shift the goalposts

idiomPart ofshift

shift the goalposts — idiom

1. to change the rules or requirements of something while it is happening, making i

1.idiom
Definition

to change the rules or requirements of something while it is happening, making it harder for someone to succeed.

Example

Just when the team thought they had met all the targets, the boss shifted the goalposts again.

In negotiations, it is unfair to shift the goalposts after the other side has already agreed.