Entering & Leaving the Field Without Permission

Players must have the referee's permission to enter or leave the field of play during a match, and doing so without it is cautionable. An outfield player treated or assessed on the field must then stay off it for one minute of running clock after the restart.^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ^12, ^29, ^30, ^31, ³²

Key points

✓Entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee's permission is a cautionable offence^29, ^30, ^31, ³²
✓A player who crosses a boundary line as part of a playing movement commits no offence, so this is about leaving the game rather than leaving the pitch²⁵
✓An attacking player who re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved is treated as positioned on the goal line for offside, and is cautioned where they left deliberately, were not penalised for offside and gained an advantage²⁸
✓A defending player who leaves without permission still counts for offside, as being on the goal line or touchline, and is cautioned where they left deliberately^26, ²⁷
✓An outfield player is required to leave for one minute where play was stopped for their injury, the referee signalled for the medical staff, or the player asked for on-field attention^1, ^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ⁷
✓The minute runs from the restart on a running clock determined by the referee, so it does not pause for further stoppages^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ¹²

Show the remaining 5 key points

✓The player returns only with the referee's permission, and re-enters from the touchline where the ball is in play^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ¹²
✓If the half ends before the minute has elapsed, the player may return from the start of the next period⁸
✓The minute does not apply at all where the player needed no attention, left voluntarily without delaying the restart, or the injury is one Law 5 permits to be treated on the field^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ^18, ¹⁹
✓Those permitted-on-field injuries include an injured goalkeeper and an injury from a physical offence for which the opponent is cautioned or sent off, which is why a fouled player is not made to leave^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ^18, ¹⁹
✓A substitute only enters after the player being replaced has left, and that player leaves by the nearest point on the boundary line unless the referee directs otherwise^20, ^21, ^22, ^23, ²⁴

Read the full rule

Scenarios

Scenario 1

Player treated on the pitch, wants straight back on

No foul

A midfielder goes down with cramp, is treated on the field, and wants to rejoin as soon as play restarts.

Correct call: He must leave and stay off for one minute of running clock after the restart, then re-enter at the first stoppage with the referee's signal.

Common mistake: Waving him straight back on once treatment finishes. Since 2026/27 treatment on the field costs the team a minute a player short.

Law^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ¹²

Scenario 2

Player injured by a reckless challenge

No foul

A player is caught by a reckless tackle, the offender is cautioned, and the injured player needs treatment on the pitch.

Correct call: He can stay on after the assessment or treatment. An injury resulting from a physical offence for which the opponent is cautioned or sent off is one of the injuries Law 5 permits to be treated on the field, and the one-minute absence does not apply to those.

Common mistake: Sending him off for a minute anyway, which would punish the fouled player twice and reward the offender.

Law^13, ^17, ¹⁹

Scenario 3

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.

Law^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ^12, ^29, ^30, ^31, ³²

Scenario 4

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.

Law²⁸

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, players adjusting equipment, and substitutes entering. A player who deliberately leaves the field and re-enters to gain an advantage, such as stepping behind the goal line to appear onside, can be cautioned, and their position for offside purposes is taken to be on the boundary line. The protocol printed under Notes and modifications adds a mandatory absence after treatment. An outfield player who is assessed or treated on the field of play, or whose injury causes play to be stopped, must leave and remain off the field for one minute after play restarts. The minute runs on a running clock determined by the referee, so it does not pause for further stoppages, and the player may only come back at the first stoppage after it has elapsed, with the referee's signal. If the first half ends before the minute is up, the player may return from the start of the second half. The referee may give permission to return while the ball is in play. There are carve-outs that matter, because the rule is not meant to punish genuine injury caused by an opponent: where the injury results from a physical offence punished by a caution or a sending-off, the player can stay on after assessment or treatment even if it is not completed quickly, and an injured goalkeeper is treated separately.^2, ^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ^12, ^13, ^14, ^15, ^16, ^17, ^18, ^19, ^25, ^28, ^29, ^30, ^31, ³²