Question Number: 21932

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 9/10/2009

RE: competive Adult

vicki of newport news, va usa asks...

does the ball have to entirely cross the line in order for it to be a goal? or only part of the ball have to cross the line?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Each line forms part of the area that it encompasses. This means that if the ball is on or above any boundary line (and the goal line between the goal posts is still a boundary line), it is considered to be in that area.

This is the same for the penalty area; if the ball is even mostly out of the area and on the field of play, but a sliver of the ball is on the line then it is in the penalty area.

Likewise, if 99% of the ball has crossed the goal line but a sliver remains on or above the line, the ball is still in play.

Naturally it can be difficult for the referee or even the assistant referee to judge this with absolute accuracy, particularly as you not only need to be right on the line but you also need to have a completely unobstructed view, and be able to tell what happened to the degree of millimetres when a ball may very rapidly change direction from going into the goal to being kicked back out.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

FIFA quote
THE METHOD OF SCORING
Goal Scored
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.

Decisions of the Referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.
end quotes

With only visual clues the AR looking across and the referee looking in, if they hold the opinion the ENTIRE ball has crossed then the referee decides if the criterion for goal are met!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

On ANY of the boundary lines of the soccer field. all of the ball must cross over all of the line to leave the area it is in. For example, all the ball has to cross over all the touchline to go out of play. Same with the goal line. All of the ball must cross over all of the goal line to go out of play. If it goes between the goal posts and under the crossbar, it's a goal. If not, it's either a corner kick or goal kick