What counts as a "save" by a soccer goalkeeper?

April 10, 2022 11:49 AM

I am trying to tally up my "saves" in a recent pro minor league game I played in. What counts as a "save"? For example, there was a 1v1, I came out to the half-line and slide tackled the opponent before he could shoot it, thus, it's not a save, correct?

Does preventing a goal by stopping a 1v1 situation count as a save?

The NCAA definition is all I could find, and it's still unclear to me

"SECTION 6—GOALKEEPINGArticle 1. A save is awarded to a goalkeeper only if a shot otherwise would have gone into the goal. A goalkeeper can be credited with a save without catching the ball. If the goalkeeper blocks the ball or punches it wide or over the goal, that goal-keeper can be credited with a save, provided the ball would have otherwise gone into the goal. To receive a save, the play must be a shot on goal. A goalkeeper cannot receive credit for a save on a cross. (See exception in Section 3, Article 2"

posted by maxexam to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)

Keepers Rule! But, I don't think so. Once you are outside of the box, you are now just a player. I play indoor, and we aren't allowed to slide tackle, but I can do so in my box. So I think there has to be an actual shot, with you being in your box. Not sure if you go down in your box and break up the shot. Probably would depend on if you totally prevented the shot, versus some ambiguous take out with it unclear as to whether the offensive player actually tried to shoot before you took them out.

Keep on Keeping on!
posted by Windopaene at 11:58 AM on April 10, 2022

Your excerpt states "To receive a save, the play must be a shot on goal. " (bolding mine) So we need to look up the definition of a "shot on goal". NCAA seems to define it as such:

A shot on goal is a shot that is on net. The results of a shot on goal must be either a save by the goalkeeper or defending team or a goal by the attacking team. A shot that hits the post or crossbar without being deflected by a goalkeeper or defender and does not cross the goal line is not a shot on goal.

So by my read, the only way you can have a Save is if the opposing player had taken a Shot, and that shot would have gone into the net had you not touched the ball in some way. The total number of Saves (by all players on your team) and Goals (against your team) must exactly equal the Shots on Goal (by the other team). Under that definition, since (presumably) the player still had the ball at the time of the slide tackle, then there wouldn't be a Shot, much less a Shot on Goal, and therefore it can't be credited as a Save.
posted by yuwtze at 12:20 PM on April 10, 2022

This is the definition of “save” used by Opta, which is the dominant stats provider for professional football in Europe:

“A goalkeeper preventing the ball from entering the goal by with any part of his body when facing an intentional attempt from an opposition player.”
posted by caek at 12:37 PM on April 10, 2022

For me, it's when a goal keeper stops a shot that would have otherwise gone in the goal if he hadn't used part of his body to stop it.

A shot, of course, is made by the opposing team.

I don't think stopping an own goal counts as a save does it?
posted by MiG at 12:55 PM on April 10, 2022

I don't think stopping an own goal counts as a save does it?

Following the logic above, if a player makes a shot on goal on their own goal and it’s saved, I don’t see why not, except it would rarely happen in practice because players don’t usually go around making shots on goal on their own goal.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 2:09 PM on April 10, 2022

I thought you needed an actual "shot on goal" for a save, so missed shots don't really count, even if you went way out of the box to stop one.

...players don’t usually go around making shots on goal on their own goal

Ostensibly not, but as someone who doesn't watch all that much footie, the vast majority of own goals I've seen result from an errant pass to the GK.

#gksunite
posted by Sphinx at 2:20 PM on April 10, 2022

It is pretty much the same for hockey. Think if it this way, it is a shot on goal if in fact it was a shot on goal. If it is kicked wide of the goal, no shot on goal. If it is kicked over the goal, no shot on goal. If the keeper comes out and makes a slide tackle, no shot on goal. Only if an opposing team player kicks the ball such that if there were no goalie in net, the ball would go in the net. If a goalie breaks up a corner kick that was not hooking into the goal, it is no shot on goal. I am pretty sure, but not certain, that stopping a kick from a teammate is considered a pass not a shot on goal.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 3:41 PM on April 10, 2022

You tackled the player and there was no shot on goal to save. Solid defensive work in the tackle, but be careful you're not the last player before goal which in UK/European refereeing practice will have a bad tackle earn you a red card. That's to say that enough competitive players have done 'whatever it takes' to stop a goal, including fouling the attacking player.
posted by k3ninho at 11:46 PM on April 10, 2022

Ostensibly not, but as someone who doesn't watch all that much footie, the vast majority of own goals I've seen result from an errant pass to the GK.


The other easy way of scoring an own goal is to head the ball in the 6yd box, attempting to eg head it over the bar, but instead putting it in the back of the net. If the keeper saves a shot like that, then I would probably count it as a save - the difficulty is the same as a header from the opposition - but I don't know whether the official stats would.
posted by plonkee at 8:54 AM on April 11, 2022