# Football(soccer) rules question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 27, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-soccer-rules-question/483265 "2009-01-27T19:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-soccer-rules-question/483265/21 "2009-01-30T19:00:17Z")
anyone have the final answer? ---
**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-soccer-rules-question/483265/22 "2009-01-30T19:18:17Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > IIRC, the rules had to be clarified, because at one stage they stated that the ball was declared inactive when it ceased going forward (as opposed to at rest). There was a famous case of a penalty shoot out in a World Cup (1984, I think) that the ball changed direction after hitting the post, rebounded of the back of the keepers head and went into the net. the penalty was allowed, but there was some discussion afterwards as to what constituted “going forward”, and the role of the goalkeeper (is he treated as a post, or as a player). The game you are talking about is World Cup '86: Brazil vs France. [http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=68/results/matches/match=440/report.html](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=68/results/matches/match=440/report.html) and ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/P_5ztVdO3bc/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/P_5ztVdO3bc?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque 5 minutes in ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-soccer-rules-question/483265/23 "2009-01-30T19:21:21Z")
> [@blinkingblinking](#): > > anyone have the final answer? The final answer to the OP is that yes it is a goal. This is clearly stated in the Laws of the Game booklet from FIFA. The surrounding discussion is that the rule-book doesn’t seem to explicitly state that a kick-taker cannot follow up on his kick during an end-of-game kick from the penalty spot. Clearly they can’t, but the rules don’t seem to forbid it, except under the umbrella of “the kick ends when the referee says it does” or perhaps some distinction between “kick” as the entire process and “kick” as one swing at the ball. ---
**Author:** ![Discordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Discordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discordia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-soccer-rules-question/483265/24 "2009-01-30T19:21:22Z")
> [@blinkingblinking](#): > > anyone have the final answer? To the OP? It’s a goal. Bet your life on it. (unless the ref is terrible, since what they say counts!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-soccer-rules-question/483265.md?page=1)