Question Number: 18396

Law 1- The Field 2/19/2008

RE: Professional

Melvin Hagerman of Colorado Springs, Colorado U.S.A. asks...

A question about goalposts:

In the U.S. and in Canada as well, I remember seeing goalposts which were dual-purpose, for lack od any other term--they were a standard 24-foot-wide, 8-foot-tall soccer goal, with the gridiron uprights attacted on top; i.e. the gridiron crossbar was two feet above the soccer crossbar, with three to five vertical posts connecting the crossbars, and the uprights extending 10 feet above the upper crossbar.

(To picture this, draw a very wide capital "H" on paper, then draw a line just below the horizontal line on the "H", and connect the two horizontal lines with three to five small vertical lines, something like this:

H H
H H
H H
H H
H H
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
H H H H H
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
H H
H H
H H
H H

I just hope this looks right when this is submitted.)

The question I have is this: A ball kicked toward a goal described above, which would normally go over the crossbar,
hits either of the gridirion uprights or the gridiron crossbar and bounces back into play, whereupon the offensive team scores. Is this a legal goal and why or why not?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Kind of hard to improve on a policy statement from the national organization. Actually what they say is logical, if something is there that shouldn't be it shouldn't be able to alter what would have happened has it not have been there...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The USSF publication "Advice to Referees" addresses this:

[quote]
1.7 SUPERSTRUCTURE ON GOALS
It is not uncommon on public fields for the soccer goals to include structures attached to and above the crossbar (particularly where the goal is being used for other sports). If the ball strikes any part of such a structure, apart from or in addition to striking a goal post or crossbar, the ball is considered to have left the field even if, as a result of the contact, the ball remains on the field. The restart (goal kick or corner kick) is based on Laws 16 or 17.
[end quote]

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If it hits the gridiron post, then it is a goal kick and the ball is considered to have left the field of play.