Dubious Goals Committee
The Dubious Goals Committee is a body of the FA Premier League in England. With respect only to matches played in that league it adjudicates in any instance where the identity of the scorer of a goal is disputed.
Its role is to determine the identity of the goal scorer to be entered into the separate official records of that player, his club, and the league. It should be noted that the comittee does not enquire into whether a goal has been scored. This is a matter for the officials attending the match in question. The role of the committee is merely to establish the identity of the scorer.
There is no comparable body for other football leagues in the United Kingdom. In all other football matches in the United Kingdom the identity of the goalscorer is determined by the club which has scored the goal.
The Adjudication Process
The process of adjudication takes place after the conclusion of the match. It comprises the viewing of video evidence and then discussion by the three members of the committee. The committee members are former football players or football officials. The identity of the committee members at any given time is kept secret "so as to protect the game's integrity and avoid a panel member being put under pressure to make any particular decision on a goal.".[1]
The guiding principle when adjudicating is as follows: "As a rule, if the initial attempt is goalbound it is credited to the player making the goal attempt... However if the deflection means that a wayward effort results in a goal then it is attributed to the player who had the last definitive touch of the ball." [1]
The comittee meets on average three or four times each season, shortly after any disputed goal is brought to its attention.
Notes
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