Own goals are a fascinating and unfortunate part of the beautiful game of soccer. In the world of soccer, few events are more dramatic or heartbreaking than scoring an own goal. The accidental act of a player putting the ball into their own net can decide the outcome of an entire match in an instant.
Own goals are relatively rare, but when they do occur, they leave an indelible mark on players, fans, and the history of the sport.
To understand the meaning and impact of own goals in soccer, one must first understand the rules around scoring in the game, the tactical situations that often lead to own goals, and the psychological effects they can have on players.
Though own goals are never desired, they are an intrinsic part of soccer that contributes to its celebrated dramatics.
The Rules and Scoring of Soccer
The fundamental objective in soccer is to score more goals than the opposing team. Goals are scored by putting the ball over the goal line into the opponent’s net.
They can be scored with any legal part of the body except the hands and arms.
The only players who can use their hands are the goalkeepers, who are positioned in front of the goal to prevent the other team from scoring.
When the ball enters a team’s own net, regardless of how it got there, it counts as a goal for the opposing side. There does not need to be an attacking player directly involved for it to be considered a goal.
Even if the ball enters the net without being touched by an offensive player, such as from a deflection or miskick by a defender, it still counts as a goal for the other team.
From a rules perspective, an own goal is fundamentally no different than if the opposition had scored directly themselves.
Tactical Situations Leading to Own Goals
While own goals can occur from pure misfortune, certain tactical game situations increase their likelihood.
Defensive headers on crosses into the penalty area often inadvertently send the ball looping backwards into the net.
Defenders trying to block close-range shots can accidentally tip the ball past their own goalkeeper.
Miskicked clearances, poor back passes, and losing possession near goal are other ways own goals tend to materialize.
The most dangerous situations are when the goalkeeper is drawn out of position and defenders have to scramble to cover the empty net.
In the resulting chaos of defenders retreating toward their line, attackers closing them down, and the ball pinging around the box, the risk of the ball glancing off a defender and trickling into the open goal escalates significantly.
While most own goals can be described as unlucky, the team in possession will aim to exploit uncertainty in the opposing defense to provoke such mistimed clearances or botched interceptions.
Who has the most own goals in soccer?
The Guinness Book of World Records lists English defender Richard Dunne as the holder for most Premier League own goals, with 10 scored between 1997 and 2013.
Across his entire career, he scored an astounding 32 own goals playing for clubs like Manchester City and Aston Villa.
While catastrophic for his teams, his defending prowess shows in over 400 appearances at the top level.
Other defenders with notably high own goal tallies include Jamaican international Peter Knowles (19 own goals), Colombian great Mario Yepes (18), and Paraguay’s Carlos Gamarra (17).
Their high counts remind us that while own goals are mistakes, they frequently come from players with other immense talents.
Is a deflection an own goal?
For a goal to be considered an “own goal,” the scoring player must be on the defending team and have no intentional play on the ball. The shot or deflection, whether off the body or foot, must be deemed accidental. Goals directly resulting from the opponent’s play cannot count as own goals, even if deflected by a defender last.
There are gray areas up for interpretation by referees and statisticians, especially involving deflections. If a shot is traveling wide of the goal before striking a defender and ricocheting in, it will likely be ruled an own goal. But if the original shot is on target and then slightly deflected by a defender, it may be attributed to the attacking player. Ultimately, the key factor is whether the defender made an obvious accidental play versus an intentional, yet unsuccessful, intervention.
Psychological Effects on Players
Scoring an own goal is utterly devastating for the player involved. After working tirelessly to protect their goal, to suddenly breach it themselves in a moment of misfortune is crushing.
Given the public nature of their blunder, own goal scorers often feel overwhelmed by shame, embarrassment, and guilt.
Teammates may offer consoling gestures, but the player is usually inconsolable, sometimes even breaking down in tears or needing to be substituted from the intense emotional duress.
The psychology of the crowd can make the experience even more scarring. Home fans will naturally be supportive, but stunned silence often greets an own goal.
However, occasional booing from a small minority can worsen the player’s anguish. Meanwhile, away fans will typically exult in schadenfreude at the opponent’s misfortune.
The disbelieving cheers and mocking taunts from gleeful rivals only twist the knife further for the distraught own goal scorer.
For professional players, own goals can also carry lasting professional consequences. They may be worried about losing their place in the team, especially if the blunder proves costly for the result.
Own goal scorers are sometimes subjected to abusive messages on social media, with a small minority of angry fans taking out their frustrations.
However, most reasonable fans recognise the accidental nature and have sympathy, appreciating players who represent their colors with pride even in difficult moments.
Famous Own Goals in History
While always unwanted, own goals are simply an occupational hazard in soccer. Some of the sport’s most famous matches have pivoted on these freak instances where defenders have scored past their own goalkeepers.
At the 1950 World Cup, an own goal by Brazil helped Uruguay defeat them in the final, causing national mourning in Brazil. England’s 1966 World Cup triumph over West Germany featured a German own goal in extra time.
More recently, AndrĂ©s Escobar’s own goal at the 1994 World Cup contributed to Colombia’s elimination, with tragic consequences.
However, such infamy can become legend – the English defender who scored the 1966 own goal had his name famously immortalized in pop music: “Who put the ball in the Germans’ net? Hughie put the ball in the Germans’ net!”
Conclusion
Scoring an own goal contradicts the very essence of a soccer player’s purpose on the field.
But while they are never deliberate, own goals are an inevitable byproduct of soccer’s inherent chaos.
They can decide matches of the highest stakes and create indelible markers in the game’s folklore.
For the unfortunate perpetrator, an own goal inflicts acute personal anguish.
However, with the perspective of time, they become accepted as simply part of the game’s dramatic, unpredictable narrative that captivates fans.
Rather than scapegoating individuals, the culture around soccer has come to recognize own goals as random misfortunes that are part of what makes the sport so emotionally compelling.