Why are most goalkeepers No. 1?

Answer 1

Cause no one wants to play without "one" - get it....teehee! Couldn't beat the answers already given so thought I'd interject a little humor.

Answer 2

I think nowadays the goalkeepers are no. 1 by default because of a FIFA regulation. During the 1978 World Cup the Argentine goalkeeper had no. 5 (Fillol) and the Dutch goalkeeper had no. 8 (Jongbloed).

Consequently there were fieldplayers with no. 1 which nowadays would look odd.

Reserve goalkeepers have other number of course, like 12, 16, 22, 23 (most of the time).

Answer 3

Although there were no hard and fast rules as to which number represented which position (especially given football's varied formations), a de facto standard emerged over time and was employed by most teams, with few exceptions:

Goalkeepers generally wore the number 1 shirt. This convention has become almost universal.
Defenders generally wore numbers between 2 and 6.
Midfielders most commonly wore numbers 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 (11 and 7 were typically used for the left and right wings, respectively).
Strikers wore 9 and 10, and less commonly 7, 8 and 11.
When substitutions were introduced to the game in the 1965, the substitute typically took the number 12; when a second substitute was allowed, they wore 14. Players were not compelled to wear the number 13 if they were superstitious.


Argentina defied conventions by numbering their squads for the 1978 and 1982 World Cups alphabetically, resulting in outfield players (not goalkeepers) wearing the number 1 shirt. More recently tournament regulations have stated number 1 must be issued to a goalkeeper.

The typical numbering given above comes from the days when the 2-3-5 formation was used. With the convention of numbering from the back forwards and from right to left across each line the numbering is:

1. Goalkeeeper 2. Right full back (right back) 3. Left full back (left back) 4. Right half back (right half) 5. Centre half back (centre half) 6. Left half back (left half) 7. Outside right (right winger) 8. Inside right 9. Centre Forward 10. Inside left 11. Outside left (left winger)

Answer 4

Back in the old days players used to be numbered 1 to 11 depending on their position: 1 - goalkeeper, 2- right back, 3- left back etc 9 was centre forward. It seems that 1 for goalkeeper is the tradition that has been retained. Now all players get a squad number and keep it wherever they play.

Answer 5

Back in the day, player were numbered 1-11 counting from the back. Goalkeepers were No 1, strikers usually 10-11. Clubs differed obviously, but Goalkeepers were always counted first.
These days the number on the player is their squad number.

Answer 6

It was just the way teams were first numbered starting with the keeper. Maybe if they had started with the forwards things would be different. Not all keepers wear No.1, especially with bigger squads these days. In 1978 World Cup Argentina selected their squad with the numbers designated in Alphabetical order - Ardiles was no.1 and was an outfield player.

Answer 7

All goalkeepers are number one ~ actually I don't know why.

Answer 8

Because the coach starts making the line-up with the keeper because he has no alternative of playing him, all the keepers are only keepers. And he is the first one on the field if we look from behind the net. Or maybe is just and old bad habit..

Answer 9

Most of them r number 1. but not all. and i do not know why they r.

Answer 10

Migelito and Stygian are both right, but i'll take the points.

Answer 11

im a goalie n i hav no idea y
:)

hope dat ansas ur question

(im 11 btw)