Question Number: 23354

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 5/21/2010

RE: select Under 12

Stanley Lo of BROOKFIELD, WI United States asks...

A shot is taken and comes off the hands of the goalie. The goal hits the top of the square cross bar and returns to the field of play. The ball is subsequently shot into the goal by an offensive player.

Is this a goal or is was the ball considered out of bounds when it bounced off the top of the goal?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

From the current Laws Of The Game:

Both goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and depth, which
do not exceed 12 cm (5 ins). The goal lines must be of the same width as
the goalposts and the crossbar.

What this means is the crossbar is to be parallel with the goal line and the same width. For the ball to be considered out of play, all of the ball must cross over all of the goal line, either on the ground or in the air.

2009 LOTG explicitly states the ball is in play if it rebounds off the crossbar onto the field of play;

The ball is in play at all other times, including when:
? it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or corner flagpost and remains in the
field of play

In your example, the ball never crosses over the crossbar so it is still in play. Unless the attacking team has breached any of the LOTG, this should be a goal

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The goalpost and crossbar are within the field of play. This is a goal.

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

See Question: 24246