A phylogenetic analysis of 14 genera of the family Goneplacidae MacLeay (Decapoda: Brachyura: Xanthoidea) is presented based upon 45 adult morphological characters. Two most-parsimonious trees were obtained (length = 87, CI = 0.6667, RI = 0.8242, RC = 0.5495). The present analysis suggests that the Goneplacidae is divided into six subfamilies: Carinocarcinoidinae subfam. nov., Chasmocarcininae Serène, Euryplacinae Stimpson, Goneplacinae MacLeay, Mathildellinae subfam. nov., and Trogloplacinae Guinot. The Carcinoplacinae H. Milne Edwards is synonymised with the Goneplacinae. The family and six subfamilies are defined or redefined based upon the phylogenetic analysis. Within the Goneplacidae, the Trogloplacinae and Chasmocarcininae are sister groups nested as the most derived clade, followed by the Carinocarcinoidinae, Goneplacinae, Euryplacinae, and the most basal Mathildellinae. Our analysis supports recognition of the family Pseudoziidae Alcock by Ng and Liao and suggests that it is the sister to the Eriphiidae MacLeay. A reexamination of fossil records of the Goneplacidae shows that 62 species, 20 genera, and five subfamilies are recognized as fossils. A new monotypic genus Viaplax (Euryplacinae) is erected for Pilumnoplax urpiniana Via. Chlinocephalus Ristori and Gillcarcinus Collins and Morris are moved to the Goneplacidae. Paleopsopheticus Hu and Tao is synonymised with Psopheticus Wood-Mason. Glaessneria Takeda and Miyake is here the junior synonym of Goneplax. Eleven extinct genera previously assigned to the Goneplacidae are not referred to any subfamilies and are transferred out of the Goneplacidae. New combinations include: Carcinoplax proavita (Glaessner), Goneplax arenicola (Glaessner), Euphylax zariquieri (Via) (Portunidae Rafinesque), and Psopheticus shujienae (Hu and Tao).