Question Number: 31292

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/23/2017

RE: ALL Other

Bob Hansen of Crystal Lake, Illinois United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 31084

If a ball is going into the goal and the interference does not prevent a defending player playing the ball, the goal is awarded if the ball enters the goal (even if contact was made with the ball) unless the ball enters the opponents goal.

What does unless the ball enters the opponents goal refer to? Please give an example. Who is opponent>

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bob
Thanks for your question
This Law change relates to the unfair impact of substitute/ team official / outside agent touching a ball which is going into the goal.
This *fair play* change means the referee can apply the advantage principle so that if the attempt to stop a goal is unsuccessful the referee can award the goal.
Now the law writers IFAB in its attempt to cover ALL eventualities had to spell out that a goal cannot be scored on opponents in such situations. The wording is poor yet it is somewhat difficult to write and opponents would refer to the offended against team.
An example would be a situation where say the entering substitute kicks the ball towards the opposite goal at the other end and scores. A goal could not be awarded in such a situation.
Anyway it is a pretty rare situation that happens in the first place and that the attempt fails. The ones that I have seen have been the substitute, physio coming on from behind the goal to stop the goal and succeeding. The redress there now is a penalty kick.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Bob,
As far as I can tell, this refers to two scenarios. One is the unlikely but theoretically possible scenario where a team official, substitute, substituted player etc enters the field and, while illegally stopping the ball from entering their own goal, kicks the ball all the way up to the opposite end of the pitch where it enters the opponent's goal.

The other would be a team-related non-player coming on near the opponent's goal (rather than near to their own goal) and touching the ball which then goes into the opponent's net.

Since a team cannot be allowed to benefit from an illegal act, a goal would not be awarded in these situations.