Question Number: 32990

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/15/2019

RE: Rec Adult

Andy Shaw of Manchester, UK asks...

Last night I was playing 5-a-side soccer indoors when the opposition goalkeeper decided to take his boots off and place them on the goal line in the middle of the goal. Moments later a shot hit the left hand post and rolled along the goal line. It hit the boots and deviated away from the goal. No one can be certain if the ball would have crossed the line had the boots not been there but it was certainly very possible. Should a goal have been awarded in this instance?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Andy,
This reads like one of those questions they put in referee tests of a scenario that would never happen, except once to a friend of a friend of mine!

Although having refereed local indoor soccer myself...all sorts of weird things happen!

Unfortunately there's no provision to allow a goal when the ball hasn't crossed the line.

I'd argue that the goalkeeper should have been sent off though, for Denying an Obvious Goalscoring Opportunity by an offence punishable by a free kick (leaving the shoes in the middle of the goal would warrant a yellow card and a free kick, stopping the likely goal escalates it to red)

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Andy
A goal cannot be awarded when the ball has not clearly crossed the goal line. There is no provision in either indoor or outdoor soccer fo a penalty goal to be awarded.
All therefore that the referee can do is stop play, caution the goalkeeper and restart with an IDFK from the penalty area line at the point nearest to where the offence was committed.
A card might be harsh yet it is the only way that a restart to the attacking team can be given. Otherwise it is a dropped ball from where the ball was when play was stopped.