The Football Association, along with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Health and Safety Executive and the British Standards Institution, would like to draw your attention to the following guidelines for the safe use of goalposts.

Several serious injuries and fatalities have occurred in recent years as a result of unsafe or incorrect use of goalposts. Safety is always of paramount importance and everyone in football must play their part to prevent similar incidents occurring in the future:

• For safety reasons goalposts of any size (including those which are portable and not installed permanently at a pitch or practice field) must always be anchored securely to the ground or have a weighted back bar.
• Portable goalposts must be secured as per the manufacturer’s instructions; this is also a requirement for the Laws of the Game.
• Under no circumstances should children or adults be allowed to climb on, swing or play with the structure of the goalposts;
• Particular attention is drawn to the fact that if not properly assembled and secured, portable goalposts may overturn; and
• Regular inspections of goalposts must be carried out to check that they are properly maintained.
• Portable goalposts should not be left in place after use. They should be either dismantled and removed to a place of secure storage, or placed together and suitable fixings applied to prevent unauthorised use at any time.
• The use of metal cup hooks on any part of a goal frame was banned from the commencement of season 2007-08 and match officials have been instructed not to commence matches where such net fixings are evident for safety reasons. Nets may be secured by plastic fixings, arrow head shaped plastic hooks or tape but not by metal cup hooks. Any metal cup hooks should be removed and replaced. New goalposts purchased should meet the relevant British Standards.
• Goalposts which are “home made” or which have been altered from their original size or construction should not be used under any circumstances as they potentially pose a serious safety risk.
• There is no BS/CEN standard for wooden goals and it is unlikely that wooden goals will pass a load or stability test. The FA recommends that wooden goals should be replaced with British Standard compliant metal, aluminium or plastic goalposts. All wooden goals previously tested by independent consultants have failed strength and stability tests.

REMEMBER TO USE GOALPOSTS SAFELY AT ALL TIMES.

CYFC