The first goalscorer market sits on almost every football bet slip in the UK, and its settlement rules catch punters out more often than any other player market. A pick who comes off the bench after the opener rarely settles the way people expect.
This guide covers what first goalscorer bets are, how they settle, how the prices are built, and how we pick them. Our Anytime goalscorer tips page covers the wider scorer market separately.
A first goalscorer bet is a wager on the player you predict will score the first goal of the match. The market is decided the instant the opening goal goes in, so everything after that is irrelevant to your bet. Standard settlement covers normal time only, so goals in extra time or a penalty shootout do not count unless the bookmaker states otherwise.
| A worked example: You back a Premier League side’s penalty taker at 7/1 to score first, then an opposition centre-half heads in a corner on 12 minutes. Your bet loses there. Many bet slips also carry a No Goalscorer option, which lands at 0-0. We are not a bookmaker, and the goal scorer rules vary between operators, so the rules tab on your bet slip is the final word. |
Settlement turns on who scored, whether the goal stood, and whether your player was on the pitch.
Own goals do not usually count as the first goalscorer. If a defender turns the ball into his own net for the opener, most operators roll the market on to the next goal scored by an attacking player. An own goal still counts on the scoreline under the IFAB Laws of the Game, which is why it can settle an over 2.5 goals leg while leaving the goalscorer market open.
If your player is not in the starting XI, most UK bookmakers either refund the stake or void the bet rather than settling it as a loser, though the wording varies by operator. If he comes on before the opening goal, the bet usually stands, and if he arrives after it, the stake is returned. A named player loses at 0-0 unless you took the No Goalscorer selection, and abandoned or postponed fixtures normally see stakes returned unless the first goal had already been scored. A goal chalked off by VAR does not decide the market, because the goal has to stand.
| Quick tip: Check the rules tab on your bet slip before you stake. Whether a non-starter is voided or the stake returned is the biggest difference between operators, and licensed operators must publish clear settlement terms under the Gambling Commission’s licence conditions. |
First goalscorer suits small stakes at higher prices, while anytime works better as an acca or bet builder leg.
3 inputs do most of the work in shortening a first goalscorer price: penalty and set-piece duty, expected minutes, and shots taken inside the box.
Designated penalty takers price up shortest, because a spot kick is one of the most reliable routes to an early goal. Central strikers are shorter than wide forwards or attacking midfielders, since more of their shots come from inside the box, as shown by Premier League stats or shot-location data on FBref. A forward for a home side expected to dominate territory prices shorter than the same player at an away underdog.
Prices drift when a player carries an injury doubt or rotation risk, which is why team news moves this market more sharply than almost any other. Margins here are wider than on the match result, because every player in both squads has to be priced, so comparing prices across accounts matters. Bigger odds reflect lower probability, not better value in isolation.
An each-way goalscorer bet doubles your stake and splits it into 2 halves: one on your player scoring first, one on the place part. The place part commonly pays if your player scores at any time in the match, settled at a fraction of the first goalscorer odds.
A £5 each-way bet is a £10 total outlay, £5 on the first goal and £5 on the place part. Each-way goalscorer is not offered by every bookmaker, and the terms differ, so read the terms before staking.
Our process is deliberately mechanical, because this bet most often dies before kick-off.
Where fixtures allow, we post selections by 9 pm the night before.
Most punters pair first goalscorer bets with a shots leg, a cards leg, or a result leg rather than backing them alone. Our guide on building a bet builder shows how we combine markets without stacking correlated legs, and you can reach us via our contact page if you want us to cover a fixture.
Betting Village is not a bookmaker, and all tips reflect our personal opinions, so always do your own research. 18+ only.
For free, confidential support, visit GamCare or call the National Gambling Helpline free on 0808 8020 133.
No. Own goals do not count as the first goalscorer at most UK operators, so the market rolls on to the next goal scored by an attacking player at the correct end.
Some operators offer cash out on goalscorer markets, but availability is limited. The bet resolves on a single event, and once the opening goal goes in the market settles, leaving no position to trade.
No. The goal must stand for settlement. A goal ruled out by VAR is treated as if it never happened, and the market stays open until a valid goal is scored.
Standard settlement is normal time only, covering 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and shootout goals are excluded unless the bookmaker states otherwise.
Yes. Most operators allow a first goalscorer leg inside a bet builder or same-game multiple, alongside result, goals, shots, or card markets. Some combinations are blocked where the legs are judged to be too closely correlated.
Stakes are normally returned if the match is abandoned before any goal is scored. If the opening goal had already gone in, the market would have usually settled by then.
