1. What is Goals Against Average?

Goals Against Average (GAA) is a statistic used in soccer to measure a goalkeeper's performance by calculating the average number of goals they concede per 90 minutes of play. It provides a standardized way to compare goalkeepers who have played different amounts of time.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the GAA formula:

Where:

• \( goals\_against \) — Total goals conceded by the goalkeeper
• \( minutes \) — Total minutes played by the goalkeeper
• 90 — Standard soccer match duration in minutes

Explanation: The formula normalizes the goals conceded to a standard 90-minute match, allowing fair comparison between goalkeepers.

3. Importance of GAA in Soccer

Details: GAA is a key metric for evaluating goalkeeper performance. A lower GAA indicates better performance. Professional goalkeepers typically have GAAs between 0.5 and 1.5 in top leagues.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the total goals conceded and total minutes played. The calculator will compute the GAA normalized to 90 minutes.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a good GAA in professional soccer?
A: In top leagues, excellent goalkeepers often maintain GAAs below 1.0, while average keepers are between 1.0-1.5.

Q2: Does GAA account for team defense?
A: No, GAA reflects the entire team's defensive performance, not just the goalkeeper's skill.

Q3: How does GAA differ from save percentage?
A: Save percentage measures saves per shot faced, while GAA measures goals conceded per time unit.

Q4: Should GAA be used alone to evaluate goalkeepers?
A: No, it should be used with other metrics like clean sheets and save percentage for complete evaluation.

Q5: Why use 90 minutes as the standard?
A: Because a standard soccer match lasts 90 minutes, this normalization allows easy comparison between players.