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Football · Level 8: Expert · Sub-level 8.88

Goalkeeper Analytics

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

How goalkeepers are measured: save percentage, post-shot xG and goals prevented, crosses, sweeping, distribution, penalties, clean sheets, records, saves by shot type and scouting keepers with data.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1Save percentage and its limitsTake a test

  1. Only shots on target can be saved, so they are the denominator.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. League averages usually sit around seven saves for every ten shots on target.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  3. A tame shot at his chest and a volley into the corner each count as one shot on target.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. When the defence stops the easy shots, the ones that get through are often clear chances.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. A blocked shot never tested the keeper, so it is not part of his record.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  6. With perhaps a hundred or so shots on target a season, a handful of saves moves the percentage a lot.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Weighting each shot by its difficulty separates a keeper who faces easy shots from one who faces hard ones.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. The nearer the shot to the corners and the closer the range, the fewer are saved.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. The figure only uses shots that reached the target and could be saved.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. 75% against 68% means little if A faced easy shots and B faced hard ones; shot difficulty has to be taken into account.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 2Post-shot xG and goals preventedTake a test

  1. PSxG is measured after the strike, using where the ball was heading on goal, which is what the keeper faces.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. If the shots he faced were worth more than the goals he let in, he prevented goals.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  3. 40 expected minus 32 conceded leaves eight goals he kept out beyond what the shots were worth.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. A keeper's job starts with the shots heading for his goal, so those are the ones his performance is judged on.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. Conceding more goals than the PSxG of the shots faced points to below-par shot-stopping.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  6. A keeper behind a weak defence faces many more shots, so a rate puts him level with a busier or quieter rival.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. A few freak saves or deflections move the total, so analysts prefer several seasons.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. The total PSxG is what an average keeper would have conceded; the difference is his contribution.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. Placement away from the keeper and a short distance both raise the chance a shot on target goes in.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. A shot placed high in the corner is the hardest to reach, so its post-shot value is the highest.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 3Crosses stoppedTake a test

  1. It divides the crosses he caught or punched by all the crosses into his penalty area.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. When the middle is packed, attackers go wide and deliver into the box, which the keeper must deal with.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  3. Tall, well-organised defenders take many crosses before the keeper needs to act.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. A punch often lands near attackers for a second ball; a catch stops the danger and starts his team's play.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. Standing slightly off his line gives him the distance to attack crosses into the six-yard box in time.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  6. A cross to the penalty spot is a defender's ball; one into the six-yard box is the goalkeeper's.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Reading the flight, choosing when to come and holding on under pressure matter as much as reach.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. Setting his position early and calling loudly let him attack the ball before anyone else.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. Keepers dominate the six-yard box, sometimes reach the spot and rarely go as far as the edge.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. Claiming a cross into his box counts towards his crosses stopped, not as a save, since no shot was taken.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 4Sweeper actionsTake a test

  1. It counts the times he comes out beyond his area to deal with the ball, the core of sweeping.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. A higher figure means he meets the ball further from his goal, a sign of an aggressive sweeper.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  3. With the defence near halfway, balls over the top land in the gap between the line and the goal.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. Coming out is only safe if he reaches the ball first; if not, the striker faces an open net.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. Outside the penalty area a goalkeeper has no more right to handle than an outfield player.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 12 · recall

  6. A keeper behind a deep line has little to sweep; the same numbers behind a high line mean much more.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Every metre forward shortens the run to a through ball, though it leaves more of the goal to recover.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. The early read decides everything; the sprint and clearance follow from it.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. The higher the defensive line, the larger the area between it and the goal that the keeper protects.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. Clearing the ball beyond his penalty area is exactly the sweeper action counted in #OPA.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 5Distribution numbersTake a test

  1. Launched passes are the long ones; the percentage shows how often he goes long.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. Keepers are now expected to pass to centre-backs and midfielders rather than kick long by default.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  3. Short averages come from teams that play out; long averages from teams that go direct.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. Simple passes to an unmarked centre-back almost always arrive, but they do not move the team forward.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. The coach often decides whether goal kicks go short or long, so they say more about the plan than the keeper.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  6. Opponents press the keeper to force errors, so his calm under pressure matters for a team that plays out.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Catching a cross and throwing at once can release a runner before the opponent recovers.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. The pass inside the box covers a few metres, a throw to the flank more, and a long goal kick most.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. The speed of the release decides whether the opponent has time to get back.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. B sends 62% of his passes over 40 yards, against 15% for A, which is the mark of a team that goes long.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 6Penalties and the goalkeeperTake a test

  1. Around 75-80% of penalties go in; the rest are saved or miss the target.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. A keeper may face five or six penalties a season, far too few to tell skill from luck.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  3. Krul saved from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umaña, and the Netherlands beat Costa Rica 4-3 on penalties.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  4. Martínez saved from Kingsley Coman, Aurélien Tchouaméni missed, and Argentina won the shoot-out 4-2.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  5. Records of where takers usually shoot, and how they approach the ball, give the keeper tendencies to work with.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  6. One penalty is worth about three-quarters of a goal, so a couple of them can outweigh a whole run of open-play saves.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Van Gaal's Krul change in 2014 is the best-known example: the fresh keeper's presence was part of the plan.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. The change was made in the 120th minute, and Krul's two saves decided the tie.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  9. Most penalties are scored; saves are the next most common outcome, and kicks off the post or bar are rarer.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. Cillessen started the match; Krul came on for the shoot-out against Costa Rica and saved two kicks.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

Test 7Clean sheets as a statisticTake a test

  1. A clean sheet is a match with no goals against, credited to the goalkeeper who played it.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · recall

  2. The Golden Glove, awarded since 2004-05, rewards the season's clean-sheet leader.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  3. A strong defence that allows few shots can give an average keeper many clean sheets.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. Čech kept most of them for Chelsea and added more with Arsenal before retiring in 2019.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  5. Čech's 24 clean sheets came in Chelsea's 38-match title season under José Mourinho.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  6. Behind a weak defence he may make many hard saves, which a clean-sheet count never rewards.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Comparing goals conceded with the quality of shots faced separates the keeper's work from the defence's.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. Clean sheets follow team strength: the better the side, the fewer chances its keeper faces.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. The clean-sheet count is a starting point; shot quality and time show what the keeper himself contributed.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. Twice as many clean sheets says a lot about the team; shot quality and goals prevented say more about the keeper.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 8Goalkeeping recordsTake a test

  1. Yashin, of Dynamo Moscow and the Soviet Union, won it in 1963.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  2. The Yashin Trophy was first presented in 2019 to Liverpool's Alisson.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  3. Kahn won the Golden Ball in 2002 even though Germany lost the final 2-0 to Brazil.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  4. Buffon's run for Juventus beat Sebastiano Rossi's 929 minutes for Milan from 1994.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  5. Zoff's run lasted from 1972 until Haiti scored against Italy at the 1974 World Cup.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  6. Zenga went 517 minutes without conceding until Claudio Caniggia's header in the semi-final.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  7. Buffon passed Paolo Maldini's total in 2020 and finished with 657 Serie A matches.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  8. Yashin's award came in 1963, Kahn's in 2002 and Alisson's in 2019.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  9. Zenga managed 517 minutes, Rossi 929 and Zoff 1,142.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

  10. Buffon's 974 minutes for Juventus in 2016 broke Rossi's Serie A record of 929.

    Source: Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA) · recall

Test 9Saves by shot typeTake a test

  1. Reflexes at close range, handling from distance and one-on-ones call on different abilities.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  2. Shots from outside the box travel far and are often central, so keepers save most of them.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  3. With no defender to help, the shooter has time and angle, and the keeper can only narrow it.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. A keeper sets himself for the original line, and a late touch leaves him wrong-footed.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. Headers are usually from close in and change direction quickly, so they test reflexes more than positioning.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  6. Splitting by type can reveal a strength, such as coming out quickly, that the overall figure hides.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. Whether he was set, how far off his line and how he moved show why the save was or was not made.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. The closer and more unopposed the shooter, the lower the save rate.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. Closing the angle and being set at the moment of the shot give him the best chance.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. At 38% his one-on-one save rate is far below his rates against long shots and headers.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Test 10Scouting goalkeepers with dataTake a test

  1. Shot-stopping numbers swing from year to year, so a pattern over seasons is far more reliable.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  2. A modern keeper is judged on saving, claiming, covering space and passing, and each has its own data.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  3. A keeper in a possession side sweeps and passes more; one behind a low block faces more crosses and shots.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  4. Numbers earned against weaker attacks may fall when he faces sharper finishing week after week.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  5. How he organises his defence and deals with pressure in the box is easiest to judge in the stadium.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  6. A keeper who passes well under pressure lets the team start attacks cleanly instead of kicking long.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  7. A single mistake near goal usually ends in a goal, so even a few a season carry a high cost.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  8. Shot-stopping narrows the list first; the other skills, video and a visit build the full picture of the keeper.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  9. The more shots faced, the more luck cancels out and the clearer his real level becomes.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

  10. Two strongly positive seasons and one slightly negative one point to a good shot-stopper with normal variation.

    Source: Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions) · applied

Sources

IFAB Laws of the Game / FIFA & UEFA technical reports / Opta, StatsBomb and FBref definitions / club and analyst publications / peer-reviewed research

  • Goalkeeping analytics (FBref/Opta, StatsBomb definitions)82
  • Competition records (Premier League, Serie A, FIFA)17
  • IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 121