You won't be the one at risk, the players will be. As the match official charge with checking the equipment, you'll be the one liable for any injuries. Unless you're just having us on, in which case you need one of these: If you're not having us on, then you'll need to make sure your association policy is in effect. A good lawyer would help, too.
I know the primary reason the referee checks the goals is for safety, so as a parent and a former coach - thank you men and women who take the time and responsibility to ensure the safety of our players. But this player/ref makes another good point. In order to ensure the equity of the game, the ref should make sure the net is propery attached to the side posts and cross-bar. It is simple to check the side posts. In the past 3 years watching or coaching youth soccer, I have seen two goals scored that passed through holes in the side netting. It is tough to see the goalkeeper set up properly to protect the near post and watch the ball pass around the post through a hole in the side netting. The only way to know for sure the balls went through the side netting is was to check the video of the game later.
Many refs do check the nets. I do. However, when the facility has provided nets with, um, far more holes in them than normal or poor attachment, there is only so much you can do. Some refs carry a bit of string or a roll of duct tape, and I'll fix up minor problems, but it's ludicrous to expect refs to spend a half hour attaching and repairing someone else's nets. Besides, the Laws don't even require nets. They are useful, but not mandatory. Coaches & players: if you're concerned, take it up with the facility manager or the home team.
In my area, many fields are shared with lacrosse teams. The lacrosse goals are often pushed just barely off the field. I always try to move them away from the field a reasonable distance (if they're not chained to a fence). Another thing to think about, is that the point at the back of the net is more dangerous than the actual frame of the goal. Usually, when people try to "store" the goal, the frame is facing away from the field and the point towards the field. I'd say its safer for it to be the other way around. The point in the back of the goal includes a 2 inch high steel knob. If a player were to fall on this it could be quite painful. If a player were to step on it, an ankle could easily be sprained. A 6 foot high orange pipe is easier to avoid than a 2 inch high black knob. Make sure the goal is a safe distance away and the orange frame faces the pitch.
The rules of competition for many leagues do require nets. I used to fuss with the nets before the game to get them in shape. I stopped being a nice guy after I got sent to the hospital when some kid took a crack at the net I was fixing and hit me instead. If the nets are not appropriate for the competition there will be no game. Tell that to the parents and you'd be surprised how quickly they find string and duct tape to fix the nets.
I have yet to see a lacrosse goal in Iowa, but a lot of the high schools have tracks around the field with hurdles left very close to the field. Several times each Spring, I end up moving hurdles away from the field as I inspect the field during my pre-game.
I had a similar issue with anchoring goals one day. No match unless we get the goals anchored with SOMETHING. Someone had a tire iron and I used the soft ground to push it in and anchor one of the back corners. Funny how quickly we came up with four or five more to get the goals secured and start the match. This fix probably won't work for summer matches in the southwest, but with soft ground, it's an easy fix!
It's not just the kids who hang on the goal: AP Images "United States Women's Soccer team player Yael Averbuch uses a goal bar to do some pull-ups during a training session Thursday"
YAEL! That's an improper use of soccer field equipment! I would expect better from the young lady who holds the NCAA for fastest goal scored in a game!
Once I was coaching an AYSO game with small portbale goals. A six year old sliding across the goal line cut herself on a small jagged piece of metal from one of the metallic posts.
People reviewing this news coverage may come away with the idea that sand-bags are a good option to "prevent their lives being in danger" as stated by the news-anchor. Other referees have expressed their apprehensions in this thread earlier, see below: The thread deals with checking goals before every match. As a referee in charge of this match, my concern is more when I see youth teams using the unanchored goals during warm-up when I reach the field - they are doing this activity only under the supervision of their coaches/technical officials. The "safety" of the players is a responsibility shared by the coaches (and allied personnel of the teams), the parents of those youth playing, and the officiating referee crew. The officials' duties and responsibility (and for the legal eagles, liability) is paramount once they reach the field and identify themselves, and continues until they end that match and leave the field. Once the referee has made a decision that the field equipment (goals, etc) is suitable for the match, according to Law 1, and conforms with her/his duties under the jurisdiction of FIFA, the respective Federation, the Member Association, or League rules or regulations within which that match is played, s/he is not held liable for any kind of injury suffered (by player, official or spectator). At the risk of being repetitious, the operational mechanics follows these general paths: Preparation of the field is the responsibility of the Home Team Referee (Centre) determines goals are anchored securely (and nets in place correctly, corner flags (y/n), line markings proper and appropriate) If field not safe to play due to the goals, referee requests help/assistance from Home Team (or Visitors is necessary); the match does not start until rectified -ditto- when crossbar fails or drops, or uprights not vertical throughout the match Referee writes in report the field conditions concerning the goals, and prevailing wind/gusts conditions, and especially (in youth games) if warming up and pull-ups were observed on un-anchored goals before teams' check-in and prior to coin-toss. Also included is how goals (roll-away/ aluminum/ box/cylindrical, etc) were anchored by weighted sand-bags (dry/wet, torn/sealed), or stakes (in dry/wet, straight/angled). The referee has the ultimate responsibility during a match, however s/he will not have liability when Law 1 requirements are fulfilled; the safety of the players (14 million in the USfoA) is shared by team officials, parents, and well-wishers before the referee's starts.
This is a good point. When we do our pre-game inspection of the field, often the teams are warming up with the goals. If you notice that the goals are not anchored, do you tell the teams they can no longer warm up using the goals? What if one goal is anchored but not the other - do you make both teams stop using the goals out of fairness?
It happened again. http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/jan/27/police-identify-boy-who-died- when-soccer-goal-fell/
And once again it appears to have happened at a play session, or maybe a school PE class, not a game where a referee could have checked the goal.
Yes, it was during recess. The teacher monitoring the playground evidently did not see it happen. Are there statistics on the numbers of non game accidents verses game accidents? I would be curious to know that.
Statistics? I don't know. But many of the incidents cited in this thread are non-ref situations - pick-up games, playgrounds, practices, etc.
i bought some screw-in type of anchors for cheap, and have had them in my trunk for a year, haven't had to use them yet. but when i do, am i going to retrieve them when i leave? i don't think i could, in good conscience, knowing what may happen when the kids and goal are undersupervised.
Some adult placed these goals where they did and did so without anchoring them. The lack of commonsense frightens me.
Since they are technically under your jurisdiction at this point, I believe we should be telling them to stop. If you have noticed that they are not anchored, and then it topples over and kills someone during warm-up, I don't see how that's any different than killing them during the game. It's still going to come back to you as the referee (assuming this is after you have walked the field). Obviously if you have not walked the field yet, I don't see how we could be held liable.
I just had a pretty scary experience with this. We were reffing a huge tournament here and we go to ref the U-18B Showcase Final. I was the AR and the game was at the high school field across the street from the park. We get there a bit late (due to the assignor) and check the teams in and start the game. Midway through the 2nd half, I hear a loud sound coming from the goal area. The goal had fallen forward pretty close to the keeper who thank god liked to play up. He then lifted it forward and we put a couple of 35lb weights on the goal which were laying right next to the goal but were not placed. Turns out that since the CR had already reffed there that day and they were placed, he didn't bother to check. I tell him that we should call the person in charge to let them know and to put some sandbags on the goal and everything, but he tells me that no because he doesn't want to get in trouble. When he wasn't looking at the water break, I called anyways because I didn't think I could live with that fault for the rest of my life. This could've ended pretty badly