Entering & Leaving the Field Without Permission

Players must have the referee's permission to enter or leave the field of play during a match. Doing so without permission is a cautionable offence.

The full rule

A player cannot enter or leave the field during play without the referee's permission. This applies to players returning from treatment for injury, players adjusting equipment, and substitutes entering. A player who deliberately leaves the field and re-enters to gain an advantage — such as running behind the goal line to appear onside — can be cautioned and their position for offside purposes is considered to be on the boundary line. If a player leaves the field and re-enters without permission and gains an advantage, they must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play.

Key points

✓Players must have referee permission to enter or leave the field
✓Deliberately leaving to gain an advantage is cautionable
✓Player who leaves is considered on the boundary line for offside purposes
✓Substitutes must wait for the replaced player to leave before entering
✓Returning from injury treatment requires referee permission
✓Player who enters without permission and affects play is cautioned

Scenarios

Scenario 1

Injured player returns without permission

Foul

A player who went off for treatment runs back onto the pitch during play without waiting for the referee's signal.

Correct call: Play is stopped and the player is cautioned for entering without permission. They must wait for the referee to signal before re-entering.

Common mistake: Allowing play to continue because the player appeared fit to return. Permission is required regardless of fitness.

Scenario 2

Attacker steps behind goal line to appear onside

Offside

An attacker deliberately steps off the pitch behind the goal line during open play, then re-enters to receive a pass in what would have been an offside position.

Correct call: The attacker is considered to be on the goal line for offside purposes. If they gain an advantage, caution them when the ball is next out of play.

Common mistake: Ruling onside because the player was technically off the pitch. The law explicitly addresses this loophole.