Andre Onana’s recent use of Vaseline on his gloves during the Community Shield against Manchester City challenged some of the notions and traditions of goalkeeping. The Manchester United goalkeeper’s unusual method raised several questions: how do other goalkeepers augment their gear for an edge? And does this breach any game laws? After consulting Fredrik Klitte, a referee of 25 years’ experience, the answer to that second question was a firm no, as long as the referee can’t find a rule in the book against it. Klitte added he’d never noticed a goalkeeper using substances on their gloves, but it could have happened without his noticing.
Klitte explained that the game’s rules give a referee the option to yellow card a goalkeeper if, for example, they find the goalkeeper is using handball player’s resin on their gloves for better grip. However, this rule is rarely enforced. Even if a goalkeeper should choose to use any substance to improve their glove grip, as none are against the game’s rules, it was concluded a goalkeeper technically could utilize any substance to enhance their glove grip.
Based on this, the focus of the investigation turned to practical substances that goalkeepers could realistically use, ones that wouldn’t ruin the gloves after a single use. The substances or methods most commonly recommended were GloveGlu, a product designed to improve glove grip, shaving cream, and hair spray. The testing was conducted during a training session with Robin Streifert and Lukas Bornandersson, professional goalkeepers from Angelholms FF. Both athletes applied GloveGlu and Vaseline to their gloves, and found that while GloveGlu was effective initially, it did not last long.
Vaseline, on the other hand, had highly differing results: Lukas initially doubted its effectiveness, but after using it, he recognized how well it worked. However, a negative aspect to prolong Vaseline use is that it can potentially damage the gloves’ latex and reduce their durability. Robin, who was more familiar with Vaseline’s usage, noticed that the substance can help revive a pair of old gloves, despite the harmful long term effects. He preferred Vaseline to GloveGlu as he felt the effects lasted longer, although GloveGlu did perform better in dry weather conditions.
Finally, hair spray had no effect, while shaving cream brought an unexpected result. After application of the latter, the gloves remained moist and slightly sticky, improving the grip significantly. There was consensus, however, that GloveGlu, Vaseline, and shaving cream were not as effective in a game situation as applying them quickly would be challenging.
The use of Vaseline, and GripGlu to a lesser extent, has become prevalent amongst professional goalkeepers seeking to gain an edge. Still, it’s emphasized that it doesn’t replace good technique. Younger and amateur goalkeepers are advised against using Vaseline on new gloves due to its potential to damage the gloves, hence reducing durability.
