Question Number: 35068

Law 10 - Determining the Outcome of a Match 8/16/2023

RE: Pro Professional

Lawrence E Bagwill of Elgin, TX United States asks...

When a player kicks an obvious scoring goal but it touches another player on the same team, even though the second had no idea of where the ball is. Who gets credit for the goal?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Lawrence,
generally if Number 4 red took a shot the ball is observed and seen to be played off
his team mate even accidently #8 red . Then it is likely the # 8 red player gets the credit even if that goal would have scored anyway. It is not a referee's job to ultimately determine who was responsible, just that goal is legal. If the shot was to hit a defender accidently it is likely the the defender is charged with an own goal. It could be at the elite levels the look to se if the touch was an attempt to play instead of an accidental brush or rebound the powers that be MIGHT designate the scorer differently but that is not a referee decision!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Lawrence
Thanks for the question.
It really is of concern only to online fantasy games, betting companies plus top scorer competitions such as Golden Boot awards
Eack of those competitions have rules to determine that.
In the recent World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay, using the Connected Ball Technology housed in the match ball, Adidas was able to definitively show no contact on the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo for the opening goal in the game.
Adidas stated that no external force on the ball could be measured as shown by the lack of ‘heartbeat’ in its measurements and that the 500Hz IMU sensor inside the ball allows Adidas to be highly accurate in its analysis.
It would follow on that had there been contact the goal would have been awarded to the attacking player that last touched the ball except in an own goal scenario which also has a defined rule.

At grassroots where the referee is asked for an opinion as to the scorer that can be a judgement call. I was only asked once about who scored a goal as it was an end of season game and the scorer was competing for a top scorer award. There was a defection off a defender yet it was still goal bound anyway so it was not an own goal. I credited it to the kicker and perhaps if it was an obvious redirection of the ball by an attacker the goal would be credited to that player if plainly obvious.