Which size of goal suits your garden?
Size by age, how much room you need and what the FA says about anchoring.
See the goal size guideHow to Stop a Pop Up Football Goal Blowing Away
Small Garden
A pop up goal is light on purpose, and light things fly. To stop a pop up football goal blowing away, peg every loop into the turf or weight the base, check the gusts before play and fold it flat when it is not in use.
For a long time I put the goal up with two pegs because I could only find two. A gust folded it over, rolled it across the lawn and wedged it against the washing line while my child was fetching the ball. Nobody was near it, which was luck and not planning.
Start here
How to Stop a Pop Up Football Goal Blowing Away: The Short Answer
Push a peg through every anchor loop into the turf, add soft weights where pegs will not go and check the gusts before anyone plays. Makers supply ground pegs for exactly this. One maker's manual says "Ensure frame is securely pegged to ground before use" (one maker's instruction manual). Another listing says pegs are included "for windy days" (a retailer's product page for a pop up goal). A retailer calls an unsecured goal "a small kite waiting for the next gust of wind" (a UK retailer's pop up goal guide).
- Peg every anchor loop on grass and push each peg fully home.
- Where pegs will not hold, lay soft weights such as sandbags across the base.
- Read the gusts, tug the frame and put the goal away if it moves.
- Fold it flat and store it indoors every time.
The FA's guidelines for the safe use of goalposts say goalposts of any size, including portable ones, must always be anchored securely to the ground or have a weighted back bar, and that portable goalposts may overturn if they are not properly secured. That page is written for pitches and clubs. It does not mention pop up goals, gardens or wind, so it points the same way as this advice without settling how windy is too windy.
Not sure which goal to buy? Start with what size goal suits a small garden, and for a goal made from household things see what is safe to make at home.
A peg per loop, five minutes
How to Secure a Pop Up Goal With Pegs on a Lawn
- 1
Flat ground, clear run. Open the goal on level grass with nothing breakable downwind of it, because the wind decides where a loose goal ends up. Keep it away from the washing line, the greenhouse and next door's fence.
- 2
Every loop gets a peg. Push a peg through each anchor loop, not just the two at the back. Makers supply the pegs for this (instruction manual, product page).
- 3
Fully home. Press each peg down until the hook or head sits against the turf. A peg left standing proud is a trip hazard and a hazard for bare feet.
- 4
Soft ground, extra care. Wet or loose soil holds a peg less well, and one retailer says loose or wet soil needs more pegs, though that advice is about full size goals (a UK retailer's anchoring guide). On hard dry ground, do not force a peg through a loop; switch to weights.
- 5
Think about what is under the lawn. Skip any spot where you know a cable or pipe runs, such as outdoor lights, a shed supply or a sprinkler line. No source says how deep a short peg reaches, and the HSE's underground services guidance is written for people who excavate, so this is caution, not a measured risk.
- 6
Count them in, count them out. Count the pegs when they go in and again when the goal comes down, and keep them in a lidded tin. A peg that stays in the grass turns up under a mower or a bare foot.
Check the frame and the loops before each game, because RoSPA's garden safety advice says to check the condition of garden play equipment, especially after storage. The peg advice here is commercial guidance with no testing cited, and the research section says so.
When pegs will not go in
Weights for a Pop Up Goal: What to Use and What Not To
On a patio, hard ground or artificial grass the pegs will not work. A retailer's answer is "a couple of sandbags or other weights" (a UK retailer's pop up goal guide), and the table says which weights are worth having and which are not.
| Weight | Use it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Soft sandbags laid across the base | Yes | Soft, flat and low. Lay them on the back of the base, behind the goal-mouth, not in front of it where a boot meets them. |
| The maker's own rubber base weights | Yes, if supplied for your model | One maker lists a 4 kg optional weight for "extra stability during powerful shots" (product page). Follow the maker's positions. |
| A ball bag or cushion full of soft things | Short term | Better than nothing for a one-off, but it can slide, so check it after each gust. |
| Bricks, paving stones or tins of paint | No | Hard edges are a toe and shin hazard and can fall onto a child or bend a hollow frame. |
| Water bottles or buckets of water | No | They split, tip and roll into the play area, and a full bucket is a trip. |
| Guy ropes across the garden | No | A cord at running height is a trip line, and a pop up goal is not made for the pull. |
No source I found says how much weight a pop up goal needs in a given wind. Weights help hold the base down but do not make a goal wind-proof, so a gust still means folding it flat.
If the weight on the base is a problem because the goal keeps getting in the way, a smaller goal may suit the garden better, and the goal size guide covers that.
Read the gust, not just the wind
Pop Up Goal Wind Check: Before You Put It Up
Forecasts show a mean wind speed and a gust speed. The Met Office defines a gust as the maximum three second average wind speed in a period, and the mean wind as the average over the ten minutes before the report (how the Met Office defines a gust). Gusts are the part that lifts a light goal, which is my reading, not a tested finding.
- Look. Are large branches moving, or is it hard to hold an umbrella?
- Tug. Grip a top corner of the pegged goal and give it a firm tug. If a peg lifts or the frame walks, it is too windy for it.
- Watch the net. If the net fills and bellies like a sail on a gust, take it down. The sail comparison borrows from RoSPA's paper on garden trampolines (PDF), which says to remove trampoline netting that acts "sail-like" in wind.
| Force | Knots | About mph | What you can see |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4, moderate breeze | 11 to 16 | about 13 to 18 | Raises dust and loose paper; small branches moved (MetLink) |
| 5, fresh breeze | 17 to 21 | about 20 to 24 | Small trees in leaf begin to sway (MetLink) |
| 6, strong breeze | 22 to 27 | about 25 to 31 | Large branches in motion; umbrellas used with difficulty (MetLink) |
| 7, near gale | 28 to 33 | about 32 to 38 | Whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking against the wind (MetLink) |
The knots come from the Met Office's Beaufort scale, and the mph column is my own conversion, multiplying knots by 1.15 and rounding (17 knots is 19.6, shown as about 20). The "what you can see" words come from MetLink's Beaufort scale, the Royal Meteorological Society's teaching site, not the Met Office. It is a marine scale of mean wind, not advice about goals.
A fair line for a light pop up goal is force 6. If the forecast gust reaches that, do not put it up, and if it arrives mid-game, fold it. That ceiling is the author's judgement, borrowed from the scale. No source gives a safe wind speed for a pop up goal, and a light goal may lift in less.
On a day with an official Met Office wind warning the advice is to stay indoors as much as possible (the Met Office's strong wind advice), and the windy weather guide has the full rule.
Down before it goes
A Garden Football Goal in the Wind: When to Fold It Flat
Fold it flat and put it away after every session. The FA says portable goalposts should not be left in place after use (the FA's goalpost safety guidelines (PDF)), and one maker's manual says not to leave the goal outdoors in adverse weather (instruction manual). That is one model, and it does not say what adverse means.
A folded goal in its bag is still light, so keep it indoors, in a shed or in the garage, in "a cool, dry place" as one retailer says (retailer guide).
Before the goal goes up, look at where a loose one would travel. Keep windows, the car and next door's fence out of that line, and the layout guide on protecting the car and windows covers where misses go.
Nobody sits on, climbs on or hangs from the frame. The FA says no one should climb on, swing or play with the structure of goalposts (FA guidelines, FA PDF), and a retailer says anchoring stops goals tipping over if a child hangs off them (retailer guide).
In my experience, pegs and weights slow a goal down. Folding it stops it. If you have to wonder, fold it.
Look over the frame before each game, and stop using a goal with a cracked or broken part. One maker's manual says to discontinue use if any breakage is found (instruction manual).
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say About Securing a Pop Up Goal
The FA's guidelines for the safe use of goalposts say goalposts of any size, including portable ones, must be anchored securely or have a weighted back bar. The PDF adds that portable goalposts must be secured to the manufacturer's instructions and should not be left in place after use, and that no one should climb or swing on them (the FA's goalpost safety guidelines (PDF)). They were written for pitches, clubs and practice fields and for rigid goals, and the PDF was last updated in June 2018. They do not mention pop up goals, gardens or wind, and they do not say whether a lightweight pop up goal counts as a goalpost.
RoSPA Play Safety on goal stability says ground conditions affect the stability of goals, so follow the manufacturer on fixings for the weather. It is aimed at play areas and playing fields and has nothing on gardens or pop up goals. RoSPA's garden pages say to check play equipment, especially after storage, and its trampoline paper says to tie down trampolines and remove netting that acts like a sail in wind. Trampolines are far heavier than a pop up goal, so that paper is an analogy only.
The Met Office gives its definitions of gust and mean wind, a Beaufort table in knots and stay-indoors advice on a warning day (Beaufort scale, gust definition, strong wind advice). These are weather definitions and a marine scale, not goal advice, and the "what you can see" column comes from MetLink, which is the Royal Meteorological Society's and not the Met Office's.
Retailers and makers give the guidance on pegs, weights and storage (a retailer's guide, a maker's manual, a retailer's product page, an anchoring guide). It is commercial guidance, and none of it cites a test of a pop up goal in wind. The manual is for one model, and the anchoring guide is about full size goals.
No source found says how windy is too windy for a pop up goal, how much weight holds one, or how many children are hurt by a goal that blows over. I would rather call the force 6 line my own ceiling than pretend a study set it.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Pop Up Goals in the Wind
How do I stop a pop up football goal blowing away?
Push a peg through every anchor loop into the turf, add soft sandbags where pegs will not hold and fold the goal flat when it is not in use (retailer guide, maker's manual, product page). Check the gusts before anyone plays.
Do I need to anchor a pop up goal?
The FA says goalposts of any size, portable ones included, must be anchored securely or have a weighted back bar (the FA). Its page is written for pitches and does not mention pop up goals, so treat it as the direction to follow.
What can I use to weigh down a pop up goal?
Soft sandbags laid across the base, or the maker's own base weights (retailer guide, product page). Not bricks, paving stones or bottles of water, which are hard or can split.
How windy is too windy for a pop up goal?
No source gives a limit. A ceiling to use, and the author's judgement, is force 6, a strong breeze, which the Met Office scale starts at 22 knots, about 25 mph (Met Office). A light goal may lift in less, so fold it if in doubt.
Should I leave a pop up goal out overnight?
No. The FA says portable goalposts should not be left in place after use (the FA PDF), and one maker's manual says not to leave the goal outdoors in adverse weather (maker's manual).
What if the ground is too hard for pegs?
Use weights instead of forcing a peg through a loop (retailer guide). RoSPA Play Safety says to follow the maker's advice on fixings for the conditions (RoSPA Play Safety).
Is it safe if my child hangs on the goal?
No. The FA says no one should climb on, swing or play with the structure of a goalpost (FA guidelines, FA PDF), and a retailer says anchoring stops goals tipping if a child hangs off them (retailer guide).
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what you need.
Playing on a breezy day?
Keep the ball low, and know when a warning means stay in.
See the windy weather guideWant more ideas for a small garden?
Short games that fit a lawn, a patio or a narrow strip.
See Small Garden GamesTonight's five minutes
Count your pegs.
Before the next kickabout, count the pegs in the bag against the loops on the goal. If any are missing, sort that out before the goal goes up, and count them out again afterwards.