# Soccer Question: Scoring an Own Goal **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [September 8, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858 "2025-09-08T17:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2025, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858/21 "2025-09-12T23:29:11Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Blimey! Well, according to that you are correct. My bad. I always believed a goal kick is an indirect kick but apparently, like a corner kick, it is neither direct nor indirect. I forgive you because, as you said… > [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > the IFAB (FIFA laws of the game) page was not structured well Frankly I think I’m lucky I found it, and I only found it because I read other discussions on Reddit and elsewhere talking about it. > [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > Probably just something I never experienced and thus never fully thought it out. It’s so rare that it happens, I’m not surprised. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858/22 "2025-09-13T00:41:27Z")
Yeah, the LOTG change. Goal kicks used to have to clear the area before being played by ANY player. Coaches/managers could not be carded, but could be cautioned and sent off (although the wording was different, IIRC…I think it was “warning” and “dismissed”). Dropped balls were always contestable by either side. Stoppages for injuries were to be for “serious” injuries only. And I have no idea what the “wait and see” approach to calling offside is all about. And it’s been less than 10 years since I worked a match! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858/23 "2025-09-13T01:10:15Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > Dropped balls were always contestable by either side. Was there an actual rule change or did professional players just start ceding the ball to the team that had possession when the whistle was blown (to avoid the shin-kicking free-for-all that was part of drop balls originally??) ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858/24 "2025-09-13T01:15:09Z")
There was. > [@](#): > > Law 8 – The Start and Restart of Play – Dropped ball > • If, when play was stopped, the ball was: > • inside the penalty area – the ball is dropped for the defending team > goalkeeper in their penalty area > • outside the penalty area – the ball is dropped for a player of the team that > has or would have gained possession if this is clear to the referee; > otherwise, it is dropped for a player of the team that last touched it. The > ball is dropped at its position when play was stopped > **[Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play](https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-8---the-start-and-restart-of-play)** > > IFAB Laws of the Game ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858/25 "2025-09-13T01:23:57Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > There was. Interesting. I wonder if the “gentlemanly” actions by players of leaving the drop ball kick to one team led to the rule change. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858/26 "2025-09-13T01:28:20Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > I wonder if the “gentlemanly” actions by players of leaving the drop ball kick to one team led to the rule change. I doubt it. Laws don’t change to reflect good sporting behavior. They’re more commonly changed to ENFORCE sporting behavior. Yet another change I’ve seen recently: In the olden days, the referee was “a playing condition” and thus considered to be part of the field, so if the ball struck the referee, just keep on playing. Now, the referee is supposed to stop play, then restart with a free kick (or drop?) to the team that had had possession. Also in the olden days, any referee who got hit with the ball owed his ARs a post-match beer, but strictly speaking, that is not in the LOTG. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-question-scoring-an-own-goal/1022858.md?page=1)