Reports are warning that movable soccer goals are potentially dangerous products that can cause injury or even death to young players.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been warning parents about the risks associated with moveable soccer goals for years. Soccer goals that are not anchored to the ground can easily fall over and injure nearby children and adults alike. Some injuries result from a person climbing on the goal or hanging from the crossbar, but even a strong gust of wind can cause the goal to fall.
A report by the CPSC stated that, from 1998 to 2008, soccer goal tip-overs resulted in the death of at least eight children. Approximately 2,000 children under the age of 16 were taken to the emergency room due to injuries from unanchored goals.
According to Anchored for Safety, a soccer goal safety advocacy group, nearly 40 children have been killed and more than 55 injured due to the structural failures of movable soccer goals since the late 1970s. Their website reported that a 9-year-old boy from Arkansas was killed earlier this year after a soccer goal fell on top of him.
The CPSC recommends that movable soccer goals be securely anchored at all times and only be used on level ground. Coaches are recommended to instruct their young players on the dangers of climbing on soccer goals and are prohibited from climbing on the goal’s frame and net.
It is also recommended that moveable soccer goal manufacturers provide counterweights for the goals. These counterweights should be used even when the goals are not in use. Anchoring the goal to nearby fence posts or other strong fixtures also helps to prevent accidents and serious injuries.
Source: ConsumerReports.org, “Soccer goals need to be anchored,” Desiree Ferenczi, 3/14/2011
