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Football · Laws of the Game

Law 9: The Ball In and Out of Play

1 parts · 2 tests · 20 facts · updated 6 September 2026 · markdown

Law 9 defines the only two ways the ball is out of play: it has wholly passed over the goal line or touchline, whether on the ground or in the air, or the referee has stopped play. The boundary lines belong to the areas they enclose, so the whole of the ball must cross the outer edge of the line before it is out; while any part of the ball is still on or above the line, play continues. The ball is also out of play if it touches a match official, stays on the field of play and then goes directly into the goal, starts a promising attack or changes the team in possession, in which case play restarts with a dropped ball under Law 8. At all other times the ball is in play, including when it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or corner flagpost and stays on the field, and when it touches a match official and stays on the field without any of those three outcomes. Corner flagposts are compulsory and must not be removed. Law 9 itself contains no ruling for a ball striking a stadium roof; IFAB guidance and competition rules restart such play with a dropped ball at the point below where the ball hit the structure.

9.91The ball in and out of play

The two ways the ball is out of play - wholly over the goal line or touchline on the ground or in the air, or the referee stopping play - and the principle that the boundary line belongs to the field, so the whole ball must cross the line's outer edge and a ball on or overhanging the line is still in. The special case of the ball touching a match official, staying on the field and then going into the goal, starting a promising attack or changing possession, which makes the ball out of play for a dropped ball under Law 8. Then when the ball stays in play: rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or corner flagpost that stay on the field, and a touch off a match official that stays on the field with none of the three outcomes. The compulsory corner flagpost that must not be removed, and the IFAB-guidance restart of a dropped ball when the ball strikes a stadium roof.

Test 1When the ball is out of play

  1. Out of play needs the whole ball beyond the line; while any part still lies on or above it, the ball is live.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  2. On the ground or in the air makes no difference: a ball that has fully cleared the line in flight is already out, even if it curls back.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  3. A boundary line belongs to the area it encloses, so a ball touching or overhanging the line has not wholly crossed and is in play.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  4. Both the touchlines and the goal lines are boundary lines; a ball wholly over either is out. The halfway line and penalty-area lines are inside the field.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  5. The ball is out of play whenever the referee stops play; it stays in play through appeals, injuries not yet whistled and instructions from the bench.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  6. Until the ball has wholly passed the line it is in play, so a defender may keep it on the field however close to the line it gets.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  7. When the deflection off an official sends the ball straight in, no goal counts; the restart is a dropped ball under Law 8.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  8. A promising attack is one of the three conditions that make a ball off an official dead; the keeper's throw becoming a breakaway is exactly that.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  9. The whole goal line counts, not just the part inside the goal: a ball wholly over it above the bar or wide of a post is out, here for a goal kick or corner.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  10. The moment the whole ball crosses the line it is dead; nothing a player does revives it, and play resumes only with the throw-in, corner or goal kick.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

Test 2When the ball stays in play

  1. The goal frame does not put the ball out; as long as it stays on the pitch a rebound is live and can be shot again.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  2. Once the whole ball has passed the goal line between the posts and under the bar the goal is scored; what the ball does next does not change it.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  3. Law 9 lists the corner flagpost with the goalposts and crossbar, so a rebound off it that stays in bounds keeps the ball in play.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  4. Corner flagposts are compulsory equipment and must not be removed, including for a corner kick; they are at least 1.5 m high with a non-pointed top.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  5. With none of the three triggering outcomes present, the contact leaves the ball just as it was, in play.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  6. Law 9 has no roof; IFAB guidance and competition rules restart with a dropped ball at the point below where the ball hit the structure.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  7. What matters is whether the ball remained on the pitch, not the angle of the flag.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  8. The rebound off the post never took the ball out of play, so the header is an ordinary goal with no two-touch condition.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · applied

  9. On their own, a bounce off the goal frame and a touch off an official each leave the ball in play here.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

  10. The ball is in play at all other times, including rebounds off the goal frame or corner flagpost and touches off a match official that stay on the field.

    Source: IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 · recall

Sources

IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 9 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Law, not reproduced)

  • IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 920