HGYFL - Hampshire Girls Youth Football League

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The start of the season is fast approaching.

Thank you for sharing this Poem, Sarah Reed 💚⚽

**THE BACK-PASS RULE EVERY NEW GOALKEEPER LEARNS THE HARD WAY 🧤⚽**

Every young goalkeeper has that moment eventually…

A defender rolls the ball back.

The keeper picks it up without thinking.

And suddenly everyone’s shouting:

**“KEEPER — YOU CAN’T PICK THAT UP!”** 😅

It’s one of those rules that catches loads of new players out.

If a teammate **deliberately kicks** the ball back to their own goalkeeper, the keeper **can’t handle it**.

Do it anyway… and it’s an **indirect free-kick** to the other team.

That’s usually the moment the lesson sticks. 😂

It’s not about being awkward.

It’s there to stop teams wasting time and to encourage goalkeepers to use their feet as well as their hands.

Of course, explaining that to a brand new young keeper in the middle of a match is another matter entirely…

Because to them, the ball’s near the goal, they’re the goalkeeper, and picking it up feels like the most natural thing in the world. 🤷‍♂️

Most of them only need to learn it once.

Usually the hard way.

👇 **Did your goalkeeper ever get caught out by the back-pass rule?**

Or have you seen a match where nobody on the pitch seemed to know what the decision was? 😅

The Greater Game from England Football are proud to bring this initiative back for the 26/27 season with it's aim of helping you feel your best both on and off the pitch.

Throughout the course of the season, we will be sharing a variety of practical tips, resources and challenges to support you with better eating, better movement, better decision making and better sleeping.

Keep your eyes peeled as the season progresses.

England Football's The Greater Game - because when you feel your best, you're more likely to play your best!

Fixtures for the 26/27 season have been released 👍🏻

We hope you all enjoy the new season

1 hour to go until the 26/27 season fixtures are released!

Football is back, and so is The Greater Game