What is a goal?

[KingGooey]

This is my first year in goal and I stopped a shot off my legs and it rolled halfway onto the goaline and i pulled it back, it was not ruled a goal. But, my friend who is also a goalie said in one of his games the same thing happened and the ref said "The ball touched the line, so it is a goal." I always thought it had to completely cross the line to be a goal.

So, does the entire ball have to cross the line for it to be a goal?

[RYU]

You are correct.

NCAA & NFHS 4-8 "A goal is scored when a loose ball passes from the front,
completely through the imaginary plane formed by the rear edges of the goal
line, the goal posts and the crossbar of the goal, regardless of who supplied
the impetus."

[laxfan25]

One of the big problems, of course, is that the goals are rarely set up properly, i.e. with the back edge of the line exactly even with the back plane of the pipes. I try to get them set up that way, but it is a losing effort. You simply need to rely on the call of the lead official, right or wrong, as to whether he felt it broke the plane of the back of the pipes, which is the true determinant.

[MurphRef_NH]

The ruling is correct, ball must completely break the plane of the goal. However, there is no substitute for good mechanics. The lead should be right at the goal-line extended in order to make this call properly. It makes it so much easier to sell the correct call.