Question Number: 24461

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 1/6/2011

RE: Adult

Sandeep of Ahmedabad, Gujrat India asks...

Is a goal valid if the ball crosses over the line but in mid air is kicked out or pushed out by the keeper? i.e it does not touch either the net,cross-bar or the ground during its movement in and out of the goal post.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

That's a goal. Law 10 says, '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.' Nothing about the ball having to touch the ground or the net.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Sandeep
Most definitely a goal. Once all of the ball crosses the goal line it is a goal irrespective of whether it touches the net, crossbar or ground

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

A goal is scored in this situation as soon as all of the ball crosses all of the goal line. The ball does not have to touch the ground or net.

Note: the crossbar and goal posts are on the goal line. Touching the crossbar tells little about whether the ball then has rebounded fully past the goal line (goal) or not (no goal).

Keepers are sneaky. They may try to play a ball they know already has crossed the line, hoping the referee isn't sure.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

That depends on whether or not the referee team can determine that the whole ball crossed the goal line under the crossbar and between the goal posts before it was scooped out by a wily keeper or kicked out by a defender. If the assistant referee is in position to see the ball cross the line, then it is a goal. If the referee team is not sure it crossed, it is not a goal.

The England 'goal' in the last World Cup was an example - it clearly crossed the goal line, but none of the referee team saw it cross the line, so it was not a goal.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'm not certain by the way you word your question if a goal has been scored. If the ball is 'over' the goal line in the sense of 'above' the goal line when the keeper grabs the ball, no goal. If the ball is over in the sense of having completely crossed the entire goal line from the front of the goal line to the back of it, then,yes, it's a goal