Question Number: 19558

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 7/2/2008

RE: rec Adult

wolfgang Hamann of Vancouver, B.C. Canada asks...

if a soccer goalie throws the ball into his/her own net, is it a goal? I heard somewhere that the ball had to either be kicked, headed or contact some other part of the body, except the hands, to be counted as a goal. thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Back to myth busting... A goal is scored if the ball passes completely over the goal line, under the cross bar and between the posts provided the Laws of the Game are not infringed by the team scoring the goal. The goalkeeper is permitted to handle the ball within her own penalty area and what she does with it is her concern. Of course actions such as this will not tend to endear her to her own side.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Perhaps the confusion you are experiencing stems from a misunderstanding relating to the fact that a team cannot score directly against themselves from a restart. A team cannot score against themselves directly from a free kick, a goal kick, a corner kick or a throw-in.

A goalkeeper who has possession of the ball with the hands cannot be interfered with by an opponent, but when she puts it back into play, it is NOT a restart, but simply a continuation of play. If she throws it into her own goal, that's a matter for her teammates and coaches to deal with, but the referee will call for a goal and kick-off restart.