Can a Goalkeeper Score from His Own Penalty Area?

A goalkeeper scoring from their own penalty area sounds like a fluke from a video game, but it is completely legal. Under the Laws of the Game, a keeper can score directly for their own team from a kick, throw or clearance inside their own area, provided the ball enters the opponents' goal legally and no infringement occurs first.

TL;DR: Yes — a goalkeeper can score from their own penalty area, as long as the ball is played legally into the opposition's net.

How Scoring from Your Own Penalty Area Works

The penalty area gives a keeper special privileges with the ball, but the scoring law doesn't forbid a goalkeeper from being a scorer. If a keeper launches a goal kick or long clearance that sails past the opposition keeper, it counts. The classic example is Asmir Begović, who scored for Stoke from 97.5 yards against Southampton in 2013 — a Guinness World Record for the longest goal in football. Source: Wikipedia

Famous Goalkeeper Goals

A handful of keepers have found the net in the Premier League alone:

• Tim Howard (Everton, 2012) — a famous long punt from his own box
• Paul Robinson (Tottenham, 2007) — a free-kick clearance that bounced in
• Peter Schmeichel (Aston Villa, 2001) — a header at the other end
• Alisson (Liverpool, 2021) — a dramatic stoppage-time winner

These strikes are rare because they need an opponent's keeper caught off their line.

Where Goalkeepers Can't Score

There is one key limit: a keeper cannot score an own goal directly from a goal kick or a throw-in. If the ball goes straight into their own net from either restart, it isn't a goal — it's a corner to the opposition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a goalkeeper throw the ball into the opponents' goal?

Yes. A powerful throw from inside the own penalty area that crosses the goal line counts as a goal, providing no offence is committed. Source: The FA Laws of the Game