The Women’s FIFA World Cup has started well, as teams start to progress to the knock-out stage. Television viewing has been higher than normal in Europe, and some of the goals scored and shots saved have been out of the top drawer.
There will always be some who want to knock the tournament, just as there will always be some who will knock various Leagues around the world.
There has been some minor controversies, but in the main the football, as it should has taken centre-stage. The equal pay to the men issue still lurks in the shadows, but quite rightly for the time being has been parked so that the players can focus on doing the business on the pitch.
Two issues that seem to have stolen the attention are the suggestions that women should play on smaller pitches, and that the goals should be smaller.
It was Chelsea Women’s Manager Emma Hayes who raised the issue of smaller goals. Her suggestion was met with strong pushback from former internationals. Jess Fishlock the Wales midfielder tweeted “If a keeper makes a mistake it’s a mistake – not because of the goal size.”
England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley asked “What are the social implications?” She went on to say, “we have fought so hard to change the perception of female athletes across the planet and I am not sure it would be beneficial. We are trying to keep it on a part to drive equality.”
There is no argument that some goalkeepers in the women’s game look to be hampered by the size of the goal that they are defending. Yet the great thing about goalkeeping is each player has to adapt their game to suit their abilities and strengths. There are basic techniques that all have to adhere to, but aspects such as positioning and coming for crosses have to be determined by the ‘keeper playing to their strengths.
While some goalkeepers have struggled, others have saved their teams with truly magnificent reflex saves, or by being perfectly positioned. Skills that take time to be honed. It would be interesting to know how long the teams competing have actually had specialist goalkeeping coaches, as these have only really come to the fore in the women’s game in the past 10 years.
There have been many outstanding junior goalkeepers who have been taller than their contemporaries as they grew up. Coming for crosses was like plucking apples from the higher branches that most could not reach. Despite the physical benefits these players had at a young age, many fail to progress as they never learn to jump and claim a ball. Simply because they never had to. When their contemporaries catch up in terms of growth, their game is deficient.
One question this whole debate raises is whether Women are being judged by comparison to their male counterparts?
In modern day men’s football the global accepted minimum height for a goalkeeper is 180cm (5ft 11in). The average height of the goalkeepers in the English Premier League for the season that has just finished was 190cm (6ft 3in). There are certain academies in England that don’t accept keepers beyond the age of sixteen if they aren’t taller than six foot by the time of their sixteenth birthday.
Based on the current trends Chelsea and England’s Peter Bonetti would never have played as he was only 5ft 10in or 177cm. Mexico’s flamboyant Jorge Campos was 168cm (5ft 6in) certainly would never have been given a game let alone played 130 times for his country and at two World Cup Finals.
It is a known fact that women’s bodies are on average shorter than their male counterparts. In fact 12.7cm, or five inches shorter. Which is a very big difference when you consider the size of the standard goal.
A football goal is are 7.32 metres (24ft) wide and 2.44 metres (8ft) high. This means that the goal is 17.86 square metres (192 square feet). So being 169cm or 5ft 5in as a few of the Women’s keepers at the FIFA Women’s World Cup are, – including Thailand’s Sukanya Chor Charoenying – they are being asked to cover a vast area to keep a clean sheet. It is worth noting that the USA’s Hope Solo, who was regarded by many as the best Women’s Goalkeeper and won the Golden Glove at two World Cup Finals was 175cm (5ft 7in), the same height as the Matildas Lydia Williams. So certainly she and Lydia are not giants, although taller than average.
The game has over the years changed the way it is played to maximise development and enjoyment. No longer do children play on full size pitches, and in many countries only start playing 11-a-side when they reach 13 years of age. They only play 45 minute halves when they play under 17’s football.
To make allowances for a genetic fact that women are shorter than men is surely not going to set the game back? To back up that argument in the Women’s Super League (WSL) in England the average height of goalkeepers was 172cm (5ft 8in). Which is higher than the average height for women in the UK which is 160cm (5ft 3in).
When one considers that the average height of a male in the UK is 175cm (5ft 9in), in both competitions the goalkeepers are well above the average height as it is. So surely the size of the goals should be relative to the average size of the women playing, rather than because this size goal is the one that has been used for years? A size that has been used predominantly by men playing the game.
Whether you are male or female being a taller goalkeeper has obvious benefits, such as reach for getting to corners and then having more of a presence for dealing with crosses into the box. However, there are also disadvantages compared to a shorter ‘keeper. It is crucial that a tall goalkeeper makes sure that they are just as agile and flexible to get down low to make saves that are comfortable for smaller keepers. That they are just as fast off their line to close down the angle. Sometimes not easy for a bigger man or woman.
To reduce the size of the goals proportionally related the women’s height has a great deal of credence. Would it hamper the fight for equality? If couched in the argument put forward here it cannot possibly hamper equality, as it makes complete sense.
As for the changing of the size of the pitch… One aspect of the Women’s Game that makes it so enjoyable is the space in which they have to play. Space is not closed down as fast as in the men’s game, therefore there is more freedom for players to express themselves. To take away that space could very well kill what has made the Women’s game capture the imagination. This decision needs some very careful thought as to the impact it would have.
