Can A Goalkeeper Score In Soccer? (Full Guide)

A football fan is worried about a goalie being allowed to score in soccer. Perhaps he or she is new to the game and wanted to know about one or two points in every position of each player on the field.

Are you also in that shoe? Regardless, In this post; I have got you covered because I will be answering the question; ” Can a goalkeeper score in soccer “. It’s no more news, football is probably the most watched and popular sport for different reasons.

Playing football and watching football games is exciting, and you can’t take away that ice from the game. And every position on the field is crucial to the gameplay because each position has its effect on the result.

And the position I will be emphasizing is the man in the goalpost, the goalkeeper. With that being said;

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What Does A Goalkeeper Do In Soccer

A goalkeeper, also known as a keeper or goalie, is a player whose primary job on the field is to protect the team’s goalpost.

They are the only players on the field allowed to use their hands (within the penalty area) and their primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring.

This includes blocking shots, catching crosses, and making saves. They also act as a last line of defense and are often responsible for starting the team’s attacks with quick throws or kicks.

In addition, due to their unfettered view of the entire field and their unique viewpoint on play development, goalkeepers are crucial in directing on-field most especially defensive play.

You must also understand that the only position on the field that must be filled is the goalpost.

A game can not be played without a goalkeeper even if a goalkeeper is sent off or injured, another goalkeeper must step in, and in the worst scenario where there is no more a goalkeeper in the team, then a player must step in as a goalkeeper in such a game.

That happened before when John Terry finished a match for Chelsea football club as a goalkeeper. As a goalkeeper and to be ready to react and stop the next shot that comes your way, you must be able to stand with your feet, shoulder-width apart and on tiptoes.

Now that you know the role of a goalkeeper in football, In the next session, you will learn if a goalie can score a goal in soccer.

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Can A Goalkeeper Score In Football?

Yes, a goalkeeper can score in soccer as much as he or she is part of the team in the field of play. A goalkeeper recording a goal in a match doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen and a session in this post will discuss some goalkeeper that has scored a goal in soccer.

However, a goalkeeper can score a goal in different ways;

  • By scoring from a penalty kick or free-kick: If the goalkeeper has been selected to take a penalty kick or free-kick, they can score a goal just like any other player.
  • By scoring on a throw-in: If the goalkeeper throws the ball into the opponent’s goal, it will count as a goal.
  • By scoring on a goal kick: If the goalkeeper kicks the ball from their half and it goes directly into the opponent’s goal, it will count as a goal.

To protect their goal, goalkeepers spend the majority of a game in the penalty area or the area surrounding the goal they are defending in which they can control the ball.

A goalie rarely moves this far out and joins an attack since doing so leaves the defense open to long-range attacks until the goalkeeper can come back to protect its half.

Has A Goalkeeper Ever Scored In Football

There have been several goalkeepers who have scored in football, the most famous among them being Rogério Ceni, a Brazilian, who holds the record for scoring the most goals.

In addition, Argentine goalkeeper Roberto Bonano of River Plate and the Paraguayan José Luis Chilavert of Vélez Sarsfield both scored in a Copa Mercosur game in 2000.

José Luis Chilavert has the most goals scored in international competitions, and he is only the second goalkeeper to score a hat-trick and has the second-most goals scored overall.

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However, they are not the only goalkeepers to ever score in a game. On November 2, 2013, it took Asmir Begovic, a former Stoke City goalkeeper 13 seconds to record the fastest goal ever in the history of football.

Also, In a game against Fortuna Köln on April 27, 1985, SV Darmstadt 98 goalkeeper Wilhelm Huxhorn smashed the previous record for the longest goal in football history (103 meters/112.6 yards).

Tom King of Newport County scored the official record-breaking goal against Cheltenham Town on January 19, 2021, and it was officially recognized by Guinness World Records.

In recent times, it can be recalled that Liverpool goalkeeper Allisson scored a 95th minute header against West Bromwich Albion to give his side a 2:1 win. It happened in May 2021.

Goalkeepers With The Highest Goals In Football

Here is the list of the top 10 goalkeepers or goalies with the highest goal in football history;

  1. Rogerio Ceni – 131 goals
  2. Jose Luis Chilavert – 67 goals
  3. Jorge Campos – 46 goals
  4. Johnny Vegas Fernandez – 45 goals
  5. Arene Hignita – 43 goals
  6. Dimitar Ivankov – 42 goals
  7. Marcio – 40 goals
  8. Fernando Patterson – 35 goals
  9. Hans-Jorg Butt – 33 goals
  10. Misael Alfaro – 31 goals.

Can A Goalkeeper Score With His Hands

Yes, a goalkeeper can score with his hands in football, but only from within his half or penalty area. This is one of the rarest ways for a goalkeeper to score, but it’s certainly possible.

In addition, If the ball is played toward the keeper, and he or she is not within the penalty area, then he’s not allowed to use his hands to control it or make the save.

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However, If a goalkeeper does this, he’ll almost certainly be given a yellow card and the referee will award the opponent a freekick, and If a goalkeeper uses his hands to score Outside his area, he or she will be given an immediate red card and sent off from the game.

Goalkeeper Rules And Regulations

In soccer, the goalkeeper has specific rules and regulations that they must follow. These rules include:

  • The goalkeeper can only use their hands within their penalty area.
  • The goalkeeper can not pick up the ball if it was deliberately kicked to them by a teammate.
  • The goalkeeper must release the ball into play within six seconds of picking it up.
  • The goalkeeper cannot touch the ball with their hands if it was kicked to them directly from a goal kick or throw-in taken by a teammate.
  • If a goalkeeper commits a foul within their penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded to the opposing team.

However, all of these rules are intended to maintain fairness and balance in the game and to prevent goalkeepers from gaining an unfair advantage over the other players.

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Key Takeaway

In as much as you are part of the eleven selected players to play the game, you have the privilege to score. According to the rules of the gameplay, you can use every part of your body to score except using your hands and arms and this rule also apply to the goalies.

As a goalkeeper, you are allowed to use every part of your body to kick the ball or to save the ball only within your designated area.

If you throw the ball from your designated area into your opponent’s goalpost, it will be counted as a goal.

However, there are lots of great goalies that have scored in football matches with the likes of Rogerio Ceni and Jose Luis Chilavert who happen to be the goalkeepers with the highest goal.

In a nutshell, a goalkeeper can score, and he or she can use their hands to score but only from his penalty area which I have never seen before.