From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center -- June 22, 2005

 

 

To:           All USSF Organization Members
From:       USSF Referee Department
Subject:   Tie-Breaking Procedures: Elimination of “Golden Goal”
Date:        June 20, 2005

 

In 2004, FIFA’s International Board revised the Laws of the Game to specify acceptable methods for handling matches which must have a winner despite the score being tied at the end of the time specified by the rules of competition. In its revisions to Law 7 (The Duration of the Match), Law 10 (The Method of Scoring), and the section on "Procedures to Determine the Winner of a Match," the Board provided for the use of one or more of the following:

 

-- Away goals rule
-- Extra time
-- Kicks from the Penalty Mark

 

Decision 1 under Law 10 clearly states that "only procedures to determine the winner of a match, which are approved by the International FA Board and contained in this publication [The Laws of the Game 2004/2005] are permitted in competition rules."  Noticeably absent from the list of acceptable tie-breaking procedures is the “sudden death” procedure known as the “Golden Goal.”

 

The requirements of the Law are applicable to all members of U.S. Soccer and, through them, to their own regional, and local member associations, as well as to all tournaments and competitions which they sanction.  USSF has fielded a number of questions about the rules change relating to tie-breaking procedures, and it appears that several USSF-affiliated organizations are using impermissible tie-breaking mechanisms.  Each Organization Member is urged to review their own rules and to inform their member associations about these rules changes, to ensure full compliance.

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