What Does OG Mean In Football? Own Goal meaning

What does OG mean? Own goals are the stuff of nightmares for footballers and particularly so for defenders, whose main job is to preserve the integrity of their own net by keeping clean sheets.

As soon as a player scores an own goal they morph into on-field pariahs, embarrassment etched on their faces as they come to terms with the immediate guilt of it all and try to persevere.

Some players crumple beneath the shame, eager to hide from the judgment of their teammates and the thousands of fans in the stadium, not to mention the millions watching at home. Others hold their heads up, accept their mistake, and soldier on.

It truly is a test of character at any level of the game, but what exactly is your own goal? Goal takes a look at the act which keeps defenders up at night and the players who made a habit of scoring them.

What is own goal meaning?

What does OG stand for? The term ‘own goal’ (sometimes referred to as an ‘OG’) is used to describe the moment when a player accidentally or deliberately puts the ball into their own net.

Own goals can arise out of a misjudgment, such as when a player attempts to head the ball to their goalkeeper or put the ball out of play, or misfortune when a player is the victim of a wicked deflection or freak incident.

Crediting own goals can occasionally be contentious, particularly in the case of deflections, when the ball ricochets off a player and into the net.

Generally speaking, if the original trajectory of the ball after being struck by a player on the attacking team was on target before deflecting off a member of the defending team it is not credited as an own goal. If the shot trajectory was off target and a deflection off the defending player sent it on target and over the line then it is considered an own goal.

Accidental own goals are common in the game but deliberate own goals are a rarer occurrence and unsurprisingly frowned upon. It can be difficult to discern what constitutes a deliberate own goal and hard to prove but they tend to be linked with underhand activities such as match-fixing.

By its very nature, an own goal is a counter-productive thing and, interestingly, the term has slipped into general use outside of football to denote when something has backfired on an individual or a group.

That’s all about what does OG mean, let’s keep reading to see the notable OG in football.

Notable own goals

As mentioned, own goals are generally a source of embarrassment for the players who concede them. At the same time, they can also reach hilarious proportions for those watching, particularly if they happen to involve ridiculous miscommunication or an element of slapstick. Not even the best players are immune.

Jamie Pollock vs. QPR (1998)

If Jamie Pollock had scored this goal in the right net, it would have been a contender for Goal of the Season in 1998. Unfortunately for Pollock and Man City, it was in the wrong net, and he instead finds himself on every “Top Own Goals” list ever created, and atop this one. Pollock managed to intercept a chipped pass by flicking the ball high over his opponent towards his own goal; he then weaved past the opponent and began sprinting towards his (very nervous) goalkeeper.

Without the ball hitting the floor, Pollock then sent a beautiful looping header over his perplexed goalkeeper and the ball bounced into the back of the net. It was a truly bizarre own goal and one which was scored with extraordinary technique, but to make matters worse, it was also scored in a fierce relegation scrap match, which City would lose.

Chris Brass vs. Darlington (2006)

In 2006, Brass was playing for League 2 club Bury in a game against Darlington, and this is where he would score his now famous own goal. As the ball floated into the box, Brass (under no pressure) attempted to clear the ball over his head but instead would kick it straight into his face. He then watched the ball trickle past the goalkeeper and into his own net and had a broken nose to go along with a very red face.

Bernard Parker vs. Ethiopia (2013)

Poor Bernard Parker scored this astonishing own goal, which would end South Africa’s hopes of playing in the 2014 World Cup. Parker had already scored in the right net during the game, but ultimately he will feel he let his team down after scoring this shocker.

Festus Baise vs. Sun Hei (2011)

In 2011, Citizen AA’s Festus Baise would score an own goal that was so spectacular that it would turn him into an internet sensation. Playing in the Hong Kong first division against Sun Hei SC, Baise would attempt to acrobatically clear the ball from his own box. Instead of clearing the danger, the ball would rocket into the air and sail over everyone’s (including the goalkeeper’s) heads, before landing in the back of the net.

Tomislav Piplica vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (2002)

The Bosnian keeper’s most famous blunder came in a match against Borussia Monchengladbach in 2002, and truly is something special. A scuffed shot sailed high into the air and harmlessly towards Piplica, looking like a routine catch. Piplica stood in his line and watched the ball as it fell towards him. But instead of reacting, he simply watched it bounce over his own head and into the back of the net.

In cartoon-like fashion, Piplica also fell backward into his own goal before crawling up in disbelief and embarrassment. To make matters worse, this occurred in the final few minutes of the game as his team was defending a one-goal lead. Despite this, Piplica is considered to be a cult goalkeeper and a fan favorite.

Players with the most own goals

Martin Skrtel

When it comes to Premier League own goal records, Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel holds the dubious honor of the most own goals in a single season, when he netted four times in the wrong goal in the 2013/14 season.

Richard Dunne

Irishman, Richard Dunne, still holds the record for the most own goals across a Premier League career, with an inconceivable 10 own goals to his name.

Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher, who has gone on to forge a successful career in punditry following his retirement, surely has the worst goals to own goals record in England, scoring three goals at the right end and seven at the wrong end. Technically, Carragher scored 2.33 own goals per goal for the Reds.

Stan van den

Buys Possibly to worst defensive performance from a single player came from Stan van den Buys. Playing for Germinal Beerschot in Belgium, the player scored a hat-trick of own goals as his side was beaten 3-2 by Anderlecht.

Pat Kruse

The quickest own goal is thought to be a goal scored when Torquay United played against Cambridge United in 1977. Pat Kruse of Torquay put the ball in his own net after just eight seconds in utterly unbelievable circumstances.

Can a Goalkeeper Score an Own Goal?

A goalkeeper can score his own goal. It is worth noting that if a goalkeeper gets a hand or any part of their body in front of a shot but it still goes in, then as long as the initial shot was on target (going into the goal), then it will be credited to the striker as a goal. However, if the shot was going off target (missing the goal) and the ‘keeper diverts it into their own goal, then it will be given as an own goal. If the ball hits the post or crossbar, bounces out, hits the goalkeeper, and goes into the goal, then it will be deemed to be an own goal.

Conclusion

What does OG mean? You may have seen ‘OG’ shown when you head over to your favorite text commentary site to follow a game, on the scorecard on TV. It can be a bit confusing to those who don’t know but, simply put, ‘OG’ refers to an own goal, when a player puts the ball into the back of their own net.

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