Question Number: 22985

Law 18 - Common Sense 3/23/2010

RE: Competitive Adult

Richard Collins of La Mirada, CA USA asks...

Situation: The Blue team just scored and is now leading by one goal with a minute remaining in the match. The Red team must tie the score or be eliminated from the tournament. All the Red players line up on the half way line for their kickoff, which is taken according to Law 8. The ball is kicked high and hard but a gust of wind blows it back into the Red team's defensive half where it bounces and goes into the Red goal. No one other than the original Red kicker has touched the ball.
Does the goal stand?
Additional information: The Red team is from a foreign country touring the US, so FIFA and not USSF Law interpretation should be used.
My answer: Since the requirements of Law 8 were complied with, the goal stands. An 'Own Goal' is NOT specifically prohibited in Law 8.
Your opinion?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Collins
My opinion on this is that a goal cannot be scored on any restart by a team in its own goal and that includes free kicks, corners, goal kicks. I see no reason to exclude the kick off from that general principle and to remain consistent across all restarts even though it is not expressly stated in Law 8. Up until the season 1997/98 it was not possible to score directly from a kick off so on all restart it was not possible to score an own goal. The law did not need to mention which goal and it simply stated "A goal shall not be scored direct from a kick−off". Many times when a simple amendment is made all of the possible written consequences of the change is not envisaged. In this case "may be" replaced "shall not". Also as the ball is kicked forward the law makers could not envisage an own goal being scored, hence its possible exclusion. If it is kicked backwards it has to be retaken so it cannot be a goal.

Having said that if it ever happens and the referee decides to allow the goal to stand and the decision is protested I would expect a protest to be upheld. Certainly on any panel that I would sit on I would argue strongly that the well established principle exists in the law that a goal cannot be scored directly into a team's own goal on any restart. Unless it happens in a major tournament I don't expect IFAB will see this as a priority addition to the Laws.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

No. A goal may be scored directly from a kick off only against the opponent.

Before Law 8 was amended for 1996-97, no one could score a goal from a kick-off. When the law was changed, it was understood in the context of all other free kicks - for which an own goal could not be scored directly.

The notion that because something is not specificially prohibitted, it must be permitted is a common one; but it is not a notion that IFAB appears to follow. IFAB's approach to the laws has been that something that is understood by everyone, it doesn't need to be in writing. (Can the ball be rolling and not be stationary on a goal kick? Or a corner kick?)

Should an association adopt the interpretation you suggest or should an own goal be awarded in an international match, then FIFA might feel the need to address it.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Of course the goal does NOT stand. While Law 8 doesn't specifically state only the kicking team may score directly on a kick-off, it is universally known that No Team can score directly on itself at ANY restart. Yes the ball was kicked and moved forward so it was in play, but since no player from either team touched the ball after the kick, no goal may be allowed.

IFAB doesn't clutter up the Laws Of The Game by stating things everyone knows to be true. Only Americans seem to have the need to see every single nuance in writing. I know when I first started doing this I was constantly saying 'where is that written' or 'where does it say that'. It took some time for me to understand that just because something wasn't written down didn't mean it wasn't true.

As far as a protest had the referee allowed the goal that Ref McHugh brings up, I think absolutely any panel or board member would vote to uphold the protest as awarding a goal would fly in the face of what is accepted policy everywhere in the world.

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

See Question: 22992