Question Number: 14783

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/2/2007

RE: Competitive High School

Patrick Chambers of Kailua, HI USA asks...

Dear Sir,

Thank you for the great resource for us referees.

My question - in your recent discussion on "If the defending team kicks the ball into their own goal, does this score a goal for the attacking team?" no one addressed the possibility that this might have been on purpose.

It seems to me that in the latter case the defender should have been cautioned for bringing the game into disrepute.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Does not matter here. I would not consider this action alone to be a cautiionable offense

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

FIFA Q&A 5.19 says
[quote]How should a referee react if, during the course of a match, he realises that one of the teams is deliberately trying to lose? Should he draw the attention of the team in question to the fact that if they continue to play in that way, he will terminate the game in accordance with the provisions of Law 5?

The referee has no right to stop the match in this case.
[endquote]

Although this doesn't directly address a player deliberately scoring an own goal, it would be logical to infer that it would not be misconduct.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Patrick,
in tournaments and some leagues there are mercy rules that end matches if the score gets too far out of whack. I belive these attempts to be fair minded create such bizzare things as scoring against oneself simply to keep playing. As my colleagues point out simply scoring against ones self even if on purpose is not neccessarily uSB requiring a caution. Granted I see a remote possiblity in there could be misconduct in the nature, attitude or display of character one might have in doing so as in taunting the opposition but that is not the goal it is the player's actions that needs to be seen and evaluated by the referee in that match. Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 14792