Own goal
The term own goal is derived from the practice in Association Football (soccer) in which a player who kicks a ball into his own sides' goal scores a goal for the opposition, and is personally "credited" with the goal. It has become a euphemism (in countries where football is the most popular sport) for any action that backfires on a person.
Own goals in other sports are rare, and when they occur, they are not "credited" in the same manner as in soccer. For examply, in hockey, if a goal is scored by a player on the defending team, credit for the goal goes to the last player on the other team to have touched the ball or puck. In basketball, when accidentally scoring at an opposing team's basket (basketball's equivalent of an "own goal"), the closest player to the rim from the opposing team is credited with the basket. In American football, when a ball-carrier is ruled "down" within his own goal-area, the result is a "safety" and the opposing team is awarded two points.
Own goals can result in incidents of violence in sports. Colombia national football team member Andrés Escobar scored an own goal in a match with the United States in the 1994 World Cup, resulting in an upset win for the United States and Colombia's dismissal in the first round. Escobar was murdered shortly after his return to Colombia.
