Question Number: 31845

High School 9/30/2017

RE: competitive High School

Carl of St.Peters, United states asks...

I am a goalkeeper and the other day in are game the ball was shot and I knocked it away but another player slid in grabbed the ball with his legs and rolled in the goal. The ref called it a goal even after I told him that he grabbed it with his legs. Is that really a legal way to score a goal ?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The only thing I can think of is that it might (or might not, depending on what else was going on), it might be considered playing in a dangerous manner (PIADM). If another player was about to kick the ball but could not for fear of kicking the player with the ball between his legs, that would be PIADM. But if no one else was around who had to pull away from playing the ball, then there's no problem.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Carl
If it was a immediate play with the ball being *carried* over the line by the players leg/s on a slide without the possibility of any challenge on the ball then there was no offence and the goal was good.
It is only likely to be an offence if the action prevented an opponent from kicking or playing the ball for fear of kicking tne opponent. That is playing in a dangerous manner which has an IDFK restart.
In your scenario the ball may have been over the line in an instant with no possible play on the ball by an opponent. The referee will have seen the players action and he decided that there was no offence based on the fact that no opponent was affected negatively by the play or any danger to the scorer. It is a myth that the ball cannot be played on the ground or moved while on the ground. It is only called once there is a danger to the player or an opponent including where opponents are negatively effected by the action.
To Quote NFHS Rule 12 Section 6
A player shall not participate in dangerous play, which is an act an official considers likely to cause injury to any player. This includes playing in such a manner which could cause injury to self or another player (opponent or teammate).PENALTY:Indirect free kick.
A2 plays the ball to A3 while lying on the ground. RULING:Legal, provided A2 did not create a danger to A3 or another player.
It is the exact same Law in FIFA games.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Carl,
There is nothing in the laws that would make this action illegal in and of itself. As my colleagues have noted it could, given a situation where an opponent was prevented from playing the ball for fear of injuring the player holding the ball between the legs, amount to playing in a dangerous manner. If this were not the case however, then it would be a legal goal.