What Happens When a Player Scores After Being Fouled in the Box?

Does it count as a goal if you score but get fouled inside the penalty box? Whether it’s a hard tackle or a shove, fouls inside the penalty area result in a PK (penalty kick).

But what happens when a player gets fouled in the box but still manages to score?

This scenario is known as an “advantage” and is up to the discretion of the referee. If the referee believes that the fouled player had a clear opportunity to score, they may choose to let play continue and award the goal. However, if the opportunity was not clear, the referee may choose to stop play and award the penalty kick instead. It’s important to note that the referee’s decision is final, and there is no VAR (video assistant referee) review for this type of scenario.

In most cases, it would be unfair to punish an offensive team if they scored inside the penalty area. If the goal didn’t count, they would have to take a penalty kick which has a chance of not scoring. In this scenario, the defensive team would be at an advantage.

I have to tell you this entire situation is very rare. Unlike an ‘And 1’ in basketball, it is very difficult to score and get fouled at the same time in soccer. I’ve only seen this happen once in my lifetime as a player (if memory serves me), coach, and parent.