Question Number: 13116

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 6/20/2006

RE: Adult

venkitesh of calicut, kerala india asks...

thank you sir,

good wishes,

the ball does not touch the net or ground but was inside the bars the goalie with his legs inside the line pushes out the ball, whether this is a goal, what are the definitions of a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses the whole of the goal line under and inside the bars, provided the Laws of the Game have not been infringed by the side scoring the goal AND this incredibly important thing: one of the match officials sees it across the line. Anything else and play just goes on and that happens because of the human element associated with Football.

Sometimes we miss something important BUT it is far better to have it that way than stop play and crowd around a television monitor to dissect what did or did not happen.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The whole ball (even the part not touching the ground) must be over the goal line, between the posts, and under the cross bar. If at any point it is, goal.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Venkitesh,
are you by chance refering to the French goal that was unseen by the officials as well as the French team since I saw no wild gestulating to the contrary at the time? Sometimes the body position of the players and keeper plus the speed of the ball make it difficult to spot if the WHOLE of the ball has crossed over the goalline under the crossbar between the posts if but for a split second.

Law 10 definition of a Goal Scored
A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no infringement of the Laws of the Game has been committed previously by the team scoring the goal.

As Ref Fleischer so adroitly points out it must be seen by the officials to be counted unfortuntely sometimes poor positioning and a bit of bad luck what will be, will be! Cheers