Own goal

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An own goal occurs in football when a player kicks or otherwise causes the ball to go into his own side's goal, thus resulting in a goal being scored for the opposition. An own goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in or a free kick (a corner kick will be awarded to the attacking team if so should happen), and under certain other circumstances.

The player who does this is personally "credited" with the goal as part of the statistical abstract of the game. The term has become a metaphor in countries where football is a popular sport for any action that backfires on a person.

When a goal is scored after a shot (by the attacking side) is deflected into the net by a defending player, whether this is scored as a goal for the attacker or as an own goal is determined by whether the original shot was on target. If it was, the attacker is awarded the goal, even if the shot would have otherwise been easily saved by the goalkeeper.

Such resulted in a review of a June 10, 2006 game between England and Paraguay at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where a David Beckham free kick grazed the head of Carlos Gamarra, and it went in the back of the net. FIFA officials initially declared the goal an own goal on Gamarra, but the Technical Studies Group of FIFA reviewed the goal. The goal remained credited to Gamarra despite the Group's declaration that any shot destined to reach the goal area that accidentally bounces off a defending player into their own goal would be awarded to the player who delivered the shot (in this case, Beckham).

In other sports

Own goals in other sports are rare, and when they occur, they are not "credited" in the same manner as in football, but instead credited towards the attacker whose attempt forced the defensive error.

In ice hockey, if a goal is scored by a player on the defending team, credit for the goal goes to the last player on the other team to have touched the puck, mainly to the belief that the player credited with the goal had his shot deflected. This can occur when the defensive team has an empty net, either late in the game or because of a delayed penalty call, and is one of two ways in which a goalie usually is credited with a goal. This has happened numerous times in the game.

In basketball, when accidentally scoring at an opposing team's basket (basketball's equivalent of an "own goal"), the goal is credited to an attacking player. In NBA and NCAA rules, the goal is credited to the player on the scoring team who is closest to the rim; under FIBA rules, the player designated captain is credited with the basket.

In American football and Canadian football, when a ball-carrier is tackled or exits the field of play within the end zone being defended by his team, the result is a safety and the opposing team is awarded two points.

In Australian rules football, if the defending side causes the ball to pass through their own goals, a minor score (called a behind, worth one point) is awarded to the opposing team. This is called a rushed behind, and is often done deliberately by the defending side in order to prevent the possibility of a major score (a goal, worth six points).

Infamous own goal scorers

Several notable instances in sports (not just football) where players scored on their own goal.

Staf Van Den Buys, who scored three own goals in one match.
Nicola Caricola, whose own goal started the Curse of Caricola for the MetroStars of Major League Soccer.
Andrés Escobar, a Colombian defender who was murdered after his own goal in the 1994 World Cup that resulted in his team's elimination.
Goalkeepers who accidentally threw the ball into their own net include Bjarte Flem, Gary Sprake and Janusz Jojko
Jonathan Woodgate in his first game for Real Madrid after his recovery from injury.
Frank Sinclair, who is rumoured to have scored around 25-30 own goals in his professional football career
Steve Smith, NHL defenceman who accidentally scored on his own team, the Edmonton Oilers in the 1986 NHL Divisional Finals. In the third period of the seventh and deciding game against the rival Calgary Flames, with the score tied 2-2, he made a pass from behind his own net that bounced off goaltender Grant Fuhr into his own net. Perry Berezan's goal (Berezan, on Calgary, was credited as the last Flame to touch the puck) was the difference in the game and it cost the Oilers the series and prevented them from possibly winning a third straight Stanley Cup.
Djimi Traoré, a defender who attempted to perform a spectacular backheel, but ended up sliding the ball in his own net in the process.
Carlos Gamarra, an otherwise excellent Paraguayan defender who scored an own goal (and the only goal of the game) in Paraguay's 1-0 defeat to England at the 2006 World Cup.
Chris Nicholl, who scored all the goals in a two-all draw between Aston Villa and Leicester.

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