Is there a valid reason as to why many goalkeepers wear number 1? There are certainly exceptions to the rule with goalkeepers that choose not to wear number one. Jan Oblak, and Guillermo Ochoa come to mind as goalkeepers that currently don’t wear number one, but number 13 instead. In the case of Oblak this was the number that he was given upon his arrival to Atletico Madrid where the more senior goalkeeper Miguel Moya wore number 1. With Ochoa it kind of varies; he did wear number 1 for America, Ajaccio, and the Mexican national team in the early stages of his career. Upon his move to Malaga he started wearing 13 at club and national level, he wore 8 for Standard Liege, and came back to 13 for Club America.
That doesn’t necessarily answer why goalkeepers wear number one, but it does give you an idea that it’s not a requirement. The thing is, it actually was a requirement in the early stages of the game. Most of you that are reading this were probably not around when football was a game that was played without substitutions. Players on the pitch were typically given the numbers 1 to 11 to make it easier for refs to count the number of players that were on the pitch for each team at any given time. The numbers were essentially given out by position starting from the back end to the front. That’s a more accurate answer as to why do goalkeepers wear number 1.
Why Do Goalkeepers Wear Number 1 Today?
These days numbers are not necessarily given out in order to the starting 11 making the goalkeeper forcefully wear number one. Although in many countries they still will use certain terms like this. For example a player that plays as a number 10 is usually going to be an offensive midfielder distributor type. Which is weird because in the old days they would’ve been a center forward for sure. When you think of a center forward we use the term a number a 9. In any case what I’m trying to get at with regards to why do goalkeepers wear number 1 is that it’s part of a long standing tradition.
I could get into a ton of conspiracy theories like ideas about why do goalkeepers wear number 1. All that would be a total lie, the reality is that it has to do with a long standing tradition. That tradition can really way down on you to be honest. I’m going to be looking into that a little later in the article, but there are cases where goalkeepers are going to be pushed to take on the mantle because of that tradition and what that tradition should stand for. Really though, it’s customary that goalkeepers do this, and all these years later many of us embrace the tradition and paint that number one on the back of our jerseys from an early age with pride.
There Are Still Some Competitions That Limit The Numbers That You Can Wear
Although as I mentioned it’s not customary to limit the numbers that players can wear anymore there are some competitions that still do this. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why some goalkeepers that don’t necessarily wear number one at club level will do so on the international stage. The previously mentioned Jan Oblak is one of the goalkeepers that goes through this number change when he plays for his native Slovenia. Tournaments like the Olympics and even the World Cup would limit teams to choosing only between the numbers of the allowed number of players on the squad. That’s a mouthful, I know let me elaborate. For the World Cup teams were only able to take 23 players, that has been bumped up to 26 for the 2022 World Cup because of the chance to make 5 substitutes.
In any case, players are only able to choose a number between 1 and 23 to wear on their jersey. Someone like Donaruma who wore 99 for AC Milan for a long time would have to choose an entirely different number. The easiest thing to do was, and still is to give the starting goalkeeper number one. The Olympics have a similar rule, and they only allow teams to bring along 18 players to the tournament. When Ochoa recently went to the Olympics though he was able to wear his now usual 13 because it was within the allowed numbers that players can choose from. This technicality in some competitions virtually forces many goalkeepers to end up wearing number one on their shirt.
Does It Matter What Number You Wear As A Goalkeeper?
Just right off the bat the answer here is no. You can wear whatever number you want as a goalkeeper. It’s not like the jersey that has to be a different color and things like that. This is not something that you’re going to have a problem with. One of the things that you may come across though is that the jerseys that you’re given or you can find come with a number one already stamped on them. For your Sunday league team though it doesn’t matter too much, they are going to let you play even if the jersey doesn’t have a number on it! That rule actually applies in the pros as well.
When a goalkeeper gets injured or is sent off and the team doesn’t have any more substitutions to be able to bring on the backup they have to rely on a field player to fill the position. Often what happens is that that field player has to wear the jersey of the backup goalkeeper which obviously does not feature his or her number on the back. That would be a problem with other positions, you wouldn’t bring on Cristiano Ronaldo with Harry Macguire’s jersey number! Refs just let this one slide though because you really can’t expect a team to make goalkeeper jerseys with the number of every player on the squad.
The Hidden Meaning Behind The Number One Shirt Today
There are a couple of jersey numbers in football that are truly reserved for the main players on the team. You wouldn’t give any player on the squad the number 9 shirt, or the number 10. There’s a sense of pressure that comes with these numbers, so much so that plenty of teams want to avoid bestowing these numbers particularly on up and coming young players. The same thing kind of goes for goalkeepers. For the most part, if you’re given the number 1 shirt that means that you’re going to be entrusted with the starting goalkeeper position. Again, that’s not a decision that a lot of teams want to take lightly.
When it comes to why do goalkeepers wear number 1, and mainly the ones that play wear number one it’s because as the starter you are more than likely going to be given the option to wear number one first. Now, as I’ve previously mentioned there are certain goalkeepers that choose to politely decline the opportunity to wear the number one shirt. Yet, when you’re the starting goalkeeper you’re going to be offered the opportunity. It’s very rare that a goalkeeper comes into a club as the clear starter, but they aren’t allowed to wear the number. In certain cases it would seem that the number and the responsibility that comes with it is almost thrust upon them!
Should You Be Actively Looking To Wear Number One As A Goalkeeper?
You could certainly argue that it’s just a number, and if you’re not afforded the opportunity that’s how you want to look at it to be honest. Then again, as I was just saying if you’re not afforded the opportunity to even decline to wear the number one shirt that should be writing on the wall if you will. This goes for any goalkeeper at any level. There’s a good chance that the keeper that is wearing number one is currently regarded as the number one option at goalkeeper for the squad. That’s not necessarily the worst thing in the world, but read the room, and see for yourself where you are on the roster. It could be a good wake up call to let you know that you’re going to be playing from behind.
The reason why I would say that you should actively be looking to wear number one as a goalkeeper is because it does send the message that you’re the top option for the position. As I mentioned there are some exceptions to the rule where goalkeepers have elected not to wear number one and actually have their back ups wear that number. It comes down to the spot on the roster as I mentioned. If you’ve gone through a process where you’ve been able to establish yourself as the number one goalkeeper option, wearing number one on your shirt can be that added vote of confidence that you maybe didn’t even know you needed.
Notable Goalkeepers That Didn’t Wear Number 1
Most of the examples that have come to mind wore number one at some point even if they did then go on to choose other numbers throughout their careers as well. I already talked about two very notable examples of current goalkeepers like Jan Oblak, and Ochoa. We have Mendy at Chelsea, Ederson at Man City. These cases are actually really similar because they were both essentially brought on as second team options when they first joined the club. For Mendy it was Kepa who had signed the bigger contract when he was brought to the team. However, Mendy was able to beat him out through better performances.
In the case of Ederson he was also brought on as a bit of a project for Pep Guardiola’s side. He wasn’t contemplated as the top option when he first arrived with Claudio Bravo being Guardiola’s preferred number one keeper at the time. The two of them won the top spot, but still decided to stick with their old numbers. Fabian Barthez, and American Tim Howard are an odd example. They played together at Manchester United, and Barthez I think at the time did wear 1 for Man U, but 16 for France. Howard wore 14 for Man United because of this. He would move on to Everton where he wore 24. In the national team though he did wear number one for most of the time that he was called up to represent the stars and stripes.
Why Do Goalkeepers Wear Number 1 Conclusion
As I’ve mentioned for most people the reason why do goalkeepers wear number 1 has to do with tradition. Number one was the number that goalkeepers were given by default when the first established games were played at the beginning of the 20th century. The tradition has continued to flourish, and today the number is usually going to be reserved for the starting goalkeeper on any squad. Does this mean then that you should be looking to wear number one at all costs? As I recently mentioned I think what’s most important is to be afforded the first stab at the number. If the team is asking you if you want to wear number one before offering the number to anyone else it usually means that they consider you their number 1 option in goal.
From there you’ll be able to choose whatever number you want. If there’s a good reason to wear number 1 it may very well be because many of the jerseys that you can find on the open market may come with that number already plastered on them. It can make things easier for you particularly if you’re playing in a league with very picky refs that want to make sure that you are wearing a number on your jersey at all times. The meaning of wearing number one though is purely symbolic no matter how you look at it.
