Goalpost Safety Guidelines
Too many 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.
- Portable goalposts must be secured by the use of chain anchors or appropriate anchor weights to prevent them from toppling forward.
- It is essential that under no circumstances should children or adults be allowed to climb, swing on or play with the structures of the goalposts.
- Particular attention is drawn to the fact that if not properly assembled and secured, portable goalposts may topple over.
- Regular inspections of goalposts should be carried out to check that they are kept properly maintained.
- Portable goalposts should not be left in place after use. They should be dismantled and removed to a place of secure storage.
- It is strongly recommended that nets should only be secured by plastic hooks or tape and not by metal cup hooks. Any metal cup hooks should be removed and replaced.
- New goalposts should not be purchased if they include metal cup hooks which cannot be replaced.
- Goalposts which are “home made” or which have been altered from their original size or construction should not be used. These have been the cause of a number of deaths and injuries.
Guidelines to prevent toppling:
- Follow Manufacturer’s guide-lines in assembling goalposts.
- Before use, adults should:
- ensure each goal is anchored securely in its place
- exert a significant downward force on the cross bar
- exert a significant backward force on both upright posts
- exert a significant forward force on both upright posts
These must be repeated until it is established that the structure is secure. If not, alternative goals/pitches must be used. For reference, you should note that The F.A. and BSI have developed a standard for future purchases (PAS 36:2000), available from BSI. It is hoped this will be developed into a full British Standard in due course.
REMEMBER TO USE ALL EQUIPMENT, NOT JUST GOALPOSTS, SAFELY AT ALL TIMES