What Is an Own Goal in Soccer?

An own goal in soccer is when a player causes the ball to go into their own team’s net, which results in a goal being awarded to the opposition. It counts on the scoreboard exactly like any other goal and can decide the outcome of a match, even though the player who scored it plays for the losing side of that goal.

How does an own goal work?

An own goal happens when a defending player is the last of their own team to touch the ball before it fully crosses their goal line between the posts and under the bar. This often comes from a mis-hit clearance, a deflection off a sliding challenge, a miscommunication with the goalkeeper, or a save that spins back over the line. Whatever the cause, once the whole of the ball crosses the line, the goal stands and is added to the opposition’s total.

Crucially, intent does not matter. A defender does not need to mean it for an own goal to count. Nearly all own goals are accidental, the product of trying to clear danger or block a cross and instead diverting the ball into the net.

How is an own goal credited and recorded?

The goal is credited to the opposing team on the scoreboard. The defender who put the ball into the net is recorded as scoring an own goal, usually shown with the tag (og) next to their name in match records. Importantly, an own goal does not count toward that player’s personal scoring total for the game, season, or career. It is logged for the record of the match but kept separate from a player’s goalscoring statistics.

Can you score an own goal directly from a set piece?

No — and this is a rule many fans do not know. Under the Laws of the Game, the ball cannot go directly into your own goal from your own team’s set piece. If the ball is played straight into your own net from a free kick, throw-in, goal kick, or corner taken by your team, without touching another player, a goal is not awarded to the opponents. Instead, the restart is a corner kick to the opposing team. The table below summarizes what happens.

For an own goal to be awarded from these situations, the ball must first touch another player after the set piece is taken. In open play, of course, an own goal can be scored at any time.

How do officials decide between an own goal and a scorer’s goal?

When a shot deflects off a defender on its way in, someone has to decide who gets credit. The general principle is about whether the original effort was heading in. If an attacker’s shot was on target and takes only a slight, negligible deflection, the attacker usually keeps the goal. If the ball was going wide or was a genuine clearance attempt that a defender turned into their own net, it is recorded as an own goal. Different competitions have panels or dedicated bodies that make these calls, so a decision can occasionally be reviewed and changed after a match.

Why do own goals happen so often on crosses?

A large share of own goals come from crosses and low balls across the six-yard box, and there is a simple reason. When a ball is whipped across the face of goal, a defender is forced to make a split-second decision under pressure, often stretching or sliding to cut out the danger before an attacker can reach it. Any touch on a fast-moving ball can redirect it unpredictably, and with the goalkeeper committed to the original flight, even a small deflection can send it inside the post. Defenders are coached to clear the ball out wide or over the bar rather than back across their own goal, precisely to reduce this risk, but the margins are tiny.

Deflections from blocks are the other common source. A defender throwing a body in front of a shot can turn an effort that was going wide into one that loops or spins over the line. In these moments the defender is doing exactly what the situation demands, which is why own goals are treated as an unfortunate part of the game rather than a personal failure.

Common misconceptions about own goals

One misconception is that own goals do not count as much as normal goals. They count fully and can win a game outright. Another is that a player must intend to score in their own net for it to be an own goal — intent is irrelevant. A third is that any deflection into the net is automatically an own goal. It is not; if the shot was on target, the attacker often retains the credit. Finally, some fans think a goalkeeper cannot score an own goal, but a keeper who carries or deflects the ball over their own line can indeed concede one.

Bottom line

An own goal is a goal for the other team caused by a defending player, and it counts in full on the scoreboard. It is tagged (og) and kept out of the scorer’s personal tally. The main rule twist to remember is that you cannot score directly into your own net from your own set piece — in that case the opposition simply gets a corner instead.