Other Definitions
own goal (dict)
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Own GoalAn own goal occurs in association football (soccer) 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. 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 euphemism (in countries where football is the most popular sport) for any action that backfires on a person. An own goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in or a free-kick, and under certain other circumstances: the laws of soccer should be consulted for a detailed explanation of the circumstances under which an apparent own goal will not be counted as a score. Own goals in other sports are rare, and when they occur, they are not "credited" in the same manner as in football. For example, in 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 ball or puck. In basketball, when accidentally scoring at an opposing team's basket (basketball's equivalent of an "own goal"), the closest player to the rim from the opposing team is credited with the basket. In American 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. Own goals can result in incidents of violence in sports. Colombia national football team member Andrs Escobar scored an own goal in a match with the United States in the 1994 World Cup, resulting in an upset win for the United States and Colombia's dismissal in the first round. Escobar was murdered shortly after his return to Colombia.
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