Can a Goalkeeper Score a Goal?

Yes. The Laws of the Game place no restriction on which player may score. A goalkeeper is a player like any other in terms of goal-scoring rights — the only restrictions on goalkeepers concern handling the ball within their own penalty area.

Can a goalkeeper score from open play?

Yes. The most common way a goalkeeper scores from open play is a long kick — a goal kick, clearance, or drop kick — that carries the length of the pitch and bounces over or past the opposing goalkeeper. This requires the ball to travel far enough and the opposing goalkeeper to be off their line or caught off guard.

Goalkeepers have also scored from free kicks when positioned near the opposing penalty area late in a match, typically when their team is losing and everyone has pushed forward.

Can a goalkeeper take a penalty kick?

Yes. Any player in the match squad can be nominated to take a penalty kick, including the goalkeeper. In a penalty shootout, managers sometimes choose a goalkeeper as one of the five or more takers if they have a strong technique from the spot.

The only restriction: the goalkeeper cannot handle the ball outside their area after the penalty is awarded and before the kick, which applies to all players in the same way.

What happens to the team if the goalkeeper goes up for a corner?

When a goalkeeper joins an attack at a corner kick, the team is temporarily unguarded. Another outfield player typically drops back to cover, or the team accepts the risk. The goalkeeper retains all their normal rights — they can head the ball, shoot, or be fouled like any other player.

If a goal is scored at the other end while the goalkeeper is forward, the goal is entirely valid. The team's defensive arrangement is their own tactical choice.

Read more in goalkeeper handling rules, penalty shootout rules, and goal kicks.