Goalies are valuable members of the team in a number of different sports. Sometimes referred to as a goaltender or a netminder, the usual role of the goalie is to prevent the opposing team for scoring by defending and deflecting any attempts to access the goal. From this perspective, the goalie can be seen as the keeper of the goal, empowered to perform a set type of movements in order to protect the goal from being breached by the opposing team.
Soccer is one of the sports that include the utilization of a goalie. Within the general rules of this game, the goalie is one of the few players with the authority to make use of both hands and feet in preventing a shot from entering the net or goal. Generally referred to as a goalkeeper in this sport, the goalie serves as the last line of defense once players from the opposing team have managed to evade all the other players of the defending team and launch the ball at the goal.
Ice hockey is another example of a sport where the presence of the goalie is extremely important to the success of the team. Generally, the goalie is referred to as a goaltender in most of the leagues around the world. Here, the goalie will attempt to defend the net assigned to the defending team by using a hockey stick to deflect any pucks aimed at the net. In general, the goalie will not only attempt to deflect the shot back into the open playing field, but also send the puck into an area that is currently open and possibly allow the defending team to take control of the puck.
The work of the goalie has been known to make all the difference in the outcome of a game. Goalkeepers who are especially proficient about deflecting the completion of a scoring move by the opposite team not only help to keep the point spread somewhat low during the event, but also often are able to create set ups on the playing field that provide the team with a chance to reverse the course of play and possibly score against the opposing team.
