Soccer Goal Safety | Anchoring Soccer Goals

When purchasing a Soccer Goal most people are concerned about the size of the goal and the price, but You should always think SAFETY FIRST.

Soccer Goal Dangers

• A gust of wind…a young player…an uneven playing field…In their current design, only 22 pounds of force can bring a 400-pound goal crashing down, injuring – even killing – a player.
• NEVER ALLOW Children to swing on the goals. No matter what size goal. Even a small 4x6 goal could seriously hurt a player if it fell on them.

REMEMBER: SOCCER GOALS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ANCHORED/SECURED!

• Is the ground bar weighted, so as not to topple over easily?
• Does the goal come with ground anchors?
• Should I purchase another type of anchor such as Anchor Sandbags or Fillable Anchor Containers?
• Does the goal come with safety stickers?
• Do you educate your coaches and players NOT to swing on the soccer goals

If goals are not secured correctly they can be blown over by the wind, be knocked over by players or many other reasons. This can damage the soccer goals or worse still, injure anyone that is near. There are so many options on the market to secure the goals to make them safer, so which option do you choose?

Below we will go over some of the options such as, Spikes or Steel J-Stakes, Corkscrews, In-ground Anchors, Sand Bags, Hard Shell Plastic Containers and many other options available on the market. The fact is nothing is full-proof, but there are some options that are better than others.

These are good as long as they are about 12-14 inches, ½” in diameter, and are banged into the ground using a hammer or mallet.

However; there are a couple of cons with the Spikes or J-Stakes.

1. If the goals are moved allot to cut the grass. The holes that the J-Stakes keep going back into will eventually open up and be to big for the J-Stakes making them very loose and no longer really securing the goal.
2. If you have in-ground sprinkler systems the J-Stakes could penetrate the pipes underground, causing leaks and needed repairs.

NOTE: Cannot be used on Artificial Turf Surfaces

The Corkscrew Anchors come with a chain which secures around the Groundbar or backstays to the corkscrew anchor. These are usually much more secure than the J-Stakes, as the are, as they state a corkscrew, which augers it way into the ground. The biggest con to this is having the strength to keep twisting the corkscrew anchor into the ground (although it does work on your biceps…lol).

NOTE: Cannot be used on Artificial Turf Surfaces

Anchor Sand Bags come in a variety of styles depending on the vendor you are purchasing them from. Some come with two (2) zipped pockets which you can pour about 20 lbs of soil or stones into on each side. Some have just one (1) Heavy Duty Zipper and you can place a 50 lb bag of sand in that you just purchased from the hardware store.

The con with these is carrying them back and fourth to the goals each week (unless you leave them on the goal frames, then your grass dies underneath). Another con is that if you leave them outside all year long the weather will deteriorate them within a year or two. However; if you place them in a cool dry place during the winter you could get 2-3 years out of them. Another Con is trying to get the bags to stay on the soccer goal frame (it’s a balancing act). The Good news is that these are affordable for the short-term solution and come with heavy duty straps to carry the bags with.

These are Perfect to use on Artificial Turf surfaces, but can also be used on grass or other surfaces that you cannot use an anchor that must go into the ground.

A Longer lasting solution. The Nova World Cup Anchors are one of the best solutions I’ve seen for securing soccer goals. They are obviously more expensive, but you get what you pay for. These are a heavy duty hard plastic shelled container which you can add water, sand or cement into. The Nova World Cup Anchors can also be stacked on one another, to add additional weight (like stacking legos).

Its Hard plastic shell will not crack when filled in the field with either 24lbs of water, 30lbs of sand or 50lbs of cement. They also fit snuggly over the goal frame versus trying to get a sandbag to balance on the goal frame.

These are Perfect to use on Artificial Turf surfaces, but can also be used on grass or other surfaces that you cannot use an anchor that must go into the ground.

Always ensure that your soccer goals display a Soccer Goal Safety Sticker identifying the dangers of climbing on the goal(s).

If you need any goal safety stickers please contact Info@Goals4Sports.com

Q1: Which Anchors should I use

A1: It will depend on what type of surface the goals are sitting on (See the end note on each anchor style

Q2: How many anchors should I use per goal

A2: A minimum of two (2) anchors per goal should be used, but on the bigger goals you may need up to four (4) anchors per goal. Rule of thumb once you have the anchors in place try pulling on the goal to see if it will tip over. If the answer is yes add more anchors/weight.

Q3: Where should I place the Goal Anchors

A3: If only using two (2) anchors they should be placed towards the back corners. If using four (4) anchors then two (2) should go on the back corners and two (2) should go on the bars at the side of the goal frames touching the ground.

Q4: How much dirt/sand should I put in the anchor sand bags or container

A4: If you can lift the anchor sandbag/container with a couple of fingers, you obviously don’t have enough product inside of them. Don’t put so much in that you’re going to injure yourself. If you need help ask someone to assist you in carrying them. Carry one strap each.

Q5: Can I use water in the Anchor Sand Bags

A5: The answer is NO! Water will leak out of the Sandbag

Q6: Can I add water into the Nova World Cup Anchors

A6: Yes, but remember to empty the water out in the winter other it could freeze, swell and split the plastic container.

WARNING: Don’t open the caps in the heat as you could get scolded from the water being heated by the sun.

Q7: Are the J-Stakes or Corkscrew anchors long enough to penetrate the sprinkler system

A7: Yes, DO NOT USE if you have sprinklers on your fields

For more information go to the Anchored for Safety Website

THE DANGERS OF SOCCER GOAL SAFETY ARE REAL. View this heart wrenching video about Zach's Law PSA - Promoting Soccer Goal Safety