It's a popular sport for kids of all ages, but did you know an accident on a soccer field could be fatal?

It can happen with a simple piece of equipment.

"Had I even had an inkling that a goal is a dangerous thing, I would have been very vigilant about that," said Michelle Tran, mother of Zach Tran.

Zach was only 6 years old, and on the first day of October, before practice even got underway, an unanchored goalpost on a field toppled and hit the boy.

All it takes is a shove to send the 180-pound goal frame crashing to the ground.

Zach died the day he was hit by the goalpost. But this isn't the first time something has happened like this. It's actually incident number 76, according to a Web site dedicated to the memory of another boy killed by a goalpost lists other cases:

A 9-year-old girl in Georgia was killed when the goal struck her as she tied her shoe.

A 4-year-old boy in Texas was killed while other children were climbing on the goal.

A goalpost also injured Sloan Kodroff, 15.

"It just starting tipping and I tried to jump off, but it just came with me and landed on my face," Sloan remembered.

Sloan suffered a broken jaw and teeth.

Part of the problem is the front-heavy design -- the other part is people who move goals and forget to put the anchors back in.

The Illinois Soccer Referee Committee wants improvements in soccer goals.

"We know that Zach was not the first to die or to be injured by a falling soccer goal. We want him to be the last," said Jayson Tran, Zach's father.

There have been four reported injuries in Pennsylvania, and one injury and one death in New Jersey.

Goal makers say they are working on improved designs -- such as tip-resistant goals. But nothing will ever replace the simplest solution -- making sure that the goal is anchored securely.

Soccer Safety

Members.tripod.com/goalsafety

www.fifa.com

www.astm.org

www.cpsc.gov