Drop Ball

A dropped ball is the restart whenever the referee stops play and the Law does not require another restart. It goes to the team that would have kept or gained possession, with the team that last touched the ball as the fallback, and to the goalkeeper if play stopped inside the penalty area.^1, ^2, ^3, ⁴

Key points

✓A dropped ball is the restart when the referee stops play and the Law does not require a kick-off, free kick, penalty kick, throw-in, goal kick or corner kick¹
✓Outside the penalty area it is dropped for one player of the team that would have retained or gained possession, where the referee can determine that^2, ^3, ⁴
✓Last touch is only the fallback, used where the referee cannot determine who would have had the ball^2, ^3, ⁴
✓The possession test includes the team that would have taken the restart if the ball would have gone out of play, which the clause states in its own parenthesis^2, ⁴
✓If play stopped with the ball inside the penalty area, it is dropped for the defending team's goalkeeper in that penalty area^2, ^3, ⁴
✓It is dropped where play stopped, or at the position of the interference or contact where it hit a match official or an outside agent^2, ⁴

Show the remaining 6 key points

✓Only one player of the receiving team is involved^2, ^3, ⁴
✓All other players of both teams must remain at least 4 m (4.5 yds) from the ball until it is in play⁵
✓The ball is in play when it touches the ground⁶
✓It is dropped again if it touches a player before touching the ground, or leaves the field after touching the ground without touching a player^7, ^8, ⁹
✓A dropped ball entering a goal without touching at least two players is a goal kick if it entered the opponents' goal, or a corner kick if it entered the team's own goal^10, ^11, ¹²
✓Contact with a match official only stops play where the ball stays on the field and then a team starts a promising attack, the ball goes directly into the goal, or the team in possession changes^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ¹⁸

Read the full rule

Scenarios

Scenario 1

Injury stoppage outside the penalty area

No foul

Play is stopped for an injury. The attacking team had possession when play stopped.

Correct call: Drop ball to the attacking team, dropped at the ball's position when play was stopped. Only one attacking player receives it.

Common mistake: Returning the ball to the team that kicked it out, or using the old contested drop ball procedure.

Law^2, ^3, ⁴

Scenario 2

Stoppage just before the ball runs out for a throw-in

No foul

The ball is rolling towards the touchline and would clearly have gone out for a throw-in to the blue team when the referee stops play for a head injury.

Correct call: Drop ball to the blue team. The 2026/27 clarification makes the team that would have taken the restart count as the team that would have gained possession.

Common mistake: Giving it to whoever touched the ball last, which here would be the wrong team. Last touch is only the fallback when the referee cannot work out who would have had it.

Law^2, ^3, ⁴

Scenario 3

Ball hits referee and leads to a goal

No goal

The ball deflects off the referee, stays on the field, and runs into the path of an attacker who scores.

Correct call: No goal, restart with a dropped ball at the point where the ball hit the referee. Contact with a match official stops play where the ball then goes directly into the goal, a team starts a promising attack, or possession changes.

Common mistake: Allowing the goal because the ball hitting the referee used to be treated as part of play. Law 9 sets out three specific triggers rather than leaving it to a general judgment of whether play was affected.

Law^2, ^4, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ¹⁸

The full rule

A dropped ball is the restart when the referee stops play and the Law does not require a kick-off, free kick, penalty kick, throw-in, goal kick or corner kick. If play was stopped inside the penalty area, the ball is dropped for the defending goalkeeper. If it was stopped outside, the referee drops it for one player of the team that would have retained or gained possession, where the referee can determine that. Only where it cannot be determined does it fall back to the team that last touched the ball, and getting this order the right way round matters, because the primary test is about who was going to have the ball, not who touched it last. The clause carries that test with a parenthesis of its own, including from the restart if the ball would have gone out of play, so a stoppage moments before the ball rolls out for a throw-in goes to the team who would have had that throw. The ball is dropped at its position when play was stopped, unless it hit a match official or an outside agent, in which case it is dropped where that interference or contact happened. All other players of both teams must be at least 4 metres (4.5 yards) away until the ball is in play, and the ball is in play when it touches the ground. It is dropped again if it touches a player before touching the ground, or if it leaves the field after touching the ground without touching a player. If a dropped ball goes into a goal without touching at least two players, play restarts with a goal kick if it entered the opponents' goal, or a corner kick if it entered the team's own goal. Law 9 sets out when contact with a match official actually stops play: the ball must touch the official, remain on the field, and then either a team starts a promising attack, the ball goes directly into the goal, or the team in possession changes.^1, ^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ^7, ^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ^12, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ¹⁸