Goal

A goal in football creates a score for a successful team. When a goal crosses the goal line, in between the goal post and the crossbar, without any offense, it is considered as a score or a goal. The referee signals for successful goals. The play restarts after the ball is dropped. In cases when the goalkeeper throws the ball directly to the opponent’s goal, a goal kick is then awarded.

The team that gets the most number of goals is the winning team for a football match. If both teams fail to score a goal during the whole of the match or if they score the same number of goals, the match becomes a draw. In these cases, the best option to decide which of the team wins a draw match is to follow the away goals rule, two extra times not exceeding 15 minutes each, also known as a game extension, or to have kicks from the penalty mark. One or a combination of these methods can be used to determine tie matches. Kicks from the penalty mark are usually taken after the end of a match, not unless stated or relevant with any existing laws of the game.

To select a winner in a tie football game using kicks on the penalty line, ground conditions and safety will be initially accessed. The referee tosses a coin to be able to determine which side the kick will be taken. Another toss is taken to be able to decide which team will take the first kick.

The winning team for the toss can choose to kick first or to kick last. Kicks can only be taken by players currently playing in the match or players that are temporarily off the field due to an injury or those adjusting their equipment. A substitute for the goal player is also allowed if the initial goal player is unable to continue. The relieved goalkeeper is also not allowed to take a kick. Teams are responsible for selecting the order of the eligible players for the kick, without having to inform the referee.

Rules concerning goal scoring are described in Law 10 of the Laws of the Game:

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no offence has been committed by the team scoring the goal.

— Law 10: Determining the Outcome of a Match

As with other cases of the ball travelling out of the field of play, all of the ball must cross all of the line, otherwise play continues. A goal is credited to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team actually caused the ball to enter the goal. A ball entering a goal from the action of a player defending that goal is called an own goal.

Even if serious foul play unambiguously prevents a goal from being scored (a professional foul), the referee cannot award a goal unless the ball enters the goal as described above; i.e., there is no provision for awarding a goal akin to the penalty try in rugby football or the goaltending offence in basketball.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a dropped ball, indirect free kick or a throw-in. Should the ball go into the goal from these without first being touched by another player, play is restarted with a goal kick. A player cannot score an own goal directly from any restart of play (other than a penalty kick); in that case a corner kick would be awarded. Both of these situations, especially the latter, are exceedingly rare.

It is not possible to score an attacking goal with the hands or arm. If a goalkeeper throws the ball directly into the opponent’s goal from their own penalty area, no goal is awarded: instead a goal-kick is awarded to the defending side. If the ball goes directly into the opponent’s goal from the hands or arm of a player in any other circumstances, the handling is penalized as a handball offence (even if it was unintentional). It remains possible to score an own goal with the hands or arm.

If there is time remaining in the session of play, after a goal has been scored play is restarted with a kick-off by the side which conceded the goal.