Move the goalposts
Meaning
To unfairly change the rules or criteria of a task or agreement during its course, making it harder to succeed.
Origin
The phrase "move the goalposts" is a vivid metaphor plucked directly from the world of organized sports. Imagine a football or soccer match where, just as a team is about to score, the opposing side literally picks up the goal and shifts it further away or to a different position. This act would be a blatant and unfair manipulation of the game's fundamental rules, making it impossible for the scoring team to achieve its objective. While no actual sports game allows such a maneuver, the phrase emerged in the 20th century as a powerful description for any situation where the terms of success are arbitrarily and unfairly altered during play, whether in a negotiation, a project, or a political debate, leaving the participants in a perpetually unwinnable position.
Examples
- We were almost finished with the project, but the client decided to move the goalposts by adding several new requirements at the last minute.
- It's frustrating when managers move the goalposts and suddenly expect different metrics for success after you've already started working towards the original ones.