Question Number: 23567

Law 1- The Field 6/27/2010

RE: Adult

hema of lagos, lagos nigeria asks...

in football is a goal considered to be valid if it crosses the goal line but does not touch the net?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Hema
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.
Indeed under the Laws of the Game nets are not compulsory but many competitions request their use and most clubs chose to use them. It is not necessary for the ball to touch the net for a goal to be scored.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Nets are not required. Law 10 says it is a goal if all of the ball crosses the back edge of the line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar. No nets mentioned. Now, the only caveat is the referee team must witness the ball cross the line - if they don't and the ball comes back onto the field, it is not a goal - just like what happened to England today.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Yes. A goal only requires that all of the ball must cross all of the goal line, between the goal posts and under the cross bar.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

It is - but only if the referee is certain that this is what's happened!

If the referee or assistant referees are not in perfect position (on the goal line), then it can be very difficult to make such a decision. Even if you're in perfect position, all it needs is a player's leg in the way to make it even more difficult, and you also need to consider that all the ball needs is to have a millimetre still above the line to be still in play.

So the ball doesn't even have to touch the ground after crossing the goal line to be considered a goal - but like I said, the difficulty is whether the refereeing team are able to determine, with absolute certainty, that the ball has crossed the line.

Any doubt and play should be allowed to continue.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Yes. In fact Law 1 tells us that nets are not even required on goals. All the ball needs to do is cross the goal line entirely and be between posts and under cross bar.