be practiced and improved over time. Playing from the back is a skill you can progressively improve, where your 'dumb goals' are off mistakes that can be coached. Going long you're at the mercy of the 2nd ball randomly falling in your favor. You tell me which one sounds enticing to a dude trying to move up in life.

[@kingtchala6832]

@@mo1ya938 I do hear your point and again, I don’t have statistics to back my opinion. However, I put it to you again - how often do we see a keeper kick the ball long, the opposition win the 50/50 they immediately pass through their opponents and have a shot on goal? Generally that’s not how football works. If the opposition team wins the 50/50, the generally recycle the ball and try and take it from there. Compare this to a team passing out from the back, the keeper/cb/full back misplace 1 pass and there’s a shot on goal. Everyone is playing out from the back now. I think it’ll change and become more varied in the future.

[@Jemwelsh789]

@@mo1ya938I would disagree that playing for 2nd balls is totally luck based. Les Ferdinand for example was considered the top target man of his day, and he would have much greater success in Ariel duels than others. There’s a counter argument that as defenders are spending so much more time concentrating on build up play and not actually defending, that a team could go the opposite way and turn it old school and use a target man, as most aren’t used to dealing with that style anymore It won’t happen because most coaches are scared for their jobs and that style will have arm chair fans calling you an idiot, but I think like the other commentator is saying, there’s frustration in some of us that it seems every team is trying to play the exact same with with playing from back regardless of if they are equipped to do it or not

[@russellkwaramba8433]

Doesnt work well if the press is conservative rather than aggressive, the opposition will still be in position defensively

[@bighamster2]

Then you don't go long and now you have possession from a goal kick for free.

[@russellkwaramba8433]

@@bighamster2 depends on game situation, if you are behind on the scoreline, its useless playing out in your own half, just a waste of time

[@pampa0331]

How do I do this in EA FC 25?

[@zaydzayyad8029]

You can't

[@Martin-88]

Press R1 to call your defenders short.

[@zisolo4283]

Yes, play more from the back like this and good luck conceding unnecessary mistake goals. Not every team or every GK can play like Pep’s style. Joke

[@AlexTommo]

Well that's a very unflattering image of David Raya lmao

[@AholeAtheist]

WOOOOAH! No Rafa Honigstein? I will definitely not be getting a subscription without Rafa Honigstein!

[@dylantopham6146]

Given Estevè only signed for Burnley in the January and Muric only played the last 10 fixtures it’s mad to think they are in the top 5 for defender - goalkeeper goal kicks

[@sergiroca87]

Well Before this rule change in 2008 Guardiola was the 1st manager to play the ball from the goalkeeper in short to a player who was situated just outside the box and start the build up from the back with the goalkeeper as the free man.... so for me it was really Guardiola stlye of football who changed the way is played nowdays the sport.

[@CamelNotation222]

Thanks for this. I was thinking this last week, especially after Chelsea match, why is everyone so insisting in building out from the back, even though it is producing comical goals when the pass from the goalkeeper is intercepted. I remember decades ago it would happen once a season, now I have a feeling every game is see there is at least one critical situation where the pass is intercepted in the first third of the pitch after the goalkick. The other day I was watching some interview with Ancelotti where he explained how he adapted his approach to the resources he had available, how playing out of back was out of the question, that he had to launch the ball up where he had tall striker and good presence in the midfield with good chance he will be able to fight it out for the ball and gain possession.

[@thrombolic]

Southampton actually do it too much & it has cost them 2 goals in 6 games this season 😅

[@eardrumss]

Real footbal are emulating football sim tactics more and more every season.

[@Nonixification]

Can somebody tell Ten Hag stop doing this? United is not ready for this.

[@zenithquestor]

Short answer: I don't know, don't read this, go watch the video

[@vagnurt]

this is stupid... man to man pressure the central atttaskaer a person was there

[@darshilbhagwat906]

Isn't this the voice of the guy from The Athletic?

[@biasseddig9665]

RUSSEL MARTIN MENTIONED 🔴⚪️ HOW TF DO U WIN A GAME

[@cwaddle]

Why don’t the defending teams just sit back and wait for the attacking team to come forward?

[@bighamster2]

Well they can do, but now you've allowed the opposition to get possession from a goalkick with no pressure on them. It's the same reason that teams have always squeezed when the opponent has a throw-in in their defensive third. What you often see teams do is to press, but not man to man, to try and force the opponent long whilst still having an overload at the back. And if the opponent manages to get past the first line of pressure you quickly try to drop into a mid block. It was often like that in the first half of Man City-Arsenal, for example.

[@mayankjha5375]

Great video on how a rule change is changing the tactics

[@BobbyJohnson-n4u]

Change it back, reban back passes to the keeper unless he is out if the box.

[@thehearingaid]

nah only change id like to see is having goalkeepers not allowed to catch the ball.

[@bighamster2]

Why on earth would you do that? This rule makes football more interesting, and teams are able to just boot it long like they used to if they want. The old rule was really arbitrary and served no purpose (like how kickoffs used to have to be kicked forwards)

[@killercaos123]

It’s opened up a whole new lane for teams to pressure and other teams to counter-pressure. It’s great

[@ASPSRMF]

I need joe devine's voice😭

[@guessundheit6494]

Football copied hockey with "pressing" (forechecking, as it's called in hockey) and now football copies hockey again. The NHL and hockey in general changed with the rise of stickhandling goaltenders in the late 1980s. Goalies almost became a third defencemen, creating transition opportunities and breakouts. Many goalies became so good and handling and passing that the NHL started to restrict where goalies were allowed to do it.

[@CarloDRTrafficante]

😂fvtball for u

[@thenamesbarreto]

First? Wow.

[@nabeelmalikofficial5795]

We want tiffo

[@sydneymcewan-gv7bp]

Wrong voice

[@KatrinaKaily]

Great

[@ranndino]

What would really change the game is giving a straight red for cynical fouls that stop the counter attacks. Football would become amazing to watch and become much more high scoring.

[@androidgamingking630]

Teams would become so much more risk averse that most games would end in draw. A lower level team will be much more successful in parking the bus

[@ranndino]

@@androidgamingking630 Absolutely not. All you have to do is look at the NHL when they started calling all the hooking and grabbing. The game totally opened up. Even the type of players the teams started drafting changed. Went away from their obsession with size and started drafting fast, skilled players. That'll be another great side effect of this rule change in football.

[@bighamster2]

Sin bins are more likely to work for that. Red cards ruin football matches, for it would probably be better to change the rules to reduce those, rather than increase them (dangerous behaviour excluded)

[@damonrohan4029]

4:03 "202021"

[@bharatavarsha17000]

Viva Futbol

[@MarceloAlahid-vm3if]

Today coaches controlling on how the match goin on unlike on other era its all about individual performance and no wonder why some creative roles are gone

[@Jayfive276]

3:14 - which coincides with some of the worst ever Germany tournament performances in history. Just boot it.

[@lastjedi6985]

😂 nothing new been playing like this in fifa for years!

[@TMZahida226]

So why not just stop pressing aggressively on GKs and stand off?

[@bighamster2]

Well you can. Teams often do this when they play in a mid/low block. But the trouble is you're now playing passively and the opponent will have >65% possession. Theres pros and cons to everything.

[@ahmeddebrov3379]

Barcelona Started it in 2008/2009 with Pep

[@anosikegideon4142]

I just feel like this rules are made to favor pep guardiola

[@Jayfive276]

But teams keep conceding goals due to short free kicks. Just boot it.

[@bighamster2]

Keep scoring because of it too.

[@kwazilucas]

This narrator speaks a bit fast for some of us. Where is Joe Devine?

[@petesmt]

Football is just boring af to watch now compared to the past. Everything is so robotic and similar and lacking in soul

[@bighamster2]

Compared to when every single team played 442 and every goalkeeper launched every ball long? A quarter of the time it would go all the way to the opposition goalkeeper, who would then boot it all the way back again...

[@zurc_bot]

Pep killed football

[@Billiamwoods]

"Pep did it" is like football's equivalent to people who say the Illuminati is behind everything. Couldn't be that the game is evolving and people realised hoofing the ball is bad, it's all because of one man.

[@mfalme-oy3kq]

Why not Joe Devine narrating? This other guy is boring

[@00dude3]

Joe got fired a while ago

[@nickwilson1645]

What bugs me senseless is when a defender takes the goal kick short to the keeper who then kicks it long… negating the benefit of no offsides from a goal kick

[@bighamster2]

Did you watch the video? The difference is that you're now, because the opposition have pushed up to prevent you going short, you're now often passing it long to a 2v2, rather than something like a 6v4 against you.

[@briangallagher8881]

How goal kicks are ruining football.

[@jl91iii]

Bring back the old rules. Guardiola-ball is a cancer.

[@kwazilucas]

I'm really tired of Guardiola football, it gives me arthritis.

[@NPSee-dv2xr]

Guardiola ball > long-ball hoofing. (Cope, seethe, mald)

[@kwazilucas]

@@NPSee-dv2xr when someone doesn't like Guardiola football it doesn't mean they like long balls and hoofing.

[@jl91iii]

@@NPSee-dv2xr Spoken like someone under the age of 25. Pep ruined the game. It's now a robotic system game with no room for flare players or different styles.

[@Jayfive276]

@@NPSee-dv2xrit should be a rule that peppering a comment with lazy 4chanisms makes your opinion invalid. Sit down and be quiet child.

[@worldwideconspiracyagaintme]

zoned out didnt listen to a word

[@thutata2161]

363 views, 43 likes, 0 dislikes in 5 minutes and 22 seconds, Tifo football has fell off

[@bighamster2]

I cant believe a 6 minute video hadn't been viewed more in the first... 5 minutes...

[@Brazil520]

And it’s making it much much worse*

[@Viewer41]

2:02 Proof that Arteta = Spanish Tony Pulis. 🇪🇸🦕🦕🦕🦕🦕🦕 Long ball and set piece goals. 😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴 HOOOOF!

[@bighamster2]

His side scored 91 goals and averaged around 60% possession last season... Not to mention that Pulis would never imagine passing a goal kick to a goal keeper!

[@tallesmagno201]

UTTER WOKE NONSENSE!

[@Tinywars]

Ruining the game. Football just isn’t football anymore. It’s boring.

[@MartaScotts]

I really appreciate your commitment to excellence! Your videos are always so high quality and interesting.👙🐺🖕