You Can’t List Strikers as Goalkeepers in Your World Cup Squad, North Korea Learns the Hard Way

Imagine that. I have to hand it to them though. By doing this, they are truly representing the country from which they came. North Korean Pride, anyone?

“The three players listed as goalkeepers can only play as goalkeepers during the FIFA World Cup and cannot play outfield. THIS WILL BE COMMUNICATED to the teams in the team arrival meetings and will be enforced on match days.”

Why is FIFA specific about the # of goalkeepers? Why is FIFA not specific about the # of defenders, midfielders and strikers?

I'm not 100% sure, sscouser, but I assume it's because goalkeeping is such a specialized and unique position. The distinction between goalkeepers and outfield players is much much clearer than the distinction between a defender and a midfielder.

Also, teams can play varying amounts of defenders, midfielders and forwards depending on formation, but there's always just one man wearing the gloves.

Condescending, much, people? Is this what we're going to look forward to for a month? Giggling at the N. Koreans like we're so supremely brilliant specimens of humanity compared to them? Geezus.

Anyway, here's a story from the Brazilian press yesterday: apparently there were some Brazilian journalists milling around an area deemed too close to the N. Korean training camp. It wasn't the N. Koreans complaining, it was one of the S.African security people who for some bizarre reason decided that these Brazilian journalists were all South Koreans trying to infiltrate into the N.Korean camp. This guy arrested the Brazilian journalists (citing recent tensions between the 2 Koreas). None of the Brazilian journos looked remotely Asian, btw.

I think its for the safety of the players- they dont want teams to skimp on goalkeepers and then in the situation where their GK is injured, (basically) force him to continue to play. The incentive is removed when you have extra Keepers because even a subpar healthy keeper is probably better than an injured one….

Obviously the number of outfield players depends on the formation- but all formations have a goalkeeper except one which I mentioned in my first response that is waiting to be moderated (did someone flag me?)

Illness replacement is covered by the rules – their first game will be 14th or 15th, so they should be able to replace a player until the day before. But FIFA will need medical evidence, and likely will want their own doctors to check out the player. Poor poor guy. There is no way for him to be inscribed again as an outfield player though.

There is one detail, a outfield player can change places with the goalkeeper during the game, with consent from the referee and during stoppage. Outfield player has to change shirt and usually will take gloves as well, and usually looks terrified. I only remember this happening when goalkeeper is injured and subs have all been used, the replacement outfieldplayer-goalkeeper usually is one directional, so goalkeeper can receive medical assistance. I have seen John Terry and John O Shea playing goal. Pelé supposedly did as well during one game. So maybe just maybe they can start the striker on goal, start a real goalkeeper as a defender and then ask the referee on next stop to swap players . very dodging the rules but perhaps technically correct. I think Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal would all love to have a striker playing goalkeeper for North Korea on the first minutes of a match! Let´s face it, the whole world would lvoe seeing what happens. Poor poor striker.

Sandra- This is a rookie mistake- trying to outplay FIFA at their own game. If anything, its naive. But, they tried to circumvent the rules that everyone else abides by- you don't think that deserves even a little condescension?

sandra350,

Maybe a little condescending. I'm aware that there's a trend of everyone treating North Korea in that way, and will confess I might be guilty of joining in with the above post. I think it's because we all know so little about the country or the football team that we're sort of fascinated to see what they'll do. And then when they do make the news it's for comical errors like the above. It's very very difficult, maybe even impossible, to approach this story in a different way.

Excuse me Miss, most teams would rather have an injured goalie than a subpar healthy keeper. Have you noticed that as soon as a subpar healthy keeper comes in, the opposing team that was goal-shy starts shooting at goal? Most keepers that are on the bench their confidence level is very low because they only play once in a blue moon. This just ended season, how many Goalkeepers did Liverpool use?

I think it should be up to the teams to choose what their 23 man squad should be made up of.

Fifa rules apparently state that teams must name three goalkeepers in their squad for the World Cup,” writes Joe Diaz. “Has anyone ever used all three, or is it just a complete waste of a squad number?” Article 26.3 of Fifa's World Cup Regulations (a thrilling read if you have the time) indeed states: “Each association will be required to provide Fifa with a final [squad] list of no more than 23 players (three of whom shall be goalkeepers).” The convention of naming three keepers in a squad goes back to 1934 (the United States had named only one in their squad in 1930). Several teams changed goalkeepers mid-tournament in the early years but you have go all the way to 1974 to find the first substitute goalkeeper, when Mwamba Kazadi of Zaire conceded three goals in the first 20 minutes and was replaced by Tubilandu Dimbi (who went on to concede another six). The need to use several goalkeepers is rare – in 1990 the 24 teams used a total of 27 keepers, while as recently as 1998 the 32 sides in France used a combined 36. In all, only four teams have ever used three goalkeepers in a single World Cup tournament. That's out of 371 teams to have qualified for the finals – surely time for Fifa to change the rules.

Maybe it doesn't completely remove the incentive- but in theory it should reduce the incentive (rules rarely ever work out as well as they theoretically should). I honestly dont have a strong feeling either way regarding if FIFA should continue to dictate the number of required GKs. As the international body I think its their obligation to put rules into place that protect the teams and players (even from themselves)- but as you said, this rule may not be an effective way to achieve that.

I want to see North Korea play Kim Myong-won in goal. I honestly don't understand how they thought they could cheat the system. I wish I were president of Fifa, things would be a lot different.

Teams used to take 22 don't forget – and they only made it 23 so a team could take a third goalkeeper just in case.

But the sheer balls of North Korea makes me smile, but you think they'd have checked the rulebook first.

On a related subject. One rule which always confused me was whether the rules allow a player to switch positions to a GK mid-game.

Let's say for example a team uses all their substitutions late in a game, then the GK is either injured or gets a red card. Can one of the mid-fielders take place in the goal, change shirts and don the gloves?

Jorge Campos managed to play as a striker and a goalkeeper in the same game at club level on a number of occasions so I'm guessing this is a new rule that FIFA have just decided to make up.

yes, and it is not that uncommon actually =]

“On the final lists must be no more than 23 players, three of whom shall be goalkeepers.” I don't think this rule could be interpreted as “three goalkeepers in each team, but we actually don't care”.

I got a couple of replies to my post about condescension toward the N. Koreans but because of this absolutely fkg HORRIBLE, utterly useless new comments system you people have imposed on this site, I can't find the reply. It used to be so easy to comment on this site, now it's become a huge fkg hassle. Logging in is an ordeal, the system doesn't recognize my ID and password. I'll be amazed if I manage to post this comment.

Anyway, I concede this incident can generate jokes and yes it's a rookie mistake. Well, gee, people, they're like — ROOKIES at this, ya know? There's plenty of material to work with if you want to laugh at these guys. All you had to do was listen to the manager talk to reporters when he and his team had arrived in SA. He was saying what he was forced to say – that they were there for the glory of the dear leader and all that shit. I just get tired of the knee-jerk herd mentality about the way we talk about the country – we're all supposed to be scared shitless of them and we're supposed to laugh hilariously at them all at the same time. The unquestioning chauvinism gets boring and predictable. You can't talk about them except in anything other than cliches, condescension, ridicule and xenophobic stereotypes. It's just like the conformist bullshit N. Koreans have to live under every day. We reduce them caricatures, jokes and objects of pity, instead of the real human beings that they are.

What this site hasn't covered is the affect the N.Korean players had on the 1966 wc. How they surprised everyone with their unexpected sense of humor and charm (yes, sense of humor and charm), how they wound up with everyone in the stands applauding them. That's because of their gracious manner and demeanor on the pitch, and the way they played their football. They were the surprise package in that wc, and they delighted everyone. It's a famous story about that wc, I was expecting this site to cover it.

I'd love to see this N.Korean team surprise everyone, play better than we all expect them to and maybe show some of that same personality that they showed in 1966. Just to show that they're more than the pathetic robot clownish caricatures we paint them as.

UGH I hate this new comment thingy…

Wow…what is this? Kim Jong Il tactics?? I know Campos played as both a striker and goalkeeper but the N.Korean FA is crazy to think they can get around FIFA regulations. Can't wait to see Park Ji-Sung and his boys to whip their asses if they do meet in the WC.

Your original comment and the replies can be found here:
http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2010/you-...

I think the point is that although the rules of football in general say 'keepers can go out field, the specific rules of the World Cup say 3 goalkeepers must be in the squad, who can't play out field.