Own Goal in Soccer: What Counts, Who Gets Credit and Restart Exceptions

An own goal in soccer happens when a player from the defending team sends the ball into their own goal and the goal is legally awarded to the opposition. The scoreboard adds one goal to the attacking team, not to the defender’s team. But the official scorer may treat a deflected attacking shot differently from an obvious defensive mistake, and a ball entering a team’s own net directly from certain restarts may not count as a goal at all.

To separate the laws from statistical judgment, this explainer uses IFAB Law 10 and Law 8, checked October 11, 2026. IFAB decides whether a goal is legal; a league or competition’s statistical provider typically decides which player receives the own-goal notation.

What is an own goal in soccer?

Imagine a defender trying to clear a low cross from the penalty area. The defender gets to the ball first, but the clearance goes past their goalkeeper and crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. Provided there was no relevant offense, the opposing team scores. Match reports may label the scorer as the defender followed by (OG).

In the Laws of the Game, the fundamental scoring test is whether the entire ball crosses the goal line between the posts and below the crossbar, without an offense by the scoring team. The laws do not set a universal global formula for deciding whether the credit goes to a particular attacker or to a defender whose touch changed the ball’s direction.

Own goal versus deflected shot: who gets credit?

These examples explain the distinction, not a promise that every competition will assign identical player credit. Referees signal whether a goal counts, but a scorer’s name in the data feed may be corrected after video review. Check the tournament’s own final match report when attribution matters for records or fantasy games.

Does an own goal count toward the final score?

Yes. It counts as a goal for the opponents and changes the match score just like any other valid goal. If the score is 0–0 and Team A’s defender puts the ball into Team A’s goal, Team B leads 1–0. That goal can decide the winner or contribute to tiebreaking totals, subject to each competition’s standings regulations.

It does not count as a goal personally scored by one of Team B’s attackers. A defender’s own goal also affects clean-sheet records because the defending side has conceded; learn how goalkeeper clean sheets are recorded in our soccer clean-sheet explainer.

Can a goalkeeper score an own goal?

Yes. Goalkeepers are players and can put the ball into their own net while the ball is in play. An IFAB Law 10 FAQ explicitly describes a goalkeeper who catches a shot, stands up and accidentally throws the ball into the goalkeeper’s own goal; the referee awards a goal.

The important contrast is the direct-restart exception below. A goalkeeper’s accidental live-play throw into their own net is not the same as a ball traveling straight into their own net from a goal kick.

When the ball enters your own goal but no goal is awarded

The Laws create important exceptions when a player sends a restart directly into their own net without another player touching the ball. For several restarts, the outcome is a corner kick to the opponents, not an own goal. These rules stop teams from scoring an own goal directly from a restart that only authorizes scoring against the opposing team.

Directly means without another player’s touch after the restart. If a teammate or opponent subsequently touches the ball, different laws may apply and a goal may be valid. The IFAB free-kicks law, throw-in law and goal-kick law give the precise conditions.

Does an own goal count if the ball never fully crosses the line?

No. A valid goal requires the whole ball to cross the line. If part of the ball remains over the goal line, the goal-scoring condition has not been met. The same geometry applies whether the last touch came from the attacker or defender. Referees and, where approved, goal-line technology or video officials may help determine whether the ball crossed.

For other goal-line decisions, compare our guides to corner kicks and goal kicks.

Common own-goal examples

Defender turns a cross into goal

An attacker squares the ball across goal, and a defender slides to intercept but diverts it into the net. The opponents gain a goal. Whether the defender is named as the own-goal scorer depends on the recording conventions and whether the attacking ball was already goalbound.

Goalkeeper mishandles a live ball

A goalkeeper catches a legal shot, attempts to release the ball, then throws or drops it across their own goal line. Subject to the ordinary scoring test and no offense, the goal counts. The Law 10 FAQ gives a closely related example.

Defender’s pass beats the goalkeeper

A fullback intends a square pass to the goalkeeper but sends it too hard. The ball rolls across the line. The opposing team scores; no attacking touch is needed for that live-play goal.

Kick-off goes straight backward into the taker’s own net

No own goal: IFAB Law 8 says to give a corner kick to the opponents. Our soccer match-time guide explains when a kick-off is required.

FAQ: own goals in soccer

Can an own goal be overturned by VAR?

Where the competition uses VAR, a goal may be reviewed for a permitted goal/no-goal issue, such as a possible offense in the attacking phase. A change in which player gets statistical credit does not itself always require a referee’s VAR review; those are separate processes.

Is an own goal considered a foul?

No. Accidentally scoring in your own net is not a foul. A separate foul or infringement may make the resulting goal invalid or change the restart.

Does the player who scores an own goal get a normal goal in their career statistics?

No. Own goals are ordinarily tracked separately from goals scored for a player’s own team, while still contributing to the opposing side’s score.

Rules checked October 11, 2026: IFAB Law 10 and Law 8. Featured photo by Thomas Serer / Unsplash, Unsplash License; unmodified.