Soccer Goal Recall

Administrators, effective 8/16/2008, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled Mitre and MacGregor foldable goals. The opening in the nylon mesh for these goals is too big; it is 5 inches wide and should be no bigger than 4 inches. Take a second today to measure your nets and make sure there isn’t a hazard on your fields. Click here to watch the video.

The recall was prompted by a 21-month old boy’s death last year in Texas. The boy was in a fenced-in backyard that contained only the goal and carpet grass. He tried to climb the goal, fell, and found himself tangled in the net. By the time the mother realized what happened, the net was so tight she was unable to pull his had back through.

There are 190,000 units on the recall list. They were sold at Ace Hardware and Wal-Mart since 2002, reportedly between $26 and $45. When assembled the MacGregor goal measures 6 feet by 3 feet and the Mitre goal is 8 feet by 6 feet high.

Please don’t underestimate goal safety. There was a death just last week from a goal falling on a child in Arizona. Accidents happen, but the better prepared we are the less likely they will result in fatality. Read our post last week on goal safety if you have any more questions.

~Sam@bluesombrero.com

Comments

[Karen]

The focus on goal safety is very important. We also need to be aware of the safety of our soccer facilities. On Sunday, as the winds were picking up before the horrible wind storms that swept Ohio, a steel sideline bench was blown over. It landed on a young player, hitting her on the side of the head as it tipped onto her. (She was on the ground stretching in front of the bench before going into the game.) Certainly the conditions were unusual, but it was also a risk that we simply did not anticipate.