Laws of the Game
for Officials, Referees, Players, and Fans
The Ball In and Out of Play
Ball Out of Play
The ball is out of play when:
- it has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line whether on the
ground or in the air
- play has been stopped by the referee
Ball In Play
The ball is in play at all other times, including when:
- it rebounds from a goalpost, crossbar or corner flagpost and
remains in the field of play
- it rebounds from either the referee or an assistant referee when
they are on the field of play
