Boundary decisions can be difficult to judge at full speed. A useful viewing habit is to separate whether play has stopped from which restart follows. This guide explains the main cases under IFAB’s 2026/27 Laws, checked on 7 October 2026, using illustrative examples.

The whole ball must cross

A ball is out when it passes completely beyond a touchline or goal line, whether airborne or on the ground. Any part still over the line means it has not crossed completely. A curved pass can therefore leave the field in the air even if it lands inside. Play also stops when the referee stops it. See IFAB Law 9.

Touchline exits lead to throw-ins

For an ordinary touchline exit, the throw-in goes to the opponents of whoever touched the ball last. A defender’s slight deflection can therefore change who receives the restart. The throw is taken where the ball left, and the ball returns to play when it enters the field. IFAB Law 15 provides the procedure.

The thrower faces the field, uses both hands, and delivers the ball from behind and over the head. Part of each foot must be on the touchline or the ground outside it. These requirements explain why a player can stand outside the boundary while correctly restarting the match.

Goal-line exits depend on the last touch

When the ball crosses the goal line without a goal and an attacker touched it last, the usual restart is a goal kick. For example, an untouched shot travelling wide produces a goal kick. The defending team may take it from anywhere in the goal area; it becomes live once kicked and clearly moving. See IFAB Law 16.

If a defender touched it last, the usual restart is a corner. A goalkeeper tipping a shot over the crossbar is a familiar example. The kick uses the corner area nearest the exit point. It becomes live once kicked and clearly moving, without having to leave that area. See IFAB Law 17.

Rebounds can keep play going

A ball that rebounds from a post, crossbar or corner flagpost remains live if it stays on the field. Contact with a match official also usually allows play to continue. A change of direction alone is not enough to require a stoppage.

When referee contact stops play

If the ball hits a match official, stays on the field, and that contact starts a promising attack, changes which team has possession, or sends the ball directly into goal, play restarts with a dropped ball. Consider a midfield pass deflected by the referee straight to an opponent: the change of possession triggers this rule.

Who receives the dropped ball

Under IFAB Law 8, a ball inside the penalty area when play stops is dropped for the defending goalkeeper. Outside it, the recipient is a player from the team that had, or would have retained or gained, possession if the referee can determine that. Otherwise, the last-touch team receives it.

For an outside-area stoppage caused by referee contact, the drop is at the contact point. All other players stay at least four metres away, and the ball becomes live when it touches the ground. The referee therefore considers the expected possession as well as the location, rather than automatically returning every dropped ball to the last team that touched it.

For the different restart signals after an offence, see direct and indirect free kicks explained.