Goalkeepers are now judged on what they do with the ball as much as on what they stop. Distribution decides where the match is contested.
The keeper sets the starting line
Every restart from the keeper is a choice about where possession will be resolved: near his own goal, in midfield, or in the opponent's half.
A long ball concedes possession roughly half the time but does so far from danger. A short pass keeps the ball but invites pressure into the most dangerous area of the pitch.
Neither is correct in general. The value depends on what the team can do with the ball once it is retained.
Playing short manipulates the press
A team that builds from the goalkeeper pulls opposition forwards towards its own box. Those forwards leave space behind them as they advance.
If the ball escapes the first line of pressure, the attacking team faces fewer defenders in more space than any long ball would produce.
The keeper is therefore bait. His willingness to receive the ball under pressure is what draws opponents out of shape.
The risk is concentrated and visible
Errors in this phase lead directly to chances, and they happen in front of the goal with nobody behind to cover.
That visibility distorts assessment. A misplaced pass near halfway is forgotten; the same error twenty metres from goal defines a keeper's reputation.
Coaches accept the concentrated risk because the alternative distributes a larger amount of risk invisibly across the match.
Goal kicks changed the arithmetic
The rule allowing teammates to receive a goal kick inside the penalty area gave the keeper a safe short option that did not previously exist.
Defenders can now start inside the box, which forces pressing players to commit even further forward to reach them.
That single change did more to spread short building than any coaching trend, because it altered the geometry rather than the preference.
What it means for selection
A team that presses high needs a keeper who is comfortable defending space behind a high line, which is a different skill again.
A team that sits deep gains less from a passing keeper and more from one who dominates crosses into a crowded box.
Recruiting a goalkeeper is therefore a decision about how the whole team intends to defend, not simply a search for the best shot-stopper available.