Law 1 - The Field of Play

GOAL NETTING, ETC.

Question:
I have been looking on the internet about soccer goals and the rules about other netting with posts sticking out of the ground and the posts and netting is in the goals is there some kind of rule that says that where there is a goal you have to have so many feet away from a goal for clearance do you understand what I am trying to say???

Answer (August 14, 2009):
We are not entirely certain that we understand your question, but here is what the Laws of the Game, the rules we play by, call for. Law 1 (The Field of Play) tells us:

QUOTE
Goals
A goal must be placed on the center of each goal line.
A goal consists of two upright posts equidistant from the corner flagposts and joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar. The goalposts and crossbar must be made of wood, metal or other approved material. They must be square, rectangular, round or elliptical in shape and must not be dangerous to players.

The distance between the posts is 7.32 m (8 yds) and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44 m (8 ft).

Both goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and depth, which do not exceed 12 cm (5 ins). The goal lines must be of the same width as the goalposts and the crossbar. Nets may be attached to the goals and the ground behind the goal, provided that they are properly supported and do not interfere with the goalkeeper.

The goalposts and crossbars must be white.

Safety
Goals must be anchored securely to the ground. Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy this requirement.
END OF QUOTE

The Law does not require netting on the goals. The net is something required by the rules of the competition (league, tournament, etc.).

Other than the corner flag posts (and the optional posts 1 yard/meter from the halfway line, no other posts are allowed anywhere near the field and certainly no netting would be allowed anywhere but on the goals themselves.

If you are asking how far back from the goal frame the netting must be secured -- whether "staked back" or hung on a frame, the answer is the same -- there is nothing in the Laws of the Game about any of this. The primary emphasis in dealing with equipment the referee finds at any given field is on the safety of that equipment.

CORNER FLAGS

Question:
in a game played where corner flags were not available...if the ball goes out of play from an attacker's foot and travels directly over where the corner flag would have been, is it restarted with a goal kick or a throw in?  Are corner flags required for a game? must they actually be a flag or can they be just a post (flag on one that was provided had torn off)?

Answer (April 10, 2009):
Yes, corner flags and posts are required. However, if they are not available, the referee must make certain that he or she can judge where the corner is. The final decision in your question is up to the referee.

DIGGING HOLES AND MAKING KICKING TEES

Question:
In a U-13 game, a player is desinated to kick all free and goal kicks. in doing so she constanly would use her heel of her boot to dig a hole so she would place the ball next to the hole so she would get a good lift on the ball I could not find any thing on the FIFA rule book that is ok, or not.

Answer (July 15, 2009):
Creating a hole either behind the ball or to mound up dirt to create a "tee" is illegal. While you will find nothing specific to this particular situation in the Laws of the Game, it must not be permitted, and there a number of reasons for that.

The first is the established principle that players may not make unauthorized marks on the field. Although this is aimed mostly at goalkeepers who scuff lines around their area to assist them in "locating" themselves, there is no functional difference between scuffing lines and digging holes. Second, digging a hole is potentially dangerous, unless one assumes that the player becomes responsible for immediately "replacing the divot" after the kick is taken. So for safety reasons this is not allowed. Third, creating such a hole and tee is a form of "artificial aid" to assist play -- and that is considered misconduct (using a teammate's shoulders, hanging on the crossbar to make the save, trapping the ball with the shirt, etc.). Fourth, though a bit more of a stretch of logic, if a player cannot move or remove a corner flag for the taking of a corner kick, why would we allow the digging of a hole (or stubbing the toe into the dirt to create a "tee") for the taking of a free kick? Fifth, would we allow this for the taking of a penalty kick? If not, then why would it be allowed for other kicking restarts?

Question:
I was posed this question that I didn't honestly have the answer to. This is in regards to the portable goals with the tires on the sides to make moving the goal easy.

Everything has been set properly but during the course of play ball seems to go over the touchline close to the uprights, but hits the tire of the goal and bounces back in to play without the entire ball crossing the line.

The question is: Do we consider the tire part of the goal and let play continue or do we treat it similar to football field goal that hangs over the goal and if that is hit, the ball is out regardless if it bounces back into play?

Answer (September 2, 2009):
You are correct! Wheeled goals fall under the same category as football goalposts. This is covered in the USSF publication "Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game": (b) Non-regulation appurtenances (see 1.7) These include superfluous items attached to the goal frame (such as the uprights on combination soccer/football goals) and not generally subject to movement. If the ball contacts these items, it is deemed to be automatically out of play and the restart is in accordance with the Law, based on which team last played the ball.

PURPOSE OF THE GOAL AREA

Question:
Why is the "goal box" markings required, when all the rules that I'm aware of apply only to the "penalty area"? What special rules apply only to the "goal box"?

Answer (October 16, 2009):
There is no "goal box," but there is a goal area within the penalty area. The goal area has changed shape, size, and role several times during its history. Nowadays its primary roles are to provide a place for the goal kick to be taken and to act as a buffer zone for dropped balls and for opposing indirect free kicks within six yards of the goal.

If play is stopped inside the goal area for some reason other than a foul or misconduct, the referee drops the ball on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped (Law 8).

A free kick awarded to the defending team within the goal area may be taken from any point inside that area (Law 13)

An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team inside the goal area must be taken on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred (Law 13).

A goal kick is kicked from any point within the goal area by a player of the defending team.

SANDBAGS FOR GOAL ANCHORS

Question:
Last night a local administrator instructed our officials that the sand bags out at a local field which anchor the goals are not sufficient. Since these are the same sand bags used for Regionals, I am certain they would not have been used if they were not acceptable. Can you please clarify?

Answer (September 6, 2010):
As we stated on March 15, 2006, this is a matter of player safety. There is no reason to look beyond Law 1. In describing the field and its appurtenances, Law 1 tells us, under "Goals": "Goals must be anchored securely to the ground. Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy this requirement." Using sand bags is one way of doing this, but even they present some danger. The decision can be made only by the referee on the spot.