ATTACKER DEFENDER GOALKEEPER

The Attacker kicks off 32 yards from the goal line
and has 20 seconds to score a goal

Introduction

Attacker Defender Goalkeeper (ADG) is a new and exciting alternative to the penalty kick shootout.

ADG features a series of ten contests, where an attacker kicks off from 32 yards and has 20 seconds to score a goal against a defender and goalkeeper.

ADG combines the skill, speed, athleticism and dynamic beauty of modern football, with the climactic drama and tension of penalties.

Would you rather watch a great of the game walk up and convert a penalty to win a tournament, or watch them at full speed, swerve past a defender and bend the ball into the back of the net?

The underlying flaws with the penalty shootout are:

  • It fails to showcase the skill and athleticism of modern football
  • It exposes players to psychological trauma, racial abuse and death threats
  • The team kicking first has a 20% advantage

ADG addresses these three issues and in fact has seven fundamental advantages over penalties.

ADG showcases the skill of modern football
ADG showcases the athleticism of modern football

How does ADG Work?

The referee tosses a coin and the team that wins the toss, decides whether to attack or defend in the first contest.

The teams receive an additional substitution and corresponding substitution opportunity.

The referee meets with the teams and records their five attackers.

Having seen the first attacker, the opposition field their defender.

The defender and goalkeeper must be at least 10 yards from the ball until it is in play.

Half the field is in play.

The attacker kicks off 32 yards from the goal line.

The attacker has 20 seconds to score a goal.

The contest will end if any of the following occur:

  • A goal is scored
  • The ball goes out of play
  • Goalkeeper controls the ball with hands inside the penalty area
  • The 20 seconds elapses
  • The attacker commits a foul

If the defender or goalkeeper commits a foul, the attacker is awarded a penalty kick and the 20 second time period is disregarded for the remainder of that contest.

Teams take turns attacking and defending.

Teams play a total of ten ADG contests.

At the completion of the contests, the team with the most goals is the winner.

If scores remain level, the same players from the first contest will compete in the first sudden death contest.

ADG Kick-off Positions for Players and Referees
ADG Kick-off Positions for Players and Referees
  • One assistant referee is positioned in the centre circle of the disused half of the field and supervises the players currently not competing.
  • The other assistant referee is positioned on the goal line.
  • The attacking team’s goalkeeper remains behind the goal line assistant referee.
  • The referee is positioned for a kick-off.
  • The attacker kicks off from the ADG mark, which is 29.26m (32 yards) from the goal line.
  • The defender and goalkeeper must be at least 9.15m (10 yards) from the ball until it is in play.
"A football match should be decided by an action of play. Not some contrived process whose end result is to mark a fine player such as Bossis, Baresi or Baggio for the rest of his career."
Michel Platini