Players may celebrate a goal, but not excessively, and choreographed celebrations must not cause excessive time-wasting. Leaving the field to celebrate is not a cautionable offence, but players should return as soon as possible. Some celebration acts must be cautioned, even if the goal is disallowed.
General rule
Under the IFAB Laws of the Game, players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but the celebration must not be excessive.
Choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and must not cause excessive time-wasting.
How goal celebrations are treated
Here are the decisions for several goal-celebration situations.
| Celebration | Decision |
|---|---|
| Celebrating a goal | Allowed, but must not be excessive |
| A choreographed celebration | Not encouraged; must not cause excessive time-wasting |
| Leaving the field of play to celebrate | Not a cautionable offence; the player should return as soon as possible |
| Climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a way that causes safety and/or security issues | Caution |
| Acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way | Caution |
| Covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item | Caution |
| Removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt | Caution |
Each of the four acts must be cautioned on its own; none needs to be combined with another. Approaching the spectators is not automatically a caution: a player must be cautioned for climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issues.
The caution still applies even if the goal is then disallowed. The later decision on the goal does not erase the disciplinary action for the celebration itself.
Leaving the field and a second caution
Leaving the field of play to celebrate is not a cautionable offence, but the player should return as soon as possible.
A second caution in the same match leads to a sending-off. That is the standard disciplinary consequence, including when one of the cautions comes from a goal celebration.
How lost time is handled
The referee allows for playing time lost through goal celebrations when deciding the additional time in each half. Celebration time is treated in the same way as other causes of lost playing time.
That matters because goal celebrations often take a significant amount of time out of the match. Celebrating is allowed, but the referee still allows for the time it takes.
FAQ
Why do players get booked for taking the shirt off?
A player must be cautioned for removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt. The act itself is enough; no further condition applies.
Can players celebrate with the fans?
They can celebrate after scoring, but a player must be cautioned for climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issues. A player who acts in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way must also be cautioned.
Is it still a yellow card if the goal is disallowed?
Yes. A player must be cautioned for any of the four listed celebration acts even if the goal is disallowed.
Can a player wear a mask to celebrate a goal?
No. A player must be cautioned for covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item.
