Rule 18 · USPA Rulebook 2026
Winning the game: goals
The team with more goals wins; what counts as a goal from play and what does not.
Goals
The team with the most goals wins the game. Goals may be awarded by handicap or penalty (See Rule 19), or may be scored from play. A goal is scored from play when the ball passes between the goal posts or the imaginary vertical lines produced by the inner surfaces of the goal posts and across and clear of the goal line. The ball must go all of the way over and across the side, end or goal line to be out of bounds or a goal. A ball on the line is still in play. A ball hit through, lodged into, or directly over either goal post shall not be scored because it has not passed between their inner vertical lines the goal posts produce. Should the Goal Judges and other game officials remain uncertain of whether or not the ball passed between the goal posts, play shall resume with a knock-in or a safety (Penalty 6) as determined by the Umpires.