Question Number: 20434

Law 1- The Field 11/2/2008

RE: Under 17

Brent of Roanoke, VA US asks...

Recently my team played in a tournament on a highschool field used for both soccer and football. The soccer goal was not connected to the football goalpost but it was directly above it and the ball could be played off of it without leaving the field of play. Our keeper blocked a shot from the other team over the soccer goal but it bounced off the football crossbar back into play where one of their players proceeded to hit it into the goal. The center referee called it a goal.

From reading another question on this site this goal should not have been allowed, but in the ref's explanation of this call he said it was a goal under a certian set of rules (I don't remember the name). I checked the tournament rules and it states that the games are played under FIFA rules. Where in the FIFA rules is this rule found?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If the football goal was ABOVE the top of the crossbar, then I fail to see how the ball could be played off of it without leaving the field of play. Advice To Referees deals with appurtenances to the field. While they specifically only mention items physically attached to the soccer goal, I would think what they say would also be true of anything not attached which is: if the ball hits these appurtenances it has immediately gone out of play. I fail how to see this thing to be viewed as a pre-existing condition like an overhanging tree limb that is above the field but if the ball hits it, it would fall down onto the field of play.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The pointy football crossbar and the posts above it should always be considered to be out of play if hit by a soccer ball during a soccer game.

We can only play with one set of sport goals at a time, and to allow the American football goal to participate in the soccer game by throwing the ball back onto the field is just wrong.

Please let the assignor of this referee know what happened, so it won't happen again. Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Brent, if the ball went ABOVE the soccer goal it would have gone out of play if the other paraphernalia was not there. No goal. As a matter of fact, the referee really should have mentioned to the teams before the game that if the ball hits that it is a goal kick or corner kick depending who touched it last. FIFA has not yet commented on American football goals. I don't think they have heard the game either...