Question Number: 22072

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 9/24/2009

RE: Rec, Under 13

norm disanto jr of narvon, pa. usa asks...

if the attacking team takes a shot on goal and it hits one of the sides or top of the goal and goes in what is the call

i would call it a goal


but i just watched a u-19 game and i seen two shot hit the bars and the ref call for a goal kick
thanks
norm

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Norm
Very straight forward answer to this. Law 10 of the Laws of the Game states and I quote
'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'.
The ball hitting the posts, crossbar has no impact on the decision whatsoever.
Now I have to make an assumption here that in the U-19 that maybe the referee did not see the ball go into the goal perhaps because there was no nets or indeed he called a foul such as offside in the goal area resulting in an indirect free kick which can look like a goal kick.
It is such a fundamental of the game and I would be disappointed that a referee at U-19 level would make such an error in law.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Some fields use a combined soccer/American football goals , and these have additional metal bars attached to the soccer posts and cross bar. Even if these additional metal pieces overhang the field of play, the ball is dead when it hits them.

With a regulation soccer goal, the posts and cross-bar are part of the field, and the ball remains in play when it hits them.