Out of Play

The ball is in play whenever it is on the pitch and the referee has not stopped play.

The ball is out of play when wholly across a boundary, or when the referee stops play.

A throw-in restarts play when the ball has gone out over the touchline.

When an attacker last touches the ball before it crosses the goal line outside the goal, the defending team restarts with a goal kick from its goal area.

When a defender last touches the ball before it crosses their own goal line outside the goal, the attackers get a corner kick.

The two long sides of the pitch are the touchlines.

Goal lines are the two shorter boundary lines, where the goalposts stand. Going out over them results in either a goal kick or corner kick.

The same 'whole ball wholly across' standard applies for ball-out-of-play as for goals.

The corner arc is the small quarter-circle at each pitch corner. The ball is placed inside it for a corner kick.

The 'last touched' player determines the type of restart (throw-in side, goal kick or corner).

Each of the four corners has a 1 m quarter-circle corner arc.

At a corner kick, opposing players must stay at least 9.15 m (10 yards) from the corner arc until the ball is in play.

Opponents may stand closest at a throw-in, the others keep a little more room at a dropped ball, and a free kick needs the most.

At a goal kick the opponents must stay outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.

Both feet must be on or behind the touchline during the throw-in. Even one foot in front voids the throw.

The thrower must hold the ball with both hands and deliver from behind and over the head.

Major leagues average roughly 10–11 corner kicks per match across both teams.

Goal kicks are common — typically 12–14 per match across both teams in top leagues.

Throw-ins are the most common restart, with 35–45 typical across both teams per match.

The ball goes in the corner arc nearest to where it went out; once kicked it is in play, and the kicker may not touch it again until someone else has.

Any player on the team awarded the throw-in may take it. The team chooses who.

The defending team chooses any player to take the goal kick. Most often the goalkeeper takes it.

Any attacking-team player may take the corner. Teams often have specialists for set pieces.

The throw-in is taken at the point on the touchline where the ball crossed.

A goal kick may be taken from any point inside the goal area (A).

The ball is placed inside the corner arc at the corner closest to where the ball crossed the goal line.

The assistant referee on that side usually shows who touched the ball last, and the referee confirms the restart.

A throw-in is the restart when the ball has gone out over a touchline.

The defending team touched the ball last before it crossed its own goal line, so the attackers restart with a corner.

If the attacking team is the last to touch the ball before it crosses the goal line, the defenders get a goal kick.

Both hands must be used for a legal throw-in.

Law 15 requires both feet to be on the touchline OR on the ground behind it. Standing on the line itself is legal; standing wholly inside the field of play is a foul throw.

Once a corner is kicked the ball is in play like any other; if it then goes out over the touchline, the opponents get a throw-in.

After a goal kick (as with most restarts), the kicker may not touch the ball again until it has been played by another player. Doing so results in an indirect free kick to the opposing team.

Throw-ins are unique among restarts in that they use the hands, not the feet.

A run-up is allowed before the throw. Players may run a few steps as long as both feet are on or behind the line at the moment of release.

The ball must be inside the corner arc. The kicker's body may move; the rule applies to the ball's position.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. If it goes straight into the thrower's own goal, the opponents get a corner.

At a throw-in, opponents must stand at least 2 m from the point where it is taken.

All restarts share this rule: the kicker may not play the ball twice in a row.

A throw-in restarts play after the ball crosses the touchline, and the thrower may not touch it again until another player has.

Both feet must be on or behind the touchline. A foot in front voids the throw.

Touching the ball twice before another player has touched it is an indirect free kick offence.

The ball must be inside the corner arc. If it isn't, the kick is retaken.

Tampering with the corner flag is unsporting behaviour and a cautionable offence.

Unauthorised entry leads to the player being removed and possibly cautioned.

The 'no second touch before another player' rule applies to all restarts. Indirect free kick.

Deliberate handball is a direct free kick offence, and inside the offender's own penalty area that means a penalty kick.

Since 2019 the ball is in play as soon as a goal kick is kicked, so a team-mate may receive it inside the penalty area.

Defender encroachment within 9.15 m may force a retake. Persistent encroachment may earn a yellow card.

Throw-ins were introduced in 1873 by the FA. Prior to that, the ball was kicked back into play after going over the touchline.

The corner kick was added to the Laws in 1872. Before that, defenders could kick the ball straight from the goal line for any out-of-play.

The 'both hands, behind and over the head' standard was formalised in the late 19th century.

The goal kick came first and the corner kick a few years later; letting a goal kick be played inside the penalty area is a recent change.

Since 2019, the ball is in play as soon as it is kicked at a goal kick. Previously, the ball had to leave the penalty area first.

Early football had local variations. Some allowed one-handed throws or threw the ball straight up — formalised by the FA in 1882.

9.15 m has been the standard opponent-distance for set pieces since the late 19th century.

Rory Delap's long throws for Stoke City from 2008 turned the throw-in into something like a corner kick.

For most of the game's history a goal kick had to leave the penalty area; the current rule puts the ball in play as soon as it is kicked.

The 'whole ball wholly across' standard has been part of the Laws since the early 20th century.

Once the ball has gone out of play, blowing back onto the pitch does not change the restart.

Corner flags are part of the field. The ball staying in play after hitting the flag is normal.

If a throw-in does not enter the field of play, it is taken again by the same team.

The ball is out as soon as the whole of it is past the line, even in the air.

The referee is part of the field. If the ball didn't cross the line, play continues.

The throw-in spot is fixed at where the ball crossed. Refs allow small tolerance but not significant deviation.

Once the ball is out, the appropriate restart applies. The ball cannot be reused if lost; a spare is used.

Any player from the attacking team can take a corner. Goalkeepers rarely do, but it's allowed.

A significantly wrong throw-in spot results in possession going to the opposing team.

The taker of a restart may not touch the ball again until another player has; a keeper who handles it inside the area gives away an indirect free kick.

Throw-ins are unique among restarts — they use the hands. All other restarts are foot-based.

The two are mirror restarts depending on which team last touched the ball before it crossed the goal line.

A throw-in is taken from the touchline where the ball went out (B). A kick-off is taken from the centre mark.

Since 2019 the ball is in play as soon as the goal kick is kicked, so teams often start short passing moves inside their own penalty area.

Corners and free kicks are different restarts triggered by different situations.

Throw-ins use a smaller (2 m) distance, since the throw is delivered from outside the field.

Both sports have corner restarts, but field hockey's penalty corner is a specific defensive-foul restart, more like a free kick.

Both are over-the-line restarts using hands, but football's specific technique (over the head, both feet behind) is unique.

A goal kick hands the ball to the defending team; a corner is a chance for the attackers after a defender puts the ball out.

Both can be used as 'crosses' into the box. Long throws are taken from the touchline; corners from the corner arc.

The lime team touched the ball last before it crossed the touchline, so the gray team takes the throw-in.

Ball crosses goal line off defender = corner kick.

Ball crosses goal line off attacker = goal kick.

Both feet must remain in contact with the ground (on or behind the touchline). Lifting a foot voids the throw.

Direct goals from goal kicks against the opposing team are allowed.

Direct goals from corner kicks are legal under Law 17.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in; if it goes straight into the opponents' goal, the restart is a goal kick.

Throw-ins cannot directly score own goals. The opposing team gets a corner.

Ball crosses goal line off the defending team = corner.

A goalkeeper may not handle a ball deliberately kicked to them by a team-mate; the opponents get an indirect free kick.

The ball is out only when the whole of it is past the whole of the line (B). A, C and D are still partly on the line, so they are in play.

A throw-in is delivered with both hands, from behind and over the head, facing the field of play.

When the attacking team puts the ball out over the goal line outside the goal, the defending team takes a goal kick.

Ball over goal line off defender = corner.

The ball is placed inside the corner arc — a 1 m quarter-circle.

Since 2019, a goal kick can be placed anywhere inside the goal area.

Both feet must be on or behind the touchline at the moment the ball is released.

Throw-ins cannot directly score. The defending team takes a goal kick.

Corner kicks may score directly under Law 17.

Direct goals from goal kicks are legal against the opposing team.