ABSTRACT
In soccer, the goalkeeper is not always able to respond to a shot just by shifting his standing position. It is sometimes necessary for him to dive to defend the goal (which is 2.44 m high and 7.32 m wide) from a shot that has a shooting speed of 100 km per hour or more (Nunome et al, 2002). There are a few studies conducted to date on diving motions (Suzuki et al, 1988; Graham-Smith and Lees, 1999; Spratford et al, 2009). Suzuki et al. (1988) referred to the relationship between the diving motion and the ability of the goalkeeper, in which skilled goalkeepers have a faster diving speed and reach for the ball in a straighter line than unskilled goalkeepers. Graham-Smith and Lees (1999) conducted biomechanical studies of diving motion, finding that it varies according to the course and distance of the incoming ball, requiring various necessary and important element forces to be generated by the rotational movement of the trunk and the extension of joints.
