Question Number: 29177

Mechanics 2/14/2015

RE: Adult

Bature of Lokoja, Kogi Nigeria asks...

Good day sir.
A short was taking, a goal keeper catches the ball and released the ball immediately because he sustained an injury and he fell down, then the ball enters the goal net, What should be the decision of he REFEREE?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Bature,
hmmm in such cases the ability to recognize a truly serious injury as an immediate stoppage must reflect the opinion of the referee from his angle of view as it occurs .The referee must be able to recognize the keeper is in distress, has made a legitimate save and is collapsing because of the serious nature of his injury and is stopping play as the ball is being released.

I would have to witness the keeper smash face first into the goal post and hear bones break or see blood fly to immediately activate a stoppage so quickly. Even BEFORE I blow the whistle! As I have ALREADY decided to stop play given the SERIOUS nature of what I witnessed. I would not award the goal!

You describe a situation where the ball enters the goal off the keeper in a very short timeframe, but no indication of how serious the injury might be, so likely in the real world of probability, the goal would stand!

When I coached youth I can recall several balls into the face or groin of young keepers that come off a shot, rebound right back and shot again into the goal as the keeper was stunned, crying off that first shot. The goals stood in most cases although the odd team insisted it was not fair and ask the referee to not award the goal. The reasoning a goal is not disallowed is the fact it was scored without a foul and any rebound was created by the original scoring opportunity.

I recall a balll hitting the head of the keeper, knocking him down into the post, as it deflected into the goal. The keeper was forced to be substituted! The goal counted simply due to the dynamics of active play! Despite the keeper's unfortunate bad luck nothing would has changed, the fact the goal was scored in a fair and legal manner.

Every situation has variables . The AR might notice the keeper was severely injured ahead of the referee and communicate it to the referee after the goal. There maybe a collision/foul involved that could nullify the goal. Or it could be two team mates crashing into one another. Injuring the keeper knocking the ball free.

I had a keeper make a diving save, come down hard and the ball pops out of his arms into the goal . He lies writhing on the ground then comes up spitting blood as he had bite his tongue in the save attempt. It was unfortunate, it likely hurt like hell, but the goal still counted! Another incident was a keeper kicked in the hand by her own player as she tried to clear the ball, the keeper was in the process of trying to pick it up . The keeper had a broken finger, the other team, the goal!

ITOOTR will play a large part in incidents where a goal results off a supposed serious injury. Sometimes a bit of bad luck is involved and the situation is unfortunate but not illegal . If the team scoring is of the opinion the goal is tainted in someway they have the option of simply letting the opposition score uncontested off the kick off. Seen it done a time or two!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bature
Each situation will be different. In dynamic play with perhaps an injury just before the ball crosses the goal line the goal is going to be counted. If a goalkeeper however was to catch the ball and then was to lay down with the ball in his grasp it is likely that the referee will be able to stop play.
I recall an incident in a game where a defender clashed his head with an opponent, caused by the defenders actions. The ball fell immediately to a forward who scored. The referee had to award the goal as he had not stopped play. The goal in fact stopped play and the player got immediate attention.