Table 5

Characteristics of goalkeeper behaviours in DFHs

Criterion	Category	DFHs taken	%DFHs taken	Goals from DFHs	%E	GE%
Initial position	Squat	107	16.8	28	26.2	73.8
	Kneeling	313	49.1	88	28	72
	Half-screen	180	28.2	61	33.9	66.1
	Stretched out on the ground	23	3.6	8	34.8	65.2
	Other	14	2.2	4	26.6	73.4

Technical skill of the goalkeeper	Screen	157	24.6	39	24.8	75.2
	Closing step	227	35.6	72	31.7	68.3
	Opening legs	43	6.8	13	30.2	69.8
	Arm movement	52	8.2	9	17.3	82.7
	Pulling the mitt from the stick	93	14.6	33	35.5	64.5
	Other	65	10.2	23	35.4	64.6

Final location of the goalkeeper	Within the goalkeeper area	141	22.1	51	36.2	63.8
	Over the semicircle	377	59.2	105	27.9	72.1
	In front of the goalkeeper area	119	18.7	33	27.7	72.3

Distance between goalkeeper and player	More than 1.5 m	409	64.2	124	30.3	69.7
Distance between goalkeeper and player	Less than 1.5 m	228	35.8	65	28.5	71.5
Note. DFHs taken: direct free hits taken; %DFHs taken: percentage of direct free hits taken; Goals from DFHs: goals scored from direct free hits; E%: player effectiveness percentage; GE%: goalkeeper effectiveness percentage.