This afternoon I have a girls high school game on a field that overlaps a baseball diamond infield. This is a pic of one of the corner flags from a game I did there a couple of weeks ago.
Trick for Georgia: Explain to somebody at the field that they're supposed to put sand in those bases.
Two-year-old girl killed as high winds topple soccer goal in Antioch The Tennessean - 7 hours ago A two-year-old girl was killed Sunday after high winds pushed over a metal soccer goal in Antioch. Nashville police announced the death on Twitter shortly before 5:30 p.m. Damn!
I looked at Google Street View and saw that the International Indoor Soccer Complex has outdoor fields as well. In the picture the goals appear placed rather haphazardly around the outside of the Complex. I'm guessing it didn't happen around a game, but at a field that wasn't being used at the time and the goals weren't secured. Sad.
It seems like it happened on a field that just had a game finish. From the article: Estefania Ponce, 17, a Springfield High School junior, said she, her sister, Guadalupe Ponce, and the girl's mother — Erika Karina Rodriguez, 22, of Springfield — were at the complex for a family soccer game. The girl's father, Manuel Espinoza, also of Springfield, did not attend the game. "It was perfectly fine, there was wind but not much when they were playing," Estefania Ponce recalled of the weather prior to the post falling. When the game finished, children in the family rushed onto the field to play, Estefania Ponce said. "It was something they would always do," she said. "We never really thought the metal soccer goal would fall." The family, she said, was in disbelief when it toppled onto the toddler. “She went to be a goalie,” Guadalupe Ponce recalled. “When we looked back, she wasn’t there. She was laying on the ground, and I ran towards her, and I just brought her in my arms.”
Local NPSL team held a rather (okay really) moving tribute before the match this past weekend. All players from both teams held balloons with Melanie's name written and released them after a minutes silence.
I'm obsessive about my goals. I can't imagine being responsible for them and someone getting hurt or killed. This is terribly sad. We've had tons of rain here lately and this past weekend our Ulittles goals were anchored with stakes. I insisted on extra stakes, because the four in each goal weren't enough in my opinion. The tourney director was all *hassle*. I responded with *IKR?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????!!!!????!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!!!?!?!!!!!*
ok, this not goal and death story. Where to stand goal when wide of line not same as goal? My buddy place middle of line, one buddy say front of line. I stand goal to back of line. This goal 2" wide 4" rectangle, line of goal is 5" minimum (grass field, difuse). For player, they say, no problem. But something not right. Super look at me when ask, his eye tell me, my problem to know. I tell I know, but no language in lawbook. Always I stand goal with back of line, so ball cross I see proper. This first time I same team as buddy, they make pain in neck to me (we good buddys).
Correct. Back of goal post = back of goal line. Nothing in the current LOTG that makes that clear is jumping out at me. In fact, this statement: "A goal must be placed on the centre of each goal line" ... is at least potentially misleading in that respect. It means the center of the length of the goal line, not the width. And this statement is not helpful either: "The position of the goalposts in relation to the goal line must be in accordance with the graphics" ... because the graphics don't address this issue in any way that is readily discernible to me. Law 1 also says "The goal lines must be of the same width as the goalposts and the crossbar," but it doesn't offer any advice on what to do when they are not. Maybe this is still one of those things that we all "just know," or with respect to which common sense should prevail. EDIT: The NFHS rules contemplate a less-than-ideal world. Rule 1.4.1 says "The rear of each goal post shall be on the outer edge of the goal line." And Play Ruling 1.4.1.A says:
The LOTG don't say much about what to do if you are ignoring their mandates . . . the ATR did address the issue: And it is the only thing that makes sense, as the only part of the goal line that has any relevance whatsoever is the outer edge.
I thought I remembered something in the ATR, but I couldn't find it in the only edition I had to hand.
I thank much reply by all. Stand back of goal same as line on field best way, that very good. I know LOTG is lawbook, What is ATR? Can find me where please someone.
It's the old USSF Advice to Referees, a fairly comprehensive (and occasionally controversial) book of interpretations and guidance on the Laws. Now obsolete, superseded by the new Laws, and no longer published. But I bet if you google USSF Advice to Referees you will find a copy somewhere. No longer official guidance, but certainly food for thought (including the occasional nugget that now we "just know").
please please please do not let kids ever hang on the goalposts: http://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2017/09/18/tragic-accident-9-year-old-boy-dies-goal-post-accident/ 9 year old boy dies...
Agree. All four legs of the goals are in cement at my home park. The parents let the kids climb on them like a jungle gym, and I always yell at them (and get funny looks from the parents, but I don't care). The kids will get in the habit of doing that and I am afraid of what will happen when they go to the park down the street where the goals are just held down with sandbags and weights -- that may or may not be positioned correctly.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/09/18/9-year-old-dies-head-trauma-at-soccer-practice.html Practice - coaches need to be responsible and aware.
I've seen it happen a few times before some adult league games when youth practice is winding down. The goals are only anchored by a few sandbags too.
Years ago, I was out to mentor a referee on a recreational youth game. Game at a high school. Bored goalkeeper jumps up and grabs the crossbar. The goal came over. Fortunately, the goalkeeper had let go and was only trapped in the net like a fish. I called the school's athletic director and they ensured that the goals were staked down after that. I was on the school board at the time, so the AD had to act.
Our city has a couple of artificial turf fields. They used to have goals that needed sand bags, but the bags seemed to wander off. They bought new goals that are supposed to be safe without staking them down, but I've heard they are looking into ways of anchoring them to the ground for added safety. Sunday I had to chastise an adult league keeper for doing pull-ups on the goal. The positive side is that the goal appeared very stable. The negative is that it's hard on the goals and leads to people thinking they can do that on all kinds of goals.
I've seen goals blow over. I've seen goals carried away like a sail in the wind. All situations the result of referees and other folks who did not ensure goals were secured. About 20 years ago a coach in my town moved one goal to midfield for a half-field scrimmage. Didn't bring the sandbags. Net toppled in the wind and a G14 player went down with a broken leg. The family had several kids who never had to pay a registration fee thereafter. Relatively happy ending. Same time frame, another town in the league had a B19 player goofing around on a Friday night. Goal comes over and kills the kid. No trespassing, yadiyadiyada. Bottom line, caring adults can prevent shit happening most of the time.
when i think about goal design and these tragedies, i think about the fact that goals, as they rotate forward, actually accelerate on their way down. the weight of the back, as it becomes more vertical, applies less and less resistance to the falling crossbar. since the falling goal rotates about the goal line, the back bar might actually add to the force of the impact. there must be a way to reduce the weight of the crossbar, and/or design the goal such that counter weight remains relevant as the crossbar is falling. i've thought about this some but have never taken any steps to actually develop something. i can't help but think that there is, with modern materials, a cheaper, lighter way to make a goal than steel or aluminum, and design it such that the crossbar decelerates, not accelerates, as it hits the ground.