There are certainly quite a few goalkeepers that are known for wearing bright colors on their clothes. Jorge Campos comes to mind without a doubt, David Seaman was one of those goalkeepers who liked to sometimes walk on the wild side if you will. Throughout the years other keepers have tried to emulate them in the modern game. Although, we don’t see as much creativity in jersey designs these days. At least when it comes to goalkeeper equipment. That may be due to the fact that most teams have contracts with uniform manufacturers. What we see is the same design in different colors. Was there a reason why these goalkeepers that I mentioned wore bright colors? Is this something you should try? Why do goalkeepers wear bright colors? Let’s find out!
Before I dive deep into some of the benefits that you’re going to have in wearing bright colors, (yes there are tangible benefits in my point of view), I want to look at other popular options. Other goalkeepers have opted to go through a completely different route and wear dark colors. Lev Yashin the only goalkeeper ever to win a Ballon D’or is perhaps the godfather of the dark goalkeeper uniform trend. The look is certainly elegant, some people would argue that it borders on being a somber or creepy look. This second option seems to be the preferred option by most brands that make goalkeeper jerseys today. In recent dates though we’ve seen some pretty interesting designs that have some of us hoping the bright colors for goalkeeper uniforms can return.
Why Do Goalkeepers Wear Bright Colors – The Tangible Benefits
Are there really tangible benefits to wearing bright clothes as a goalkeeper? This is debatable, and I’m going to go over some of the cons of wearing bright clothes as well. However, I do feel these tangible benefits are real. When the striker looks up particularly in a 1v1 situation he’s going to notice your frame more than anything else. Why do I feel that this is important? It may be harder for them to find the empty spots in the net where they can aim their shot at. There was a joke involving Batman where he would say the bat symbol on the suit was yellow to get criminals to shoot at the padded chest plate, and not his head. It’s the exact same thing here.
If you’re wearing bright clothes it’s going to be easier for opponents to locate you. Also, that means that they may start feeling more pressure to take the shot when you’re coming out to force a 1v1. Anything that you can do to alter the opposition’s shots or force them into rethinking what they want to do is a positive in my book. If this is something that you’re going to be able to do just by the way that you’re dressed you’re essentially getting a freebie. You won’t be able to achieve a similar effect if you’re wearing darker clothes. If you take your outfits to the extreme like some of us do you’re essentially shining a light at the eyes of the striker before they take a shot.
Is There A Negative Side To This?
I said that the shooter is going to be able to spot where you are on the field with ease. As are all of the rest of the players on the other team. There’s of course a downside to this as well. If they see that you’re a bit out of position they may be more prone to take outside shots on goal. If you’re playing someone who is really smart they could potentially use this knowledge of your location to their advantage if you will. You won’t be able to blend in, and disappear in a crowd that’s for sure, and that could lead to more outside shots, but that is something that you could potentially use in your favor when it’s all set and done.
If you are confident in your positioning you could potentially bait players to take some bad shots by playing a bit off the line, but having the ability to get back and make the save if you need to. It’s a bit of a risky business, and I wouldn’t recommend getting into those mind games unless you have full confidence in your ability to be able to get back into position and make those saves. Then again, it may be a part of a trial and error process, don’t be afraid to play off the line from time to time. Even if you give some bonehead goals, if you don’t give them up you may never really feel comfortable stepping off the line, and learning your limits.
What Type of Colors Do You Need To Wear To Distract Opponents?
If there was one direct answer to the question of, “why do goalkeepers wear bright colors”, it would definitely be to distract opponents. I’ve already talked about what can happen with you wearing bright colors and why that’s a good way to be able to distract strikers. What colors are really going to throw off strikers? I feel it’s the bright greens and yellows that are going to be able to get the job done the best. There are a couple of reasons for that. In a night game the color is going to stand out big time. If you have bad lighting you may very well be all that they are going to see. We want to make sure that the shots come in as close to our body as possible for sure!
In day games these bright yellow and green colors are still preferred to the effect of distracting players because the color itself can reflect sunlight really well. So that’s another thing that you may be able to use to your advantage. Get your clothes to be able to reflect the light onto the player that’s looking to take a shot. Make things as hard as you can on them. With night games what can also work is wearing for example gray spots, lines, or designs on the uniform. Again with poor lighting those designs can reflect back to the player that’s looking to shoot. I’m not saying it works like a charm every time, but you could see some benefits for sure.
Some Coaches Are Against Flamboyant Goalkeepers
One of the main reasons, at least in my opinion, why we don’t see more bright-colored goalkeeper outfits is because of coaches. The 90s allowed us to see a ton of imaginative jerseys that goalkeepers from across the globe wore. When we got to the 2000s everything was dialed back; it was more team oriented. It was more strict and organized. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that we didn’t really see goalkeeper personalities shine through the 2000s and the 2010s like we did in the 90s because that was thought to be reckless, and non-team friendly. Coaches started to prefer more serious goalkeepers that weren’t necessarily big risk-takers instead of the big personality that wanted to shine. It’s weird to think that lead to color changes, but I believe that’s the case.
Another factor that certainly came into play was marketing. What do I mean by that? Well, teams started to really understand that they could make a ton of cash off of jerseys, and kits. It’s not that jerseys were not sold before, but the market didn’t really explode until the late 90s and of course into the 2000s. Teams wanted to have goalkeeper kits that featured team colors in some cases. Other teams went with the more traditional route and just gave goalkeepers black jerseys. Those two situations are largely to blame, as well as coaches themselves for this downfall in creativity. I do feel that it has impacted goalkeeping because it has taken away a bit of the edge, and appeal that it had with kids such as myself at the time.
Why Do Goalkeepers Wear Bright Clothes – It’s Practical
Why would I come out and say that wearing bright clothes as a goalkeeper is practical? The simple reason is that for the most part the opposing team is not going to be wearing those bright colors. Your team is also not going to be wearing those bright colors either. So that means that you’ll find yourself in fewer situations when you’ll need to change your outfit. I do feel that this is something that has gotten lost by referees a bit. I used to go to games with two jerseys that were completely different colors. Just in case the other team wore the same color jersey as I did, and we would have an issue with that. I’ve seen though that refs don’t really have too much of an issue with this anymore.
In any case the rule still does state that a goalkeeper must wear a different color jersey. The more different it is the better in my book. Even though as I mentioned refs are not going to be on top of you about wearing a particular color anymore that’s quite a general statement. You never know when you’re going to come across that one ref that’s going to get picky about the uniforms. When that happens it’s going to be easier to coast freely if you’re wearing colors that neither your team nor the other team has on their jersey.
Take Some Pride in What You Wear
This is something that I preach quite a bit because it is one of the things that I enjoy the most about being a goalkeeper. You get to express yourself through your outfit in a way that other players just don’t get a chance to do. Why not take advantage of that? As I mentioned there is a chance that you come across a coach that is not too fond of the flashy outfits, and the flashy goalkeepers overall. I contend that these types of coaches are the main reason why we don’t see neither goalkeepers nor brands taking bigger risks with goalkeeper outfits. When it’s all set and done though I do feel that coming out wearing something that you like can have a positive impact on your performance.
I’m not saying this to promote that you go out there and spend a ton of money on goalkeeper outfits. I do that quite often, and a lot of times I end up regretting it for sure. Again though, there is value in coming out wearing something that you know is unique. You look good, you play good right? Don’t be afraid to take some risks with your outfits. If you see that coaches aren’t taking this in a positive manner then maybe you can think about calling things back a bit.
Why Do Goalkeepers Wear Bright Colors – Conclusion
I will go down believing that there are tangible benefits to wearing bright clothes. Particularly with quick plays where the striker has to decide where he or she is going to put their shot. Wearing something that’s going to catch their eye at the very least is not something that can hurt. Well, actually it can physically hurt since you may get a lot of shots to the body. However, if you’re able to have more shots targeted near your position you are naturally going to be making more and more saves.
As I also stated I feel that dull coaches are to blame for the disappearance of bright goalkeeper clothes from store shelves. The good thing about the modern world is that you can still find plenty of eye-catching gear online. Even if some of these outfits are not made by popular brands. That may be another teaching point that I want to get to. Don’t be afraid to use gear from brands that aren’t as popular. At the end of the day if it fits you comfortably and you like the way that you look that’s all that matters!
