You’ve probably seen it many times, but why do so many soccer players grab the ball? Sometimes, after a player scores a goal during a soccer match, you’ll see that player run to the goalpost, grab the ball, and then take off.
Now, it’s not as grandiose as performing a few backflips or orchestrating a celebration that was practiced previously. In spite of this, a football player’s reaction upon scoring is still widespread.
Four reasons why soccer players grab the ball
- To speed up the game’s restart ( Chasing result)
- Time Wasting
- Celebrate with the ball
All these reasons could explain why soccer players grab the ball after scoring a goal, but whether one is actually driving the action largely depends on the game’s circumstances at the time the goal was scored.
To speed up the game’s restart ( Chasing result )
To speed up the game’s continuation after scoring is the most typical cause for soccer players to grab the ball. The sooner the player can return the ball to the middle of the field following a goal, the earlier the opposition can take the kickoff and resume play.
When a soccer game is approaching the end of regulation time and the score is tight, but one team currently leads the other side, you will most likely see a player do this. This is because the tempo of the game now lies with the team that just scored.
For example, if a team is down 2-0 or 3-1 and scores a goal back, they understand that there is a time limit on the game and they must score again in order to earn points for their efforts.
By scoring a goal, they’ve given themselves a boost and morale in self-belief and now feel that if they can score one, they can score another. As a result, the team’s players will be extremely driven to grab the ball from the goalpost and return it to the center spot as soon as possible.
Time Wasting
Sometimes the team who scored first doesn’t come rushing to get the ball. Sometimes, the defending side may grab the ball to prevent the opposition’s attackers from getting the ball. This can be because they don’t want to concede any goal further because the result is fragile.
Imagine a scenario in which two teams are playing and the scores are tied. In the game, there is not much time left, unexpectedly, one of the team’s scores at this point. They’ve seized the lead, and if they can maintain it, they’ll win the match.
As a result, the team that just scored will be very motivated to grab the ball before the opposition does. Once they do, they can try to hold on for as long as they can, hopefully using up some of the time the opposition would have otherwise had to try and score a goal on them.
Looking at the above video, just a couple of minutes away from the final whistle, you can see how Manuel Neuer jump on top of the ball, preventing Arsenal’s players from retrieving the ball after Arsenal scored their second goal. Shielding the ball away from the opposition team would thus prevent the players from efficiently collecting the ball in order to restart the play.
The only drawback with this is that it can escalate into heated commotion and lead to fights when players do this. As with the team chasing the lead and desperate to restart play, they will get frustrated when a player wastes time.
Celebrating With The Ball
It’s not every time when soccer players grab the ball its because their side is desperately trying to get a result. A soccer player would sometimes grab the ball to celebrate a goal they just scored.
In soccer, there are countless distinctive ways to celebrate, and there aren’t many restrictions on how a player can celebrate a goal.
Putting the ball under the jersey is the most conventional way to celebrate with the ball. This is a popular celebration among soccer players, and many of them do it. The reason they do this with a ball under the shirt is to signify pregnancy or childbirth and therefore dedicate the goal to the pregnant wife or the newborn.
Another reason for celebrating with the ball is to imply that scoring the goal was far too simple. Throwing or kicking the ball as high as they can is another way soccer players celebrate with the ball.
Who owns the ball after a goal is scored?
Who actually has the right to the ball at this moment is a crucial subject to consider while grabbing it after a goal, and one that may be unclear to some.
At this point, after a goal has been scored, the ball belongs to the team that conceded the goal. This is due to the fact that the side that has just conceded the goal will kick off the next play of the game from the center area.
Even though you occasionally see the player who scored the goal grab the ball, this isn’t what happens most of the time. When this does occur, the opposing team automatically agrees that the ball will be returned to the center of the field for the restart in an appropriate length of time.
Wasting time by keeping the ball
When the referee feels a player is wasting time by holding to the ball, things can become a little more complex. Both teams’ players are subject to this. The referee may warn a player and issue a yellow card for time-wasting if the player is holding onto the ball more than necessary.
If one team is eager to move on with the game while the other team is actually interested in slowing things down, this can occasionally lead to a contentious exchange between players.
A player may potentially need to be cautioned for wasting time, even though the referee will try to be as lenient and courteous as they can.
Final thoughts
Recovering the ball becomes crucial because of the nature of the game and how quickly time passes. Particularly when there isn’t much time left in the game and a team needs to score a goal to win.
Therefore, you can see from the list above, the 3 reasons why soccer players grab the ball after scoring.