Can A Goalie Score In Soccer? (Definitive Guide)
It’s a common belief that goalies are only focused on keeping the ball out of their net. But what if we told you they can play offense too, under specific circumstances? In this guide, you will learn about the rules regarding goalies scoring and the situations where it’s possible.
Can A Goalie Score In Soccer?
Yes, a goalie can score a goal in soccer. It seems surprising at first, given how goalies are usually stationed near their net to stop the other team from scoring.
However, goalies are still regular players on the field, just with a specialized role. As long as they’re outside their penalty area, which is the marked box in front of the goal they protect, they are free to join the offense and kick the ball up the field just like any other teammate.
And if they manage to maneuver the ball into the opponent’s goal, it counts. There are a few ways a goalie can end up scoring a goal. One common scenario is during a corner kick.
In a corner kick, the goalie leaves their net to join their teammates near the opponent’s goal for a chance to head or kick the ball in.
If the goalie times their run perfectly and makes a good connection with the ball, they could potentially score a goal by surprise.
Another way a goalie could score is by launching a powerful kick from a goal kick. Goal kicks are restarts taken by the goalie after the opposing team sends the ball out of bounds over the goal line.
While it’s uncommon, a skilled goalie with a powerful kick could aim for the opponent’s goal directly, and if it finds the net, it’s a perfectly legal goal.
While it’s not the most common seen in soccer, goalies scoring goals does happen occasionally, and it can be an exciting moment that can turn the tide of the game.
Can A Keeper Score A Goal From A Goal Kick?
Yes, a goalkeeper can score a goal directly from a goal kick. This was not always allowed, though. Back in 1890, the rules of soccer did not permit a goal to be scored directly from a goal kick.
This means that if the ball went directly into the opponent’s goal from a goal kick, it wouldn’t count as a goal. However, the rules changed many years later.
In 1997, the laws of soccer were updated to allow a goal to be scored directly from a goal kick. But there’s an important detail: this only applies if the ball goes into the opposing team’s goal.
If the ball somehow ends up in the goalkeeper’s own goal, it does not count as a goal for the other team. This change in the rules made it possible for goalkeepers to score goals directly from their goal kicks.
A notable example of this happened on November 2, 1997. On this day, a goalkeeper named Iñigo Arteaga made history.
He was playing for Racing Ferrol, a soccer team in Spain, in a match against Moralo. During the game, Arteaga took a goal kick, and the ball traveled to the other end of the field and ended up in the opposing team’s goal.
This made Arteaga the first goalkeeper to score a goal directly from a goal kick in a professional match. Before this change in 1997, any goalkeepers attempting to score directly from a goal kick would have been disappointed, as their goals would not have counted.
The update in the rules made the game more exciting and gave goalkeepers a rare chance to score.
Top 5 Goalies With The Most Goals In Football History
1. Rogério Mücke Ceni
Rogério Mücke Ceni is a Brazilian football coach and former player who currently manages Bahia. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian goalkeepers of all time.
Ceni holds the record for the most goals scored by a goalkeeper in the history of football, a recognition given by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.
Ceni’s professional career spanned 25 years, during which he played 1209 official club matches. He started his career with Sinop, where he played 12 matches, before moving to São Paulo, and recorded 1197 appearances.
This makes him the player with the most matches for São Paulo. During his time with São Paulo, Ceni won 20 major titles, including three Brazilian Leagues, two Copa Libertadores, and the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Ceni’s career is his goal-scoring ability. He scored a total of 129 goals, most of which came from free kicks and penalties.
Ceni even scored one goal from open play. This is an extraordinary achievement for a goalkeeper, as scoring goals is not typically part of their role on the team.
During the peak of his career, from 2005 to 2008, Ceni was recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. His ability to score goals, combined with his skill as a goalkeeper, sets him apart in the history of football.
2. José Luis Chilavert
José Luis Chilavert is one of the top goalkeepers with the most goals in football history. Chilavert scored 67 goals in his professional career, which is a lot for a goalkeeper.
He is famous for scoring many of these goals from free kicks and penalties. He even scored four important goals during Paraguay’s qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
This makes him the second-highest-scoring goalkeeper ever, with only Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni scoring more.
Chilavert is one of only three goalkeepers to ever score a hat-trick in a match. He was also named the World’s Best Goalkeeper three times by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).
Known for his quick reflexes and strong personality, Chilavert was one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his career. He was not just good at stopping goals but also skilled at scoring them.
3. Jorge Campos Navarrete
One of the most remarkable goalkeepers in football history is Jorge Campos Navarrete. Campos is a retired Mexican professional footballer known for his incredible versatility and unique style of play.
During his career, he made a total of 445 appearances and scored 34 goals. This impressive feat places him among the top goal-scoring goalkeepers in the history of football.
Campos played an important part in Mexican football during the 1990s and early 2000s. He was known for his abnormality on the field, often playing outside the penalty area as a sweeper-keeper.
His acrobatic and risky style of goalkeeping made him stand out. Despite his short stature as a goalkeeper, Campos is fantastic due to his leaping ability, athleticism, and speed.
He was quick to rush off his line and was experienced at organizing his defense, qualities that helped him overcome his height disadvantage.
What truly set Campos apart was his ability to play effectively as a striker. This versatility is rarely seen in football, as goalkeepers and strikers usually have very different skill sets.
Campos would sometimes start a match in goal and later move upfield to play as a forward, primarily at the club level.
Throughout his career, he scored 35 goals, with all but one of them coming while he played for UNAM, a Mexican football club.
4. Johnny Vegas
One of these amazing players is Johnny Vegas. His full name is Johnny Martín Vegas Fernández, and he was born on February 9, 1976.
Johnny Vegas is known as one of the top-scoring goalkeepers in the history of football, scoring a total of 45 goals in all competitions.
This is a big number for a goalkeeper. Most goalkeepers never score even one goal in their whole career, but Johnny Vegas scored 45. Out of these 45 goals, 30 were from penalty kicks, while the other 9 goals he scored were from open play.
José René Higuita
José René Higuita Zapata, often known as René Higuita, is one of the most memorable goalkeepers in football history. He earned the nickname “El Loco,” which means “The Madman,” due to his daring and dramatic style of play.
Higuita was famous for his high-risk approach on the field, often leaving the goal to act as a defender, a style known as the ‘sweeper-keeper.’ This was a risky strategy, but it made him an exciting player to watch.
He didn’t just defend; he also scored goals, which is rare for a goalkeeper. His flair for the dramatic and his ability to score made him stand out. One of the most memorable moments of Higuita’s career was during the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
His playing style during this tournament introduced the world to the idea that goalkeepers could take on more responsibilities, not just sticking to the goal area.
This was a pioneering move that influenced how goalkeepers played in the future. Higuita’s impact on football is recognized in many ways.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) ranked him as the 8th best South American goalkeeper in history.
Additionally, he is among the top 10 highest-scoring goalkeepers of all time, with a total of 44 goals throughout his career.