Andre Onana made his return to competitive football this weekend during the Community Shield match against Manchester City, where his team narrowly lost on penalties at Wembley.
Last season, it was revealed that Manchester United goalkeeper uses Vaseline on his gloves, sparking curiosity about what other substances goalkeepers may use to get an advantage. Are these substances legal according to the laws of the game?
To answer these questions, I consulted with Fredrik Klitte, a professional referee with nearly 25 years of experience in Sweden, including a decade at the top level. According to Klitte, using Vaseline is legal for goalkeepers as long as it does not violate any rules in the rule book.
While referees are not required to check a goalkeeper’s gloves before a match, they do have the authority to show a yellow card if they find handball players’ resin, which provides greater grip, on the gloves. However, this rule is rarely enforced.
Curious about the effectiveness of different substances on goalkeepers’ gloves, I decided to conduct an experiment during a training session with my goalkeepers at Angelholms FF in the Swedish third division.
We tested various products, including GloveGlu, shaving cream, and hair spray. While GloveGlu showed promising results initially, its effectiveness wore off quickly. On the other hand, Vaseline proved to be a reliable option for improving grip, especially in wet weather conditions.
Shaving cream, though unconventional, also showed some positive results in enhancing grip due to its ability to keep the latex of the gloves moist and sticky. However, it was deemed less effective than Vaseline or GloveGlu.
Ultimately, while Vaseline remains a popular choice among professional goalkeepers for its grip-enhancing properties, it is important to note that it should not be considered a cure-all for technical issues. Perfecting technique should always take precedence over relying solely on substances like Vaseline.
For younger goalkeepers and amateurs, it may be advisable to use Vaseline sparingly on older gloves or during adverse weather conditions rather than on brand-new pairs to ensure longevity and durability.
